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This seems like a good for recent HN discussions around the interconnectedness, or lack thereof, of politics, corporations and (especially technical) employees.

This seems like a good for recent HN discussions around the interconnectedness, or lack thereof, of politics, corporations and (especially technical) employees. Does the Chevron engineer have no connection to Ecuador or its Amazonian residents, and wake up tomorrow to get the work done? Do they carry an entrenched perspective on environmental stewardship in the context of their work, and view this an insignificant blip? Do they have inside information that enables them to think otherwise or ignore such news? Regardless, it would seem like a hard task to remain neutral in one's stance, especially if the work feels like a right and not a privilege. How does a corporation navigate geo/socio/political crises in 2020 without batting down the hatches and maintaining a loyal monoculture?

michaelmrose 6y ago
Almost all the humans you deal with are trying to be be morally acceptable in the tiny domain over which they have direct control while interacting with a variety of actors including corporations that the market selects for their willingness to screw the entire human race as hard as possible in pursuit of naked greed. When they don't directly do wrong they tell themselves they aren't culpable because they didn't do the harmful act. When they do they tell themselves someone else would have. People aren't liable to become more aware any time soon. We need to build better structures to demand better behavior and punish bad behavior. The behavior described doesn't merit a fine. They killed people it would more properly be punished by executions of those most directly responsible and prison for those complicit after the fact. This to be followed by the complete liquidation of the entire value of the company with zero dollars and the cancellation of all securities including employee pensions. This pain will prompt risk avoidance by those who don't want to lose their investment, their pensions, or their heads.
MattGaiser 6y ago
> How does a corporation navigate geo/socio/political crises in 2020 without batting down the hatches and maintaining a loyal monoculture? In the long term, a lot of events and social movements are not really that impactful. #Metoo was supposed to reshape everything a few years ago. It is off the radar now. Numerous events were supposed to have reshaped the culture on climate change. I remember that discussion happening with Hurricane Katrina. The "racial reckoning" that the USA would supposedly go through this year has mostly disappeared. Same with the last time it happened 2014 (other police misconduct) and in 2005 (Katrina). Currently the thinking is that this pandemic will fundamentally reshape how we work and where. You will notice that companies aren't yet giving up their office space and Facebook just bought a new building. We attach way too much significance to the current moment and companies probably have risk departments that realize that.

michaelmrose 6y ago

Almost all the humans you deal with are trying to be be morally acceptable in the tiny domain over which they have direct control while interacting with a variety of actors including corporations that the market selects for their willingness to screw the entire human race as hard as possible in pursuit of naked greed. When they don't directly do wrong they tell themselves they aren't culpable because they didn't do the harmful act. When they do they tell themselves someone else would have. People aren't liable to become more aware any time soon. We need to build better structures to demand better behavior and punish bad behavior. The behavior described doesn't merit a fine. They killed people it would more properly be punished by executions of those most directly responsible and prison for those complicit after the fact. This to be followed by the complete liquidation of the entire value of the company with zero dollars and the cancellation of all securities including employee pensions. This pain will prompt risk avoidance by those who don't want to lose their investment, their pensions, or their heads.

MattGaiser 6y ago

> How does a corporation navigate geo/socio/political crises in 2020 without batting down the hatches and maintaining a loyal monoculture? In the long term, a lot of events and social movements are not really that impactful. #Metoo was supposed to reshape everything a few years ago. It is off the radar now. Numerous events were supposed to have reshaped the culture on climate change. I remember that discussion happening with Hurricane Katrina. The "racial reckoning" that the USA would supposedly go through this year has mostly disappeared. Same with the last time it happened 2014 (other police misconduct) and in 2005 (Katrina). Currently the thinking is that this pandemic will fundamentally reshape how we work and where. You will notice that companies aren't yet giving up their office space and Facebook just bought a new building. We attach way too much significance to the current moment and companies probably have risk departments that realize that.