Translation: I give in to the blackmail and cancelling, as apparently I can't afford to make a critique on geopolitics AND keep my business. Or rather, I perfectly could do both, but only if I parroted the established view.
People were already free to do or not do business with him on the merits of their company and services/prodcuts.
Except if you'd like angry letters to your boss and a summarily dismissal anytime you express (in an unrelated to your job outlet) some unpopular political opinion.
It wasn't OK when Bush followers where doing it to people and businesses during the Iraq war, it's still not ok in 2023.
We'd all want to face the firing squad with a cigarette and our heads held high rather than begging for our lives, but groveling is by far the empirically more common outcome.
I wonder if he regrets the apologies more or the original statements.
Listen to the...
Should public technology business leaders refrain from all opinions related to social issues, or just those that are not popular? Given the number of public figures that have expressed unconditional support for one side of an ongoing violent conflict, it appears that it is just unpopular views that are not welcome in the technology business community.
If you're the leader of an organization, yes, your public statements on political issues are tied to the organization. Most people in leadership roles shouldn't be commenting on this war, period.
