Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

latimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 841 posts

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#51

Post by empath75 »

rattray wrote: post #14

What a bummer that workers are publicly demanding this, and (presumably) seeking press attention on it. I'm no fan of ICE – a very large percentage of my friends in the US are immigrants, and I generally want my country to be a welcoming one. ICE has certainly committed unethical and probably illegal acts (probably true of most federal agencies). But to expect that a _federal agency_ will be denied service from a pri…

Replace ICE with "the SS" and see how your comment reads. I was working on a DHS contract and quit the second I found out they were putting children into cages. I'm under no obligation to work at a company that contributes in even a tiny way to an atrocity.

A company I work for is free to take the contract, and I'm free to tell them I don't want to work for them any more because of it.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#53

Post by johncena33 »

karpierz wrote: post #17
johncena33 wrote: post #2

I guess this is the reason lot of corporates try to stay out of politics. Because once you set a precedence then people will use that as to push their own political agendas. I personally don't like the slippery slope argument since it's very lazy and justifies inaction in many cases. But at the same time when I see news like this, I just wonder how long it will take two different subgroups trying push their own confl…

This isn't people pushing their own political agenda; this is a consequence of the political stance they took. When a company takes a political stance, they should be held accountable for it.

How is protesting against police brutality is same as protesting against ICE? That sounds like partisanship. If you support one issue then you will also have to support other issues.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#54

Post by throwaway122378 »

partiallypro wrote: post #40

ICE has done unethical things, but...they are also essential in many of their roles, and every country has a similar agency. Why not use the platform and power you have to push for changes instead of just severing ties? It doesn't really accomplish anything.

Because the left cannot be reasoned with. It’s either their way or you’re a fascist

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#55

Post by vkou »

Fellshard wrote: post #11
duxup wrote: post #6

Is GitHub a hug part of what ICE ... does? Personally I wouldn't want to work for a company actually detaining people, but call me terrible but I'm not sure I'd feel the same about letting them pay to host some code...

There's a big strain of consequentialism running through the modern left - no neutral service is held as neutral if it permits the 'wrong' customers.

How does this square with people being angry at banks working with drug cartels, or at a Chinese cellphone manufacturer doing business in Iran?

There are, in fact 'wrong customers' for the American right. It's just that their list of 'wrong customers' is different from that of the left.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#56

Post by Fellshard »

johncena33 wrote: post #26
duxup wrote: post #6

Is GitHub a hug part of what ICE ... does? Personally I wouldn't want to work for a company actually detaining people, but call me terrible but I'm not sure I'd feel the same about letting them pay to host some code...

This is a genuine question. I want to immigrate to USA, but currently there is no easy way to immigrate to USA. On the contrary Canada has a fair immigration system that allowed me to stay, work and eventually be citizen. Why don't people push for a fair immigration system in USA instead of abolishing ICE? What exactly am I missing here?

Years and years of messy and disingenuous arguments, with a lot of straw men involved, so politicians can generate a continual moral high ground.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#57

Post by dastbe »

duxup wrote: post #6

Is GitHub a hug part of what ICE ... does? Personally I wouldn't want to work for a company actually detaining people, but call me terrible but I'm not sure I'd feel the same about letting them pay to host some code...

If your government isn't willing to compromise with you but desires something from you, it's pretty straightforward that you should withhold as much as you can until they decide to compromise.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#58

Post by e40 »

mchanson wrote: post #31
johncena33 wrote: post #2

I guess this is the reason lot of corporates try to stay out of politics. Because once you set a precedence then people will use that as to push their own political agendas. I personally don't like the slippery slope argument since it's very lazy and justifies inaction in many cases. But at the same time when I see news like this, I just wonder how long it will take two different subgroups trying push their own confl…

We are going through a very strange and extreme period in US History. Corporations are a huge part of the political landscape. Of course workers who are powerful will demand things of their workplaces. All corporations are political. By accepting the ICE contract previously it was political. Now by reversing they would be changing sides. They were already in the political fray.

Especially given the fact of unlimited political donations by corporations.

Anyone who says "let's not make this political" is very naive.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#59

Post by jm4 »

mchanson wrote: post #31
johncena33 wrote: post #2

I guess this is the reason lot of corporates try to stay out of politics. Because once you set a precedence then people will use that as to push their own political agendas. I personally don't like the slippery slope argument since it's very lazy and justifies inaction in many cases. But at the same time when I see news like this, I just wonder how long it will take two different subgroups trying push their own confl…

We are going through a very strange and extreme period in US History. Corporations are a huge part of the political landscape. Of course workers who are powerful will demand things of their workplaces. All corporations are political. By accepting the ICE contract previously it was political. Now by reversing they would be changing sides. They were already in the political fray.

How is it political to accept business from a federal agency? One could argue it’s more political to pick and choose which federal agency to work for - or whether to do it at all - based on whether you agree with that agency’s mission. This is really getting out of hand. Now businesses have to let the world (and mostly people who are not customers) know where they stand by choosing customers based on where those customers stand on various issues? This is insanity.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#60

Post by mchanson »

rattray wrote: post #14

What a bummer that workers are publicly demanding this, and (presumably) seeking press attention on it. I'm no fan of ICE – a very large percentage of my friends in the US are immigrants, and I generally want my country to be a welcoming one. ICE has certainly committed unethical and probably illegal acts (probably true of most federal agencies). But to expect that a _federal agency_ will be denied service from a pri…

Civility has already broken down because of the US government’s actions. Schools and other parts of the government are ending their contracts with police. People all over the country and looking hard at their actions and the actions of those companies or other entities they associate with.

When the government is acting this badly the social contract gets weaker and begins to fall apart.

This is just a reaction to those larger forces. Until those larger problems are addressed and the government starts acting more civilized there is no reason to expect or hope that business as usual will continue.

Post reply on HN