Author’s note: I try to keep the ratio of politics to storytelling low in my Substack. However, Google’s recent firing of employee protesters elicited a response to the errant cause for which these individuals sacrificed their paychecks.
What follows is my publicly posted response to Google’s recent actions.
Like everyone else on the planet, I love the ingenious products and services delivered by tech giants like #Google. I mean, where would we be without Google Maps?
But my admiration is tempered by wariness of the reach and power of #FAANG1 and their impact on policy, politics, and culture. At heart, I’m a ‘Big Brother’ Boomer suspicious of corporate motives in a post-Republic America.
In this case, however, I find myself cheering Google for their decisive action against Googlers2 protesting the company’s contracts with the Israeli government—ostensibly because of the “genocide” occurring in #Gaza.
Like every employer, Google has codified standards for workplace behavior, and “occupation and disruption” are prohibited (notwithstanding the conscientious objection of some of their employees, who are entitled to their worldview).
Ironically, it’s true that Genocide is ongoing in The Land between the Euphrates and the Nile. The complete eradication of the Nation of Israel has long been the objective of several of her neighbors in the region.
Had the Googlers been arrested for occupying and protesting in light of the actual regional Genocide, I still would have agreed with the consequences—but would have cheered the moral courage it took to challenge a deceptive and entrenched narrative.
Read about Google’s actions:
In finance, “FAANG” is an acronym that refers to the stocks of five prominent American technology companies: Meta (META) (formerly known as Facebook), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Netflix (NFLX); and Alphabet (GOOG) (formerly known as Google). Fernando, J. (2023, September 24). FAANG Stocks: Definition and Companies Involved. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/faang-stocks.asp
Googlers refers to company employees.
Correction: I still Don’t understand…
Well said!