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Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

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251–260 of 292 posts

Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And guantanamo bay is on the south side of Cuba, not even between Cuba and the US. There has never been fighting there over 100 years. These days it's most famous as a convenient legal location to do torture. Aaron Sorkin unintentionally created some phenomenal performance art with the closing of that movie and various educated people seeing Jack Nicholson's character as some sort of hard defender of freedom.

> And guantanamo bay is on the south side of Cuba, not even between Cuba and the US. Why do you think that’s relevant to the point?

It's relevant to the macho point of Jack Nicholson's character talking a bunch of shit about how he defends us. The Guantanamo base is irrelevant except, as previously noted, a convenient location to do torture.

Regarding the larger relationship.. bro, it's not the 1960s. Nobody is even trying to put nukes in Cuba and we could have easily established normal relations at any point in the last 50 years. The only reason that they are "enemies" is because we can't let go of a grudge going on 75 years that is completely irrelevant in today's world.

Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And guantanamo bay is on the south side of Cuba, not even between Cuba and the US. Why do you think that’s relevant to the point?

It's relevant to the macho point of Jack Nicholson's character talking a bunch of shit about how he defends us. The Guantanamo base is irrelevant except, as previously noted, a convenient location to do torture. Regarding the larger relationship.. bro, it's not the 1960s. Nobody is even trying to put nukes in Cuba and we could have easily established normal relations at any point in the last 50 years. The only reason…

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Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All true, I meant threats in conventional military terms which our military and public rhetoric are all centered around.

Yea I didn't consider the public rhetoric, good catch!

Same to you, trust me I'd be happy if our thinking was more centered around avoiding the real catastrophes that you emphasized.

Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#254
post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At this point I assume anyone with more than five years at Google is morally bankrupt to at least some degree. I don't want to paint them as bad people or anything but can't find better words for it - it's so obvious that if you stick around, you are accepting it and likely contributing to some degree. People I still talk to are generally honest about accepting it. I wonder if they will all reneg with this sort of qu…

I think you're coming from a privileged position - finding a job is extremely hard*, and if someone stayed somewhere that paid well then it's a bit extreme to say they're "bankrupt" morally. Alternatives are finance, ad tech, big consulting, etc. Are YOU working for a non profit? * For us, maybe not for you.

It is possible to work in technology and not contribute to the moral bankruptcy that your parent refers to.

Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there are plenty of people who are financially independent but who don't choose to follow their moral compass.

I think the implication is that their moral compass was disregarded or non-existent until they gained their independence. Therefore not worthy of serious consideration. People who don't ever consider or speak of morals or ethics are beside the point.

This kind of assumes that Google hasn't been progressively testing how far it can go to secure big contracts.

Over a 10+ year period it dropped the do no evil part, it implemented code siloes claiming it was because of Waymo's code being stolen, it prevented a union from being formed, it got into military and genocidal contracts.

I don't think it's the nice place to work at it was in the 2000s and early 2010s where the worst moral offence was advertising though a monopoly

Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And guantanamo bay is on the south side of Cuba, not even between Cuba and the US. Why do you think that’s relevant to the point?

It's relevant to the macho point of Jack Nicholson's character talking a bunch of shit about how he defends us. The Guantanamo base is irrelevant except, as previously noted, a convenient location to do torture. Regarding the larger relationship.. bro, it's not the 1960s. Nobody is even trying to put nukes in Cuba and we could have easily established normal relations at any point in the last 50 years. The only reason…

>> And guantanamo bay is on the south side of Cuba, not even between Cuba and the US

> It's relevant to the macho point of Jack Nicholson's character talking a bunch of shit about how he defends us. The Guantanamo base is irrelevant

You think a naval base on Cuba is “irrelevant” because it’s on the south side of the island and not the north side?

Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#257

Personally, I don't get why people blindly reject any collaboration with the military. I understand that they are pacifists, but I still don't get it. When I look at history, I see so many tragedies caused by being weak. Both Germany and the Soviet Union were able to invade Poland, for instance, and the Katyn massacre is a national scar. And who wouldn't want to defeat invaders like Genghis Khan? Have you ever heard…

I can't speak for anyone else, but as a Christian, it's really quite simple: any death that you help cause is a black mark on your soul. Maybe you can repent for it, someday. But it's not something that will just be let go when the day of reckoning comes. Incidentally, I'd feel the same way about killing someone in self-defense.

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Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And guantanamo bay is on the south side of Cuba, not even between Cuba and the US. Why do you think that’s relevant to the point?

It's relevant to the macho point of Jack Nicholson's character talking a bunch of shit about how he defends us. The Guantanamo base is irrelevant except, as previously noted, a convenient location to do torture. Regarding the larger relationship.. bro, it's not the 1960s. Nobody is even trying to put nukes in Cuba and we could have easily established normal relations at any point in the last 50 years. The only reason…

You're missing the forest for the trees.

The scene between Colonel Jessup, Lt Jg Kaffee, and Lance Corporal Dawson and PFC Downey is about the nature of contradictory duties.

Everyone in that scene has a sworn duty to the United States as active duty military.

However, their duties sometimes conflict with each other (Jessup and Kaffee), and are even sometimes self-conflicting (Dawson and Downey).

Bad doesn't always come with a sticker labeling itself, and there's trauma inflicted even in peacetime in the maintenance of military strength (in broken bodies, training deaths, and emotional trauma).

To hold ones nose and pretend there isn't constant violence, even absent declared war, being perpetrated to militarily protect the US and Europe is to be ignorant, willfully or otherwise, of the foundation peace is built on.

Jessup is a tale of the distinction between the reality of war and the higher ideals and laws of war.

Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#259
post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's relevant to the macho point of Jack Nicholson's character talking a bunch of shit about how he defends us. The Guantanamo base is irrelevant except, as previously noted, a convenient location to do torture. Regarding the larger relationship.. bro, it's not the 1960s. Nobody is even trying to put nukes in Cuba and we could have easily established normal relations at any point in the last 50 years. The only reason…

You're missing the forest for the trees. The scene between Colonel Jessup, Lt Jg Kaffee, and Lance Corporal Dawson and PFC Downey is about the nature of contradictory duties. Everyone in that scene has a sworn duty to the United States as active duty military. However, their duties sometimes conflict with each other (Jessup and Kaffee), and are even sometimes self-conflicting (Dawson and Downey). Bad doesn't always c…

I understand and respect what you're saying here, but the fly in the ointment is that this posting (gitmo) was always bullshit and never actually mattered.

Jessup is missing the forest for the trees far more than I ever could because it's not my job. He's getting kids killed for a bullshit assignment while being a Colonel.

How do you think an Afghanistan or Iraq veteran would regard the Cuba assignment?

Re: Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass

#260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's relevant to the macho point of Jack Nicholson's character talking a bunch of shit about how he defends us. The Guantanamo base is irrelevant except, as previously noted, a convenient location to do torture. Regarding the larger relationship.. bro, it's not the 1960s. Nobody is even trying to put nukes in Cuba and we could have easily established normal relations at any point in the last 50 years. The only reason…

>> And guantanamo bay is on the south side of Cuba, not even between Cuba and the US > It's relevant to the macho point of Jack Nicholson's character talking a bunch of shit about how he defends us. The Guantanamo base is irrelevant You think a naval base on Cuba is “irrelevant” because it’s on the south side of the island and not the north side?

You think Cuba represents a naval threat to the mainland US? I had higher expectations for you based on your other comments.
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