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Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

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Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#161

Post by RodericDay »

idm wrote: post #23

I lived in Berkeley for 5 years, and I can totally imagine this happening. While some parts of the condemnation are crazy (2 story palace!?) I nevertheless see the kernel of truth that lies somewhere in the murky rationale of that rant. Now, it's certainly not fair or reasonable to target a private individual like this, but I used to work in a DoD lab and I've considered many of the same issues raised by the protesto…

why is it not reasonable to target individuals?

when you target corporations, people point out that they are complex structures and that the decisions made by them do not represent every single employee

when you target specific employees with decision-making power, people point out that the corporations are the problem and they are beholden by law and so on and so on

when you discuss that maybe the blame is on capitalism for institutionalizing antisocial behavior, you're called naive and showered with examples of the good things it's produced

there's some cognitive dissonance from detractors/businesspeople not primarily concerned with social welfare in taking one of these positions at a time and not realizing that everyone else sees them take the three in conjunction

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#162

Post by walshemj »

tomp wrote: post #113
walshemj wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

smiles you think I coming at this from a right-wing perspective lol.

No I just think that your comment did in absolutely no way make this discussion better.

In what way - I agree that responding with violence would not be a good first response at some point you do have to take a stand.

Maybe the bus drivers from all the tech company could protest against this threat to their livelihood and stage a drive in and shutdown the city like the french farmers do by driving extremely slowly though the city.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#163

Post by tomp »

nollidge wrote: post #148
tomp wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point of the protest isn't to destroy a person's life, the point of the protest is to (1) make Google's employees reluctant to continue being Google's employees and as a result (2) make Google rethink their official and unofficial policies, in order to (3) make the world a better place. AFAIK, they haven't really hurt anybody (this time). They are just pressing the points that (they think will) hurt the most.

No one deserves to feel unsafe, especially in their own home. Just because they haven't literally harmed his person doesn't mean that they're acting morally.

That's not a particularly good argument, because one of the main point of people protesting the NSA surveillance (which Google is a part of) is that it makes them feel unsafe. It's all a matter of perspective.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#165

Post by michaelt »

matthewmacleod wrote: post #62
calibraxis wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just read the PDF, and it's an interesting and reasonable perspective on tech. Probably sounds blasphemous to an audience excited about investments/acquisitions of $15M, $30M and $1.54 billion (from HN's current front page), but I think techies are due for a reasonable backlash for their usual servility to power, by people concerned about their society.

With respect, you are wrong. It's neither interesting nor reasonable, and indeed is barely coherent. Gentrification is a real problem, with inequality at it's roots. I think most people would agree with that. And I'd also agree that it's easy for some in the tech community to lose touch with the relative privilege that they often live in. But this is not a "reasonable backlash" – it's a bunch of incoherent knee-jerk…

A while ago I was talking to an extremely cynical person in line to inherit a british aristocratic title.

He told me something his grandfather taught him: People who are protesting against you will almost certainly disagree with you about what an "acceptable backlash" is. Specifically you will prefer ineffective protests and those that that don't inconvenience you, while they will prefer effective protests and those that are spiteful.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#166

Post by tsax »

walshemj wrote: post #79
tsax wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

^^ left-wing degeneracy for all to see. popcorn

smiles you think I coming at this from a right-wing perspective lol.

Sorry dude I was replying to the parent comment, not yours.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#167

Post by n1ghtmare_ »

mgunes wrote: post #91
jasonkester wrote: post #51

Absolutely horrifying. More so because there are actually people here in this thread defending the crazy person who's trying to destroy somebody's life because they don't like the company he works for.

No, there aren't "people"; there is "a person", me. Just one person. Everyone else is speculating on how the poor little "Googler"'s life is destroyed by a naive peaceful protest, derailing the issue with anti-left wing jokes, suggesting that "Googlers" carry weapons, and so on. HN at its best: when its ideological toe is stepped on. popcorn

There is something wrong with you dude ... Like seriously!

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#169

Post by DannoHung »

ForHackernews wrote: post #141
DannoHung wrote: post #112

Whoever wrote this is a fucking lunatic. I mean, common, "His house is a pompous, minimally decorated two story palace with stone lions guarding the door." You lost me right there. And then the parts about Google X developing "war robots" and Google threatening to release a "massive amount of carbon"? Just... no. I thought the protestors had a reasonable argument about Google hindering the development of better publi…

Are housing prices in San Francisco really so insane that a two-story house is "pompous" and a "palace"? > developing "war robots" Technically, since their acquisition Boston Dynamics, Google is indeed in the business of war robots: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/google-buys-major-military... Though they've said they're only going to fulfill their existing military contracts, not seek out others. I guess we'll see…

Maybe if this was a protest of a Boston Dynamics employee in Massachusetts, but this guy apparently works for Google X. So... self driving cars and diabetes contact lenses?

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#170

Post by walshemj »

mgunes wrote: post #154
walshemj wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And if I as a "techie" feel threatened an oppressed by those individuals I am. I am in no way a right winger I was coming at it form the same direction that those who fought in cable street did. "An injury to one is an injury to all"

"Threatened" and "oppressed", by non-violent assembly and protest? Come on.

Absolutely its the "perception" by the group of the threat/oppression that is the key thing.

You might want to talk to a few people outside of your group from different ethnicity / group.

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