Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces • Hacker News Board

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#771

Post by FridayoLeary » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:32 PM UTC

mooseburger wrote: post #168

xvolter wrote: post #51

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...

Interesting. I wasn't sure about blacks' position relative to jews on the oppression stack. I guess jews are actually above them (i.e. blacks cannot criticize jews the way they can whites)? Was this always the case? As I recall, Louis Farrakhan gets away with worse.

It's not a competition to get to the bottom of the oppression ladder, i can imagine nothing more dystopian then a chart ranking minorities with an "opression" score or something.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#772

Post by woodruffw » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:33 PM UTC

I think there are a few noteworthy components to this:

* Kamau's post conflates Jews with Israel, which is simultaneously a common, innocent mistake and a rhetorical strategy used by Zionists and the far right. Having read the actual post[1], I'm inclined to believe that Kamau falls for the aforementioned strategy.

* One of the Twitter accounts linked in the article, "StopAntisemitism," is a Zionist organization. They've been outspoken in their attempts to conflate Israel (and Israel's Jews) with Judaism as a whole, and to generally delegitimize the faith and politics of the millions of diaspora Jews who reject Zionism and do not support Israel.

I am a Jew, and I thought that Kamau's blog post was tone-deaf. But it's also over a decade old, and its chief fault is that it falls for a rhetorical conflation that countless organizations have dedicated extraordinary resources too (that Jews are fundamentally foreigners, that we all belong in Israel, that to be an anti-Zionist is to be an anti-Semite). I don't think he deserves blame for falling for that dirty trick.

[1]: https://web.archive.org/web/20210601160519/https://www.kamau...

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#773

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:33 PM UTC

alichapman wrote: post #211

myfavoritedog wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People can be critical of the state of Israel, but they should not be antisemitic. Theoretically, I guess, but it's really strange how the one tiny country in the whole world that has a Jewish-dominated society is so often a target for complete destruction. Many of the same countries that have all but eliminated their own Jewish populations somehow find Israel's very existence to be unpalatable, going after them in t…

I disagree with this. There are certain things that the Israeli government have done that are worthy of being criticised - the same can be said for every government in the world. Brushing off all criticism as antisemitism is unhelpful.

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Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#774

Post by fwip » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:33 PM UTC

insickness wrote: post #758

lalaland1125 wrote: post #403

The main thing I find odd about that person's blog post ( https://web.archive.org/web/20210601160519/https://www.kamau... ) is that it also doesn't really make any sense mechanically. The first five paragraphs are all comments on how it must be difficult for a progressive Jew to simultaneously support progressive values and Israel > If I were a Jew today, my sensibilities would be tormented. I would find it increasin…

> If I were a Jew I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of myself. This is the only line in the blog post that can be construed as antisemitic rather than a criticism of Israel. It would not be antisemitic if he had stated the opinion: "Israel has an insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of itself." I used to be involved in the Palestine Liberation movement and…

Yep, and it's clearly echoing the second sentence of the piece, "the insatiable appetite for vengeful violence that Israel, my homeland, has now acquired."

Perhaps it's a deliberate conflation of Jews and Israel, or perhaps it's thoughtless writing when trying to echo & rephrase the opening/title.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#775

Post by fwip » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:34 PM UTC

loveistheanswer wrote: post #276

agentofoblivion wrote: post #40

Only the purest of the pure can lead a diversity effort. And it doesn’t count unless you were pure from the beginning. Growing to overcome past problems is not sufficient.

>Growing to overcome past problems is not sufficient. Their assumption is moreso that we cant grow to overcome past problems. So the only way to build themselves up is to tear others down. Thats why the popular "anti-racism" philosophy is so antithetical to and ignorant of the lives and philosophies of many of the greatest civil rights leaders such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T Washington, and MLK.

Anti-racism doesn't say that people cannot grow.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#776

Post by TrackerFF » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:35 PM UTC

busterarm wrote: post #36

Tomte wrote: post #3

> 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.

Imagine being a Jew and suddenly finding this guy not only not-fired but on your team. I'll take hostile work environment for 1000, Alex. Thing is, I wouldn't want to work with this person at my company period.

C'mon, if we go back 20 years, I'm sure A LOT of Americans wrote and said unspeakable things about middle eastern people. Same goes for a lot of Iraqi and Afghani people, after the invasion.

Point is - war and conflicts brings out emotions, and people say things they necessarily don't mean under normal circumstances.

What's more, people mature and change. The person you were 10-20-30-xx years ago, isn't necessarily the person you are today.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#777

Post by esyir » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:35 PM UTC

banannaise wrote: post #391

howeyc wrote: post #76

Wow, 14 years ago. I hope the current progressive correct-thinkers realize the takes they make today have to hold up over a decade from now, otherwise the next wave is going to cancel them.

He was not canceled by progressives. Equating anti-Zionism and anti-semitism is generally an anti-progressive stance in the US. This is progressive principles being morphed into a weapon to be used against progressives.

If one develops a rhetorical superweapon, they should expect it to be used against them eventually.

It's hard to feel any sympathy when that chicken comes home to roost.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#778

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:35 PM UTC

throwaway09223 wrote: post #440

michaelscott wrote: post #369

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In terms of getting people fired/removed/cancelled for remarks, yes absolutely. That may be a function of social media and the scale of communication in modern times, but either way the sensitivity of the vocal minority has definitely changed even in my relatively short life.

You say yes, but can you explain how it is different? As far as I can tell it's the same as it was a century ago. The only change is the subject matter. Do you think you'd keep your job after saying something anti-Christian in the 1950s? Look at what happened to Sinead O'Connor in the early 90s after she spoke out against child abuse in the Catholic church. Maybe the biggest difference is that now we write when we co…

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Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#779

Post by ffggvv » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:36 PM UTC

lol if someone had written this about any other race they’d be immediately fired (look how agm was let go like a rock from apple or james demore)

but this person gets to keep their job despite blatant racism because it’s against the right groups (and because of what group they belong to)

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#780

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jun 03, 2021, 6:36 PM UTC

dragonwriter wrote: post #696

throwaway2162 wrote: post #690

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>AFAIK, he wasn't “global head of diversity” for any organization when he wrote it, but only many years later. He was literally a founding senior director for "equity in computing" at Georgia Tech and was a national strategy advisor to the Obama administration for bringing "equity and justice" to STEM (when he wrote this blog post). Please update your post as you're spreading FUD. >AFAIK, he wasn't “global head of di…

> He was literally a founding senior director for "equity in computing" at Georgia Tech and was a national strategy advisor to the Obama administration for bringing "equity and justice" to STEM (when he wrote this blog post). Neither of those is “global head of diversity”. > Please update your post as you're spreading FUD. No, I’m not and I see no need to update my post. If the upthread post were updated to refer to…

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