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0 pointsBobbyJo5y ago0 comments

Have you ever worked at a large company? Really the only thing that groups the whole thing together is the legal entity. Different teams within the same company are essentially different companies once you reach a certain scale. I see no reason to disparage the good work one group does, because of a different group of people they've never met before, for no other reason than they share a CEO. A CEO that neither group has ever met before.

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Barrin925y ago

this is a pretty simple way to absolve people of responsibility. Just because an institution has compartmentalized tasks, so that every single individual team appears to do nothing wrong, doesn't mean this actually absolves individuals, because following that logic obviously nobody would ever be responsible for anything.

It's like Kierkegaard's example of the mob who collectively intimidates but every member argues they have contributed virtually nothing, and so any sort of responsibility is simply dissolved.

Anyone who is responsible needs to be aware of the holistic system that they're part of and that they are enabling rather than just their own little world. That's no excuse.

whatshisface5y ago

>this is a pretty simple way to absolve people of responsibility.

Consider this menu of possible ways to be associated with a human rights violation:

- Do it yourself.

- Be a part of the chain of command that ordered it.

- Be commanded by the chain of command that ordered it.

- Be part of the same organization as the one that contains the chain of command that ordered it.

- Be a member of the society that contains the organization that contains the chain of command that ordered someone to do it.

- Be a member of another society, that could have tried to stop it, but didn't.

Where do we switch from participant to accomplice to bystander to "completely uninvolved?"

65105y ago

That one had already been answered:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.

edit: In case it isn't clear: You just chose sides right there in your comment.

asdfasgasdgasdg5y ago

Same could be said of an industry, and economy, or even a species. We are all part of systems at many different levels. Our critics might attempt to tie us to the bad parts of our systems and our proponents might seek to separate us from those same demerits. But I think either way of looking at it is just rhetorical.

DyslexicAtheist5y ago

> Have you ever worked at a large company?

yes - and I've done incredibly well during it. I also know change doesn't come for free. the sad thing is the bigger the companies the smaller the spines of the individuals working there.

BobbyJoOP5y ago

How much change have you effected in all your time there that you did so well? How much power over projects you deemed immoral did you have? More or less than a random person on the street? Do you feel more responsibility for immoral projects that took place in this large company than for things going on within FB or GOOG?

65105y ago

Effect doesn't matter, it is the trying that counts. IOW: Don't give up so easily. Every bit of freedom we have took a big struggle to obtain. We've lost many freedoms and we will continue to lose more. Our struggle is far from over. If you could have done something you are responsible for the result. People all over are counting on you giving up. Don't make things so easy for them. Make them work for it.

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Barrin925y ago

It's like Kierkegaard's example of the mob who collectively intimidates but every member argues they have contributed virtually nothing, and so any sort of responsibility is simply dissolved.

Anyone who is responsible needs to be aware of the holistic system that they're part of and that they are enabling rather than just their own little world. That's no excuse.

whatshisface5y ago

>this is a pretty simple way to absolve people of responsibility.

Consider this menu of possible ways to be associated with a human rights violation:

- Do it yourself.

- Be a part of the chain of command that ordered it.

- Be commanded by the chain of command that ordered it.

- Be part of the same organization as the one that contains the chain of command that ordered it.

- Be a member of the society that contains the organization that contains the chain of command that ordered someone to do it.

- Be a member of another society, that could have tried to stop it, but didn't.

Where do we switch from participant to accomplice to bystander to "completely uninvolved?"

65105y ago

That one had already been answered:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.

edit: In case it isn't clear: You just chose sides right there in your comment.

asdfasgasdgasdg5y ago

DyslexicAtheist5y ago

> Have you ever worked at a large company?

yes - and I've done incredibly well during it. I also know change doesn't come for free. the sad thing is the bigger the companies the smaller the spines of the individuals working there.

BobbyJoOP5y ago

65105y ago

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