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Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

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Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IIRC, they tried to make a first amendment argument about ... releasing someones sex tape without their consent. Oh, and, of course, calling that "journalism."

If that's all you got out of it, you should watch it again. Or maybe just read this synopsis: http://www.businessinsider.de/sundance-nobody-speak-gawker-h...

Okay, sure. If I gave a more charitable spoiler, it might be: The documentary expresses that society requires an independent free press. That's their main point. Trying to make that point through the Gawker case is, IMHO, completely divorced from reality.

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#172
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Putin and Xi must be relieved to hear that Gawker going bankrupt is “one of the biggest attacks on freedom of the press in recent history.”

Whataboutism.

Whataboutism: you say ”this is bad” and I say ”but what about .”

Logical smooth sailing: you say “this is the worst” and I say “can’t be the worst because here is something worse.”

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#173
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Putin and Xi must be relieved to hear that Gawker going bankrupt is “one of the biggest attacks on freedom of the press in recent history.”

Context is everything, isn't it? If I said that the North Bay fires were one of the biggest tragedies in recent memory, you wouldn't chastise me for not mentioning the Rohingya pogroms, would you?

I wouldn’t say I chastised you.

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#174
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In your ideal society, you would rather see Hogan lose in court for lack of money?

In my ideal society, lawyers wouldn't cost and arm and a leg or at least government would make sure individuals could sue corporations if there's a solid case. Essentially, the bigger issue here is that Gawker could hide behind a bunch of lawyers even when they knew they were doing something despicable. Take that away, and things get fairer pretty quickly.

Sounds shiny. How would government determine if there’s a solid case? Some kind of formal hearing?

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Canada would disagree with you. One in five people living in Canada was born in another country [1]. Canada is officially a multicultural country [2]. Yet, there is a lot more trust and a lot less social strife than in the U.S., to use a comparison with the article you quote from the U.S. [1] http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-010-x/99-01... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Multiculturalism_Ac…

Isn't that cherry picking? At least in terms of the US. Why not compare the US to Japan?

The person I was replying to was referring to a study about the U.S.

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#176
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm referring to the Gawker case, although I think his political donations are harmful to the nation as a whole, too. Also, you meant alluding, not eluding. :)

Thanks for clarifying. And for the grammar correction. Just looked up both definitions... wow, I've been using the word 'eluding' incorrectly for years haha! Duly noted :)

I absolutely adore polite disagreements on the internet. It's so rare.

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The police obviously are not tasked out with dealing violence. They stop violence and are certainly capable of defending themselves when necessary. In the US this line between defense and aggression is becoming blurred, but that's more of a deterioration of a society than the actual role of police. And that blurring supports the point. As police face more regular violence, they themselves tend to become more violent,…

The police is tasked with physically restraining and imprisoning certain people. That's violence, whether they do it with a gun or not. Litla-Hraun is not an hotel. Considerations about the aggressiveness of the US police force specifically are certainly an important topic, but wholly irrelevant here. I'm not from the US, nor was their brand of policing on my mind when commented.

Right they meet even violent offenders with "physical restraint" so long as they are not met with violence. And "physical restraint" is little more than asking a person to turn around and cuffing them, and in some cases - that's not even involved.

We could discuss the ethics of imprisonment, and I expect we'd agree. But you certainly can't claim that police's task is to deal out violence - particularly preemptive.

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The police is tasked with physically restraining and imprisoning certain people. That's violence, whether they do it with a gun or not. Litla-Hraun is not an hotel. Considerations about the aggressiveness of the US police force specifically are certainly an important topic, but wholly irrelevant here. I'm not from the US, nor was their brand of policing on my mind when commented.

Right they meet even violent offenders with "physical restraint" so long as they are not met with violence. And "physical restraint" is little more than asking a person to turn around and cuffing them, and in some cases - that's not even involved. We could discuss the ethics of imprisonment, and I expect we'd agree. But you certainly can't claim that police's task is to deal out violence - particularly preemptive.

You have a funny concept of violence if abduction and imprisonment under threat of physical force don't count. I guess the robber that steals at knifepoint is also non-violent if he doesn't actually plunge it when the victim complies?

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that cherry picking? At least in terms of the US. Why not compare the US to Japan?

The person I was replying to was referring to a study about the U.S.

Cherry-picking Canada vs Japan to compare the US to.

Re: Is billionaire VC Peter Thiel trying to break up Google?

#180
post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm saying that if we want a more diverse workforce, we need to address more than just hiring practices. But yes, companies might need external incentives at the moment to prevent it from being a disadvantage.

So you're saying that the perceived "competitive advantage of diversity" is only an empty slogan, and diversity is actually a disadvantage in the real world?

I'm saying that it might not always weigh up against the disadvantage the diverse workforce have accrued over the years, and that that will likely remain the case unless we're doing something about that. (Which is often being done.)

And hence, that some sort of external motivation may be needed to make it weigh up against that at present, which would eventually lead to it simply being a competitive advantage.

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