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What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

theatlantic.com

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Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#11

Post by mynameishere »

wayoutthere wrote: post #7
AlexanderDhoore wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You live in Munich. You think like a European. Left or right on the political spectrum, doesn't matter. What you said is generally accepted as "how it works" in Europe. Not so much in other places.

The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein is an excellent history of how government policy was co-opted by white supremacists in America.

That would certainly explain mass immigration, affirmative action, hate crime laws, and endless wars for Israel. White supremacists being in charge.

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#12

Post by tyingq »

pytester wrote: post #8
TulliusCicero wrote: post #2

> We need to applaud companies like Slack, but know that the nitty-gritty of human services—housing, health care, social support—which lots of nonprofits and public institutions are working on, the private sector has largely turned away from.” I mean, yeah? Those things sound like they’re precisely the kind of stuff that’s the domain of non-profits and the government. Why would we expect Slack or other tech companies…

>Why would we expect Slack or other tech companies to be helping random people with housing or social support? Yet they expect congratulations. Slack's selfish commercial interest is entirely aligned with hiring cheap developers, but, they put out a press release and the atlantic magazine took it up. I worked with a another charity that did a similar thing (not prisoners, but the underprivileged) and one of the compa…

In this particular case, I think it's worth it even it is self serving. The advent of cheap online background checks has added to the already difficult task of getting a job if you're a felon. Any publicity around hiring them helps normalize it as expected.

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#13

Post by jtbayly »

DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #5
TulliusCicero wrote: post #2

> We need to applaud companies like Slack, but know that the nitty-gritty of human services—housing, health care, social support—which lots of nonprofits and public institutions are working on, the private sector has largely turned away from.” I mean, yeah? Those things sound like they’re precisely the kind of stuff that’s the domain of non-profits and the government. Why would we expect Slack or other tech companies…

Government is to govern. Government in most countries is driven by democratic mandates. Democratic mandates are set by influencers. The US’ key influencers are largely regressive and dishonest - and convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests[1]. The US government does not currently have a democratic mandate to operate as the social welfare state. Consequently hundreds of tho…

> convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests.

I’ve seen this on HN several times, and it always cracks me up. The condescension isn't dripping. It’s running in torrents.

You think the reason they won’t vote the way you want is because they don’t know what’s good for themselves. You might want to consider an alternate: they don’t want someone like you deciding what’s good for them and forcing it down their throats.

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#14

Post by pytester »

tyingq wrote: post #12
pytester wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why would we expect Slack or other tech companies to be helping random people with housing or social support? Yet they expect congratulations. Slack's selfish commercial interest is entirely aligned with hiring cheap developers, but, they put out a press release and the atlantic magazine took it up. I worked with a another charity that did a similar thing (not prisoners, but the underprivileged) and one of the compa…

In this particular case, I think it's worth it even it is self serving. The advent of cheap online background checks has added to the already difficult task of getting a job if you're a felon. Any publicity around hiring them helps normalize it as expected.

This piece of PR fluff isn't helping regular ex cons get regular jobs in non-tight labor markets.

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#15

Post by [deleted] »

jtbayly wrote: post #13
DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Government is to govern. Government in most countries is driven by democratic mandates. Democratic mandates are set by influencers. The US’ key influencers are largely regressive and dishonest - and convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests[1]. The US government does not currently have a democratic mandate to operate as the social welfare state. Consequently hundreds of tho…

> convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests. I’ve seen this on HN several times, and it always cracks me up. The condescension isn't dripping. It’s running in torrents. You think the reason they won’t vote the way you want is because they don’t know what’s good for themselves. You might want to consider an alternate: they don’t want someone like you deciding what’s good for…

[deleted]

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#16

Post by DaiPlusPlus »

purple_ducks wrote: post #9

I'm all for the positivity but really?? > Access to an elite organization In what way is Slack elite? These writers need to tone done their hyperbole.

> In what way is Slack elite?

Slack's a big name in the tech industry and there's certainly competition for jobs they have on offer.

As _elite_ as, say, Apple, Google or Facebook? Probably not - but they're not Accenture or Capita either.

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#17

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

jtbayly wrote: post #13
DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Government is to govern. Government in most countries is driven by democratic mandates. Democratic mandates are set by influencers. The US’ key influencers are largely regressive and dishonest - and convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests[1]. The US government does not currently have a democratic mandate to operate as the social welfare state. Consequently hundreds of tho…

> convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests. I’ve seen this on HN several times, and it always cracks me up. The condescension isn't dripping. It’s running in torrents. You think the reason they won’t vote the way you want is because they don’t know what’s good for themselves. You might want to consider an alternate: they don’t want someone like you deciding what’s good for…

The UK has just had an election where many people voted for the party which has been in power for nearly ten years and been an utter disaster.

Because they want change.

Condescension has nothing to do with it. It's empirically observable that a proportion of the electorate doesn't vote in its own best interests.

It's also empirically observable there's an entire industry of media outlets, think-tanks, journalists, bloggers, TV presenters, radio commenters, online commenters, and other influencers which is paid huge sums every year to make sure this doesn't change.

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#18

Post by traderjane »

jtbayly wrote: post #13
DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Government is to govern. Government in most countries is driven by democratic mandates. Democratic mandates are set by influencers. The US’ key influencers are largely regressive and dishonest - and convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests[1]. The US government does not currently have a democratic mandate to operate as the social welfare state. Consequently hundreds of tho…

> convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests. I’ve seen this on HN several times, and it always cracks me up. The condescension isn't dripping. It’s running in torrents. You think the reason they won’t vote the way you want is because they don’t know what’s good for themselves. You might want to consider an alternate: they don’t want someone like you deciding what’s good for…

Is DaiPlusPlus is forcing things down people's throats? Is DaiPlusPlus' condescension running in torrents? Are you being condescending?

If I say that consumers are being tricked by ad companies, am I being condescending? How dare I make judgments on so many people?

And when American Christians say that Jesus Christ is the only true way and that Islam is a false path, and that all other ways are false pathways which lead to eternal hell, and is among the greatest of wrongs, is that condescending? Or mere spiritual reality? Other people aren't experiencing moral anxieties in judging you; instead they feel they have moral clarity. This is the majority stance of the land.

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#19

Post by lizardking »

jtbayly wrote: post #13
DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Government is to govern. Government in most countries is driven by democratic mandates. Democratic mandates are set by influencers. The US’ key influencers are largely regressive and dishonest - and convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests[1]. The US government does not currently have a democratic mandate to operate as the social welfare state. Consequently hundreds of tho…

> convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests. I’ve seen this on HN several times, and it always cracks me up. The condescension isn't dripping. It’s running in torrents. You think the reason they won’t vote the way you want is because they don’t know what’s good for themselves. You might want to consider an alternate: they don’t want someone like you deciding what’s good for…

The American political left would gain immensely and lose exactly nothing by being less condescending. The first line of argument they should abandon is telling people they are voting against their own interests. It’s remarkably insulting, and arrogantly presupposes you know know better what another person’s interests are.

Re: What Happens After Prisoners Learn to Code?

#20

Post by zozbot234 »

lizardking wrote: post #19
jtbayly wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> convince people to either not vote - or to vote against their personal best interests. I’ve seen this on HN several times, and it always cracks me up. The condescension isn't dripping. It’s running in torrents. You think the reason they won’t vote the way you want is because they don’t know what’s good for themselves. You might want to consider an alternate: they don’t want someone like you deciding what’s good for…

The American political left would gain immensely and lose exactly nothing by being less condescending. The first line of argument they should abandon is telling people they are voting against their own interests. It’s remarkably insulting, and arrogantly presupposes you know know better what another person’s interests are.

I usually see the argument "you're voting against your own interests" from the free-market, libertarianish side. You may be right that it's often viewed as condescending, but I'm not sure what the alternative would be since the proper pursuit of 'enlightened self-interest' is the whole point of that sort of politics.
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