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Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

economist.com

681–690 of 1001 posts

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#681

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> seeking equality and justice Equality of outcome or opportunity? That matters. I'd support one but not the other. I lived under Communism until 1989 and I know what equal outcome looks like after decades of having its run. There is no incentive to excel and all the incentives to conform because equality comes before merit. After some time the whole society slides into poverty. What I don't like is to put ideology o…

It’s disingenuous to blame all problems our countries had before 89 on socialism, while ignoring the constant blockade and attack from the Western European countries and the US.

A country the size of the USSR does not need resources from other countries to survive. If communism was effective, the blockades would have been irrelevant.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#682

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with your sentiment that we are more than replacable robots. But I think for a long time 'a whole person' referred to your character, your hobbies, your family, your quirks. And politics was a small, and usually private part of that. We are in a time now where politics is tribal and has usurped a huge part of people's identities. To the point they see the other tribe as the devil merely by association. And I…

Politics is an expression of your moral values. It's always been an important part of a person.

People who huffily decry "politics" also tend to have political beliefs which they feel are apolitical. Examining and unpacking those beliefs is "political," however, so that the net result is "I just don't want my politics questioned or examined, even when it affects other people."

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#683
post #557

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You'd need to convince workers to not believe that someone who says sexist stuff in a book is going to cause a problem for them. No. A million times no. If and when an employee creates a hostile work environment, then the employer may address it by disciplining or firing that employee. Nobody, absolutely nobody, is under any obligation to preemptively address things someone imagines might happen based on their misi…

With how much we know about implicit bias causing so many problems in equity for things like promotions and opportunity in the workplace, having someone publicly espouse explicit bias should come with some consequences. The glass ceiling exists. You’re saying it shouldn’t be based on an out of context fragment, and I agree but often in those situations in context can mean the same thing. Case by case for sure but if…

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Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#684
I suspect they want to get rid of ethically-minded employees who could potentially become whistle-blowers later when they find out how the company really makes its money.

The next step will be to start increasing the salaries and bonuses of remaining employees.

If you're ethically-minded, the best strategy is to stay in the company, pretend to be one of them, then when you catch them doing something bad, blow the whistle on them.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#685

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. I disagree. The notion that humans turn into employer-owned production machinery for 8 hours a day is one very particular way to conceptualize work. But it ignores both the individual as a whole person and the society that contains and enables the workplace to function. To me, even as a former and perhaps future entrepr…

If I work somewhere, I am the tool that the founder uses to have wrought forth their vision. I accept that and do what must be done. Therefore, at the same time, if I create a company, it is mine to do with as I please, to command forth to fulfill my vision. I don't really understand the purpose of bringing "the whole person" if it doesn't matter to the work being done. It can not only be useless but actively harmful…

"Do as you please" isn't really true. You'll have local zoning laws to follow, taxes to pay, minimum wages to respect, health codes, fire safety codes and on and on. So already you're at the behest of regulations.

Then, you're not employing tools or widgets. Tools are inanimate objects created by humans. Humans are thinking beings that have emotions. It's a fantasy to think you can abstract it away just because you pay them in some cotten/linen paper.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#687

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Your labour and are not owed because they got lucky, they are owed because that is what you are exchanging with the lord for the privilege to work this land" "Your labour and skills are not owed because they got lucky, they are owed because that is what you are exchanging with the owner to pay back your debt and earn your freedom" You can use that logic to justify any oppression as long as you frame it in the langua…

In both your examples the person laboring is forced to labor for one specific lord/owner. In our economy, you can go work for anyone, or for yourself, or to some degree even not work at all and collect various social benefits. Comparing programmers in 2021 to medieval serfs or ancient debt-slaves is literally absurd. Programmers don't even really need any substantial capital to do their own thing. You can start a bus…

Wasn't there a big scandal some years ago about the big tech players making deals under the table about wages and not poaching each other's talent? At some point, when there is too much to lose, big companies are going to start collaborating on things that are not beneficial to the worker. At that point, you might say that you have total freedom in your choice of where to go to work, but you are also limited by the 'invisible hand of the market'

But yeah, I do agree that a direct comparison of programmers to serfs is a bit overboard. However, I am also seeing it in the sense that things don't really change much, even in a few centuries. The world is probably getting better for the people, but that doesn't mean that the same old tactics by the rich and powerful don't appear in new clothes.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#688

People are human. But work is work. The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. The personal aims of the workers are fulfilled best outside of work. Just stop to think about it logically for a minute... is the workplace the best place to circulate a petition condemning something that has nothing to do with work? The workplace necessarily is going to bring together…

> The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs.

Congrats, this is a political opinion.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#689
post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When will we acknowledge that one of the most noble pursuits Christ, this Superhero CEO bullshit has to stop. It is beyond absurd. Is the multi-hundred X income multiplier really insufficient, they need their egos stroked constantly, too? I have co-founded a startup, and otherwise have worked at them for almost the entirety of my adult life. I know how much work, risk, and pain is involved. But this apparent need f…

Society would be better off glorifying entrepreneurs than instagram celebrities. Also most founders do not get a multi-hundred X income multiplier. Instead they fail and often go into debt. Yes there are some outsized winners, but the vast majority don’t. That’s why we should be elevating those individuals to promote a culture of risk-taking.

> Society would be better off glorifying entrepreneurs than instagram celebrities.

How about that happens after they retire at 80? That would be a good balance. You glorify an entrepreneur and soon enough he'd be pushing BS vaporware products or using his cult of personality to raise endless equity at absurd valuation or outright scamming the government (Musk cough cough...conman cough cough)

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#690

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. I disagree. The notion that humans turn into employer-owned production machinery for 8 hours a day is one very particular way to conceptualize work. But it ignores both the individual as a whole person and the society that contains and enables the workplace to function. To me, even as a former and perhaps future entrepr…

>I think it's a giant mistake to see a workplace as a place where the entrepreneur is a tiny god-king. It isn't about being a god king, its about people being capable of collectively doing a task without saddling the execution of that task with all of their personal, political and emotional baggage. >If people want to play-act as robots, I won't deny them their kink. But that's not what interests me about work, and i…

How about when the grievance has to do with work itself? Something like James Damore. Or the inverse, someone bringing up a mysogynistic culture company-wide? What if the company implicitly looks down upon people with left/right leanings, depending on whether it's in Alabama or California?

I agree with the general sentiment that going to the office, collecting your paycheck and going home is the smoothest ride for everyone, but honestly, beyond a certain size, I think it's unavoidable to have these kinds of frictions.

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