Google included the following in its IPO in 2004:
"Don't be evil. We believe strongly that in the long term, we will be better served—as shareholders and in all other ways—by a company that does good things for the world even if we forgo some short term gains."
Google’s unofficial motto has long been the simple phrase “don’t be evil.” But that’s over, according to the code of conduct that Google distributes to its employees. The phrase was removed sometime in late April or early May
Hundreds of Google and Amazon workers on Thursday staged protests around the country to speak out against the two tech giants’ cloud contracts with the Israeli government, fearing the military could use the technology to surveil Palestinians.
Google initially fired 28 employees for protesting what they considered evil, an AI project for the Israeli government. That number grew to 50.
“When we come to work, our goal is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”One might consider sexual assault in the workplace as evil or not the right thing.
Workers who organized a 2018 walkout over the company’s handling of sexual assault allegations said Google punished them for their activism.
The issue is a moral one. The widespread killing of women and children in Gaza through violence is compounded by the lack of access to food, water, medicines and sanitation that accompanies war. Someone can be horrified by the horrific Hamas terrorist attack on innocent Israeli citizens and also be disturbed by the current conditions in Gaza. They are not mutually exclusive.
One can wish for Gazans to share in the same freedom and independence we enjoy without wanting a single Israeli to perish. Terrorist should not get to redefine words like "river" or "sea" as "death" for use by the rest of the world.
Jewish people and the government of Israel are not the same thing. One can protest Israeli government policies without any ill will to Jewish persons living in or outside Israel.
Google employees shared their concerns with their employer as "evil" and "not the right thing" and learned there is no patience regarding the $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government which has surveillance capabilities. Hard lesson learned.
Meanwhile, super wealthy business legends like Leon Cooperman and Robert Kraft cite university professor tenure as the cause of student protests over the conditions in Gaza. Isn't the direct cause of protests the obliteration of Gaza and suffering of the Palestinian people? If that were not happening, students would not be protesting.
Leon Cooperman cited that Jewish people make up .03% of the world's population but have 20% of the world's Nobel Prize winners. He said anti-Semitism is like "penis envy."
I find it hard to believe that the women and children of Gaza are dying from lack of penises. But I've been wrong before and will be wrong again. Maybe Google can get a contract for that.
Update 4-25-24: I'm not sure where Google would get the penises, but I understand they are in large supply in Silicon Valley.
Update 4-28-24: A Johnson did insert himself into the Columbia protest situation.
Update 6-20-24: CNBC ran a story on corporate CEO's speaking out to bring hostages home and support Israel. Palantir's Alex Karp echoed Leon Cooperman in his extolling the accomplishments of Jewish persons. He didn't use the term "penis envy" but sent essentially the same message.
