4 ms·

The modern luddite movement is already here. A few days ago I was unable to get an Uber out of Hyderabad airport because of a "strike". "Strike" might be the e

The modern luddite movement is already here. A few days ago I was unable to get an Uber out of Hyderabad airport because of a "strike". "Strike" might be the euphemism of the year - it refers to angry taxi drivers/autowales striking Uber drivers who continue to drive. This is not an isolated experience, many other countries (Columbia, France, Brazil) have the same problem with violent angry mobs trying to shut down automated competition. Politicians mostly side with the luddites; here in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (racist party of Maharashtra, for those unfamiliar) is strongly opposed to Uber. French politicians similarly surrendered to the terrorists.

tushar-r 10y ago
>A few days ago I was unable to get an Uber out of Hyderabad airport because of a "strike". "Strike" might be the euphemism of the year - it refers to angry taxi drivers/autowales striking Uber drivers who continue to drive. Nope. The Uber and Ola drivers are themselves striking against the two companies. "The drivers have also demanded that no new cabs be licensed until existing drivers are guaranteed a minimum of daily bookings. "The managements should give us at least 12 guaranteed bookings during peak hours for the first five years of each cab,” the association said in an earlier statement."" [0] [0] http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ground-report-hyderabads-ola-and-uber-drivers-hit-streets-anger-earnings-drop-55170 http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ground-report-hyderabad...
- yummyfajitas 10y ago
  I was told by the person I was visiting in Hyderabad that those who didn't go along with the strike were attacked. However I cannot find independent corroboration of this via Google (then again I don't speak or read Telugu). So I may be mistaken on this and I concede that the anecdote may be badly chosen. That said, in other cities the luddites have become violent: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mumbai-taxi-drivers-protest-against-ola-uber-cabs-2867789/ http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mumbai-taxi-d... https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.hindustantimes.com/india/uber-cars-smashed-by-protesters-in-mumbai-and-pune/story-wRijJcNjPecM0IDXGKARaK_amp.html?client=ms-android-google https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.hindustantimes.com/india/ub... https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/26/uber-backlash-taxi-drivers-protests-paris-global-revolt https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/26/uber-back...
  - deadbunny 10y ago
    Violence an intimidation towards "scabs" has a long history.
  - tushar-r 10y ago
    >I was told by the person I was visiting in Hyderabad that those who didn't go along with the strike were attacked. That is common in any strike in India. Previously, when auto drivers went on strike for any reason, if one of them broke the strike, they would be beaten up.
chinathrow 10y ago
> French politicians similarly surrendered to the terrorists. How do you feel calling someone striking a terrorist?
- yummyfajitas 10y ago
  Why are my feelings relevant? If you must know the answer, I feel like a person who's read a dictionary and knows that terrorists are people who use violence and intimidation to achieve their political goals.
  - chinathrow 10y ago
    I assume you're from the U.S. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/2656f https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/2656f "(2) the term “terrorism” means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents;" Rough words for a few Uber drives in France.
    - yummyfajitas 10y ago
      I know it's confusing when white people are called "terrorist", but the definition clearly fits. If it helps you to understand, think about the Pune/Bombay examples I linked to above (where the perpetrators and victims are all brown).
    - rocqua 10y ago
      I believe the strikers, not the uber taxi drivers, are the ones that are called 'terrorists' here.
  - marcosdumay 10y ago
    Any army that ever participated in a war fit this. I think there some "terror" missing from this definition. Anyway, it is a word that should just not be used today. There is no context where it clarifies anything anymore. The GP is correct in distrusting people that use it, and I add that some loss of trust should be automatic.

tushar-r 10y ago

>A few days ago I was unable to get an Uber out of Hyderabad airport because of a "strike". "Strike" might be the euphemism of the year - it refers to angry taxi drivers/autowales striking Uber drivers who continue to drive. Nope. The Uber and Ola drivers are themselves striking against the two companies. "The drivers have also demanded that no new cabs be licensed until existing drivers are guaranteed a minimum of daily bookings. "The managements should give us at least 12 guaranteed bookings during peak hours for the first five years of each cab,” the association said in an earlier statement."" [0] [0] http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ground-report-hyderabads-ola-and-uber-drivers-hit-streets-anger-earnings-drop-55170 http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ground-report-hyderabad...

yummyfajitas 10y ago
I was told by the person I was visiting in Hyderabad that those who didn't go along with the strike were attacked. However I cannot find independent corroboration of this via Google (then again I don't speak or read Telugu). So I may be mistaken on this and I concede that the anecdote may be badly chosen. That said, in other cities the luddites have become violent: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mumbai-taxi-drivers-protest-against-ola-uber-cabs-2867789/ http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mumbai-taxi-d... https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.hindustantimes.com/india/uber-cars-smashed-by-protesters-in-mumbai-and-pune/story-wRijJcNjPecM0IDXGKARaK_amp.html?client=ms-android-google https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.hindustantimes.com/india/ub... https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/26/uber-backlash-taxi-drivers-protests-paris-global-revolt https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/26/uber-back...
- deadbunny 10y ago
  Violence an intimidation towards "scabs" has a long history.
- tushar-r 10y ago
  >I was told by the person I was visiting in Hyderabad that those who didn't go along with the strike were attacked. That is common in any strike in India. Previously, when auto drivers went on strike for any reason, if one of them broke the strike, they would be beaten up.

chinathrow 10y ago

> French politicians similarly surrendered to the terrorists. How do you feel calling someone striking a terrorist?

yummyfajitas 10y ago
Why are my feelings relevant? If you must know the answer, I feel like a person who's read a dictionary and knows that terrorists are people who use violence and intimidation to achieve their political goals.
- chinathrow 10y ago
  I assume you're from the U.S. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/2656f https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/2656f "(2) the term “terrorism” means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents;" Rough words for a few Uber drives in France.
  - yummyfajitas 10y ago
    I know it's confusing when white people are called "terrorist", but the definition clearly fits. If it helps you to understand, think about the Pune/Bombay examples I linked to above (where the perpetrators and victims are all brown).
  - rocqua 10y ago
    I believe the strikers, not the uber taxi drivers, are the ones that are called 'terrorists' here.
- marcosdumay 10y ago
  Any army that ever participated in a war fit this. I think there some "terror" missing from this definition. Anyway, it is a word that should just not be used today. There is no context where it clarifies anything anymore. The GP is correct in distrusting people that use it, and I add that some loss of trust should be automatic.