The article has a deeply discrimatory ring to it. It's essentialist to single out Google as the sole source of whatever problems San Francisco has. It also has the ring of "these immigrants are destroying the character of our community and taking our jobs, and not giving back. Let's send these immigrants a message." Disturbing, terrifying, and misguided.
Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
131–140 of 296 posts
Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#132This is getting to be a bit absurd. I understand and can sympathize with the plight of folks who feel that they are becoming economically marginalized in the region, because in many ways it is really happening. But public badgering of mid to low-level folks is not a way to gain a lot of support. It's like damaging the lobby of a Bank of America or smashing the windows of a McDonalds -- all it does is ruin the day for…
Why should it matter what level they are? If its wrong to harass the low level worker its wrong to harass any level of worker at their home. If you wish to protest a business do so at their business. Lets just hope feel the same the next time they read about some mid level banker or stock broker having people outside their homes. Amazing how even in this community we have groups who think there is a difference just b…
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Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#133[deleted]
Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#134I would like to know what this "privilege" is all about. I'm a tech worker who makes a very good salary. Am I privileged? I couldn't afford a fancy high end college, so I chose a cheaper one and got a loan from the Government, which I paid back in full. I studied hard in a public school and those achievements helped me get a grant to offset some cost as well. I got a job in tech support, worked my way up through the…
> I would like to know what this "privilege" is all about. I'm a tech worker who makes a very good salary. Am I privileged?
Yes. So am I and so is most of the audience here.
Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#135I wonder what the person did? If it were me, I'd be tempted to just pop out the back way, and take the train to work or something. I'm sure the protesters are hoping for a big confrontation. OK, actually, if it was me I'd stay home and peek through my windows, take a bunch of pictures, and write up a blog post about it. I kinda want a group of crazies to protest outside my house, it sounds sort of exciting.
I've had to cross picket lines (not outside my house). Not fun.
What happened?
Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#136I'm of two thoughts on this. Obviously, sucks a lot to be dude, but no one is being violent (though some of the rhetoric veers toward threats, which is absolutely inappropriate), and this strategy puts immense pressure on Google. Additionally he's well-chosen as a target: quite wealthy, working on a product that's closely linked to military applications, and unluckily enough (for him) someone involved in the changing urban landscape of Berkeley, which helps protestors tap into a channel of great resentment. It's a tactic that's typically been used against CEOs in the past (e.g. after the Bhopal disaster): using it against someone lower on the totem poll makes me a bit uncomfortable, but it seems like a natural extension.
The real WTF is this: what the hell are they hoping to accomplish? Everything in their manifesto is scattershot, and comes off as just a spray of resentment. I could maybe imagine a demand for Google to cease all contracts with the US military, but (1) they failed to make that demand the explicit focus and (2) they've not laid the groundwork for that demand. You don't jump into harsh escalations until you've built a community organized around the demand, but few people have heard of the Google car-military connection. The goal seems more just to express inchoate anger at Google and gentrification without having some specific outcome in mind.
So, on strategy I give them an F. Tactics a B, mostly because the execution is flawed because of an absent strategy, leading to their manifesto reading as frothing rage than an intelligent indictment of him and Google. All the neighbors who receive this flier to are going to walk away sympathetic with the guy and respecting him more.
Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#137This is shameful behavior - it is tantamount to mob rule & harassment, with the effective statement that "We strongly dislike what you're doing, so we are going to disturb your private residence and prevent you from going to work". No person who isn't committing a serious crime deserves that whatever his/her beliefs.
Meanwhile in another thread, people are lamenting the idea that the government can require you to get a permit to peacefully protest, and arrest you otherwise...
Protests against the government shouldn't require a permit from the government. That's really, really dumb, I'm sure we can all agree.
Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#138Earlier quoted context omitted.
The analogy between Google and McDonalds only works in regard to commercial creepiness. It does not sufficiently cover collaboration with the surveillance state's organs.
I don't think anybody wants a situation in which companies pick-and-choose which laws to follow, and which to ignore. The proper target for anger in this case is the NSA and the government which allowed this to happen.
Only individual persons have moral agency. The NSA is not a proper target for the expression of moral outrage because it is not a moral agent [and neither is Google or any other corporate entity]. If you call up the NSA to express moral outrage it is likely to be handled as a matter of law enforcement one way or the other though handled not in your favor is more likely. Call Google or Microsoft or Apple and your moral outrage is treated with standardized customer service protocols.
The NSA is not a proper target for expressions of moral outrage, the individual elected officials who allow, facilitate, or collaborate with its behaviors are as are those who are just following orders. The people responsible are responsible whether the context is some three letter agency or a publicly traded company. A corporation doesn't shield one from moral liability.
Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#139This is coming awfully close to bullying, if not terrorizing an individual because of a difference of opinion on what they do or whom they work for.
This is awful. I might not agree with some things Google does or any corporation does; however, this approach will only serve to alienate dissidence since most people will not want to be associated with this kind of awful tactic. Just because people (public) is not taking your side should not signal you the protester to go gonzo, off the reservation, as it were.
This is not the way to dissent. It's a desperate and counterproductive approach which _might_ get sympathy form the choir. In that sense, it's a very selfish (self-pleasing) act.
Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley
#140This is shameful behavior - it is tantamount to mob rule & harassment, with the effective statement that "We strongly dislike what you're doing, so we are going to disturb your private residence and prevent you from going to work". No person who isn't committing a serious crime deserves that whatever his/her beliefs.
I mean, it's kinda like driving by your house with a camera then putting the pictures on the web. Or slurping up your wifi credentials. Good thing Google employees would never get involved in anything like that.
It is exactly like those things.