3 ms·

While all those statements are technically true, the band of what has become acceptable in Silicon Valley has apparently swung so far to the left that supportin

While all those statements are technically true, the band of what has become acceptable in Silicon Valley has apparently swung so far to the left that supporting a respected US Circuit Judge in his nomination to the Supreme Court is enough to cause “shock.” In my view, that is the problem - some in our generation believe there is a right to be shielded from dissenting viewpoints to the extent that it has become acceptable in SV to potentially fire someone for what is considered a perfectly reasonable position in most parts of the country.

tmh79 8y ago
> some in our generation believe there is a right to be shielded from dissenting viewpoints I don't think that is the problem at all. Its not that people want to be shielded from dissenting viewpoints, its that the vast majority of people on the right and the left are basically entirely politically disenfranchised, while people like Zuckerberg or Kaplan hold a vastly inordinate amount of power through their connections and their money. What we are seeing here isn't "lefty people crushing dissent", it is "people organizing around and exercising one of the only viable channels of political influence that they have (challenging the means of production of their billionaire boss) in order to exert a tiny amount of political power".
- aliston 8y ago
  Except in this case Zuckerberg likely agrees with their cause. You don’t see calls from conservative employees at Facebook to fire Sheryl Sandburg for her support of Barack Obama because the predominant political orientation in SV is liberal.
archagon 8y ago
Respected by who? The ACLU, a number of bar associations, several law schools, countless other judges, and even his own roommates have publically denounced Kavanaugh. Don’t pretend this is a matter of ideology.
- dvtrn 8y ago
  Interesting that you bring up the ACLU here, several lawyers I know have expressed a bit of surprise at the ACLU denouncing Kavanaugh-as they have a long and established track record of NOT speaking out one way or another on SCOTUS nominations-to say nothing of this move being outside of their very on policy on the affair.
- aliston 8y ago
  Oh please... Kavanaugh is obviously on the conservative end of the spectrum, but to say he isn’t a respected judge is ridiculous. This is a guy who went to Yale law, clerked for a Supreme Court justice, was a partner at a top law firm and worked his way up to being a US circuit judge. In other words, prior to July, he had probably the most impressive resume you could possibly have for a Supreme Court nomination.

tmh79 8y ago

> some in our generation believe there is a right to be shielded from dissenting viewpoints I don't think that is the problem at all. Its not that people want to be shielded from dissenting viewpoints, its that the vast majority of people on the right and the left are basically entirely politically disenfranchised, while people like Zuckerberg or Kaplan hold a vastly inordinate amount of power through their connections and their money. What we are seeing here isn't "lefty people crushing dissent", it is "people organizing around and exercising one of the only viable channels of political influence that they have (challenging the means of production of their billionaire boss) in order to exert a tiny amount of political power".

aliston 8y ago
Except in this case Zuckerberg likely agrees with their cause. You don’t see calls from conservative employees at Facebook to fire Sheryl Sandburg for her support of Barack Obama because the predominant political orientation in SV is liberal.

archagon 8y ago

Respected by who? The ACLU, a number of bar associations, several law schools, countless other judges, and even his own roommates have publically denounced Kavanaugh. Don’t pretend this is a matter of ideology.

dvtrn 8y ago
Interesting that you bring up the ACLU here, several lawyers I know have expressed a bit of surprise at the ACLU denouncing Kavanaugh-as they have a long and established track record of NOT speaking out one way or another on SCOTUS nominations-to say nothing of this move being outside of their very on policy on the affair.
aliston 8y ago
Oh please... Kavanaugh is obviously on the conservative end of the spectrum, but to say he isn’t a respected judge is ridiculous. This is a guy who went to Yale law, clerked for a Supreme Court justice, was a partner at a top law firm and worked his way up to being a US circuit judge. In other words, prior to July, he had probably the most impressive resume you could possibly have for a Supreme Court nomination.