Anyways back then I felt some sympathy for the guy, talking politics at work, because as far as I could tell he was a good-faith free-speech proponent. I even wrote a blog post about it and shared it on this site.
However now seeing how much the tables have turned, and how little that cultural swing had to do with free speech, I feel embarrassed about my past self. It's incredibly clear to me that at most a small % of those "free speech" advocates are genuine, because I never see them speak up for the other side (like I did).
Thankfully, that veil has come down, showing it is business as usual.
There are plenty of other places to talk politics, religion, or share personal opinions. Work is best kept for work.
We could all use a bit more compartmentalization. This idea of "bring your whole self everywhere" is just a recipe for conflict and dysfunction. No two people are that compatible, let alone N people in a group.
Work should be about work, and work topics (which includes things like working conditions an unionization). Maybe you have a work friend you talk politics too, but that's a little non-work bubble at work. That's definitely not:
> hundreds of Google workers, outraged by the federal government’s mass deportation campaign...went public with a call for their leadership to cut ties with ICE. The employees are also demanding that Google acknowledge the violence, hold a town hall on the topic, and enact policy to protect vulnerable members of its workforce, including contractors and cafeteria and data center workers This week, the number of supporters has passed 1,200...
Work should also mind it's own business about non-work. If you're an activist on X, Y, or Z, it's none of your boss's business. If people are mad at you on twitter for saying A, B, or C, your boss shouldn't fire you for it (even if the mob demands appeasement). Employees should also not be nosy about what their coworkers think or do outside or work, if they're not mature enough to handle what they find out professionally (e.g. feeling the mere presence or someone who thinks X, Y, or Z creates a hostile environment, even if they never express or act on those thoughts).
And even if you're outside of work, if you're in a club about model airplanes (or instance), stick to model airplanes, etc. Don't bring up the latest outrage of the Bush or Obama administration.
Of course, with this president any public appearance is more like a political rally and the tech CEOs were there to kiss the ring.
I admire the courage of the people that do it anyway though.
Google: "Google CEO Sundar Picchai has been a fixture at the White House, attending parties and events. He oversaw Google’s $22 million donation to the White House ballroom and its $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural fund. Brin, meanwhile, has become a Trump supporter."
It's a real problem with the tech industry. Repeating IBM's WWII mistakes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust
It's going to take probably a few rounds of fascism and many millions dead before Americans widely decide to change the fundamental nature of business.
In my current company, political discussion is forbidden, and I am very happy about that.
People who love politics should go into politics, and leave their jobs. Plenty of public sector organizations who only talk politics for them, and peace of mind for me at a company.
"If you love talking about professional sports you should leave your job and play professional sports." See how genius that sounds? People can be interested in- or passionate about things and not do it as a day job.
You can advocate for a politics-free workplace. Or a distractions-free workplace. But you have to realize that from its early days Google was supposed to be less a job and more a lifestyle. Partly because it attracted talent, mostly because it would keep people in the office slinging code. You can't push developers to spend 14 hours a day in the cube (or beanbag chair or whatever) and also expect them to remain hermetically sealed from the outside world.
It ain't so black-and-white, and people with this kind of mentality are what enable the atrocities we've seen in the past and are seeing today.
