For anyone who is interested, the actual blog post on his website was deleted. It's available on the Way Back Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/20210601160519/https://www.kamau...
Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
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Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#52The left’s obsession with cancel culture and conducting archeological digs on past comments, tweets, etc is coming back to bite them. I think removing this guy was the right thing to do, BUT I also think a major company like Google needs to set an example: Something someone tweeted more than ten years ago should no longer be relevant and should be ignored. However until that standard is set as example by a major company, we are going to see this dig up and burn for some time.
Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#53HN title should mention that the blog post in question was from 2007.
Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#54Here is a classic case of someone conflating the state of Israel and Jewish people and lumping it all together. Plenty of Jewish people that live both inside and outside of Israel are critical of the state. People can be critical of the state of Israel, but they should not be antisemitic. His comments are offensive for this reason.
>>People can be critical of the state of Israel, but they should not be antisemitic. As long as you (the general you, not you specifically) subject all countries that (allegedly) mistreat their citizens or neighbouring countries to the same level of criticism. When you single out the world's only Jewish state for criticism it looks kinda racist.
South Africa's Apartheid was condemned as human injustice, so should Israel's Apartheid, no?
Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#55What I have learned in recent years is how shockingly accepting of antisemitism people apparently are on both sides of aisle. Growing up in a prominently Jewish neighborhood in Minnesota I never really encountered it until maybe ten years ago.
The fact that he was just shifted rather than fired in this political environment speaks volumes.
Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#56Here is a classic case of someone conflating the state of Israel and Jewish people and lumping it all together. Plenty of Jewish people that live both inside and outside of Israel are critical of the state. People can be critical of the state of Israel, but they should not be antisemitic. His comments are offensive for this reason.
This is by design. Israel and spent years associating the _state_ of Israel with Judaism. That way you can’t criticize Israel without being labeled and anti-Jewish semite. Nothing he posted was offensive. Israel is an apartheid state
Yes, there is an association and a Head of Diversity should be smart enough to not generalize based on this association; it's failure to satisfy the core requirement of the professional role.
Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is by design. Israel and spent years associating the _state_ of Israel with Judaism. That way you can’t criticize Israel without being labeled and anti-Jewish semite. Nothing he posted was offensive. Israel is an apartheid state
> Nothing he posted was offensive. > “If I were a Jew I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of myself” How about that?
As I said, Israel conflates being a Jew with the state of Israel. And as such, people associate Israel with Judaism. That’s not offensive if it’s by design. You can’t have your cake and eat it to.
Israel is an apartheid state.
Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#58Note that “diversity head” does not mean “head of the company’s diversity efforts” here - that’s a different person, Melonie Parker. It’s not super clear to me what this guy’s role actually was.
Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#59> Instead of firing him, though, Google is moving Bobb into a STEM-focused role. That's surprising, but I think it's good. He's obviously not viable in the diversity role, but there's no reason to go ballistic over a 15 year old blog post.
why would they use an engineer for such a role anyways. Should have gotten someone with a degree in gender studies
Probably overrated the engineer aptitude to learn the domain.
Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces
#60Slightly shocking that he didn't get fired. (yet?) They fired Damore for writing an email that was tone-deaf, insensitive, but largely supported by research. Bobb goes on a clearly antisemitic rant, and just gets reassigned. Is Google inconsistent, or has their policy on how to deal with these things changed over the past few years?
Given prior behavior around similar issues with other people I’m very surprised this person maintained their job.
I’m pretty sure if he were another person talking the same way about other people he’d have gotten fired unceremoniously.
And I doubt they have recalibrated how they deal with controversial opinions.