10 ms·

Google is too big, and supports too many things, to not in have in some way contributed money to just about everything. Relax and put down thy pitchfork, SOPA h

by Rhapso 15y ago

Google is too big, and supports too many things, to not in have in some way contributed money to just about everything. Relax and put down thy pitchfork, SOPA hurts them in many ways and they do not want it. If we want to make it a big PR fiasco like like we did for Go Daddy, whom i think the internet was just looking for an excuse to hurt, then we can but why? Bad target, not worth the effort, no efficacy. Right not, on this topic, Google is on our side for a change because SOPA scares them. *edit s/to/too (and s/too/to) once I saw it, it drove me mad.

chimeracoder 15y ago
> and supports too many things, too not in have in some way contributed money to just about everything It's not uncommon for large companies to contribute to candidates across the board - even (or especially) to the two presidential candidates (both Dem and GOP). In a world (or country) where corporations and money have a large impact on policy, it'd be foolish for them not to. (You can say that this reflects poorly on the US political system, but it's not Google's job to change that). On a separate note, I know that some candidates set up 501(c) 3s and -4s before they officially start running, and Google matches charitable contributions from its employees. Does anybody know if those types of funds (or funds donated through another organization) are included in these totals? It may not be the case, but on the off-chance it is, then this would just be a byproduct of the employees' own contributions.
falling 15y ago
I love how Google always gets a free pass. People say Jobs is a cult, but this isn't much different.
- jQueryIsAwesome 15y ago
  Of course; is all a conspiracy and Google is the secret original creator of SOPA... or you think this is evil because they understood how the congre$$ works?
- tsantero 15y ago
  This isn't so much of a case of Google getting a "free pass" as it is a simply a coincidence that they have provided campaign contributions to a politician who happens to support SOPA. I am willing to bet they have made more contributions to other supporters as well. Did you actually look at the distribution table? The donations occurred on 11 separate occasions in amounts no larger than $2,000 over the past 5+ years. This is a non-event, and IMHO does not belong on the top of HN.
- ascendant 15y ago
  17.5k is like finding 2 quarters in your couch cushions in the world of politics. Relax.
  - mattmcknight 15y ago
    Exactly. The question is how much more Google and friends need to give to this guy to get him to change his position.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- DanBC 15y ago
  It's not so much as a "free pass" as it is "watch and wait". There's not nearly enough information to suggest anything at the moment. I'm trying hard to avoid Politics and partisan side-choosing. Giving small amounts of funding to all politicians is better than picking a side and giving large amounts to that side; it helps even out spending wins. Funding pro-SOPA politicians at least gives you an edge when you talk to them: "We hate SOPA, we like you, we even gave you some cash,but this SOPA thing is awful. Please, let us explain why." While I'm here: I'd be really really interested to see a pop-economics analysis of votes and spending; a bit like "Moneyball" but for politics.
  - falling 15y ago
    To all: no, I don’t think Google supports SOPA – what you explain here might be reasonable, there are other reasonable positions in other threads. I am noticing the fact that people here are taking the “watch and wait” approach, trying to explain that an explicit donation doesn’t necessarily mean support, or finding all the possible ways this could be seen as defensive, while other companies have been profusely grilled just for not explicitly taking a stance against it.
- citricsquid 15y ago
  It's not a free pass. They explicitly do not support SOPA, this is the same as being told you're a co-conspirator in a crime committed by a homeless man because you gave him $1 when he was sitting in the street.
  - falling 15y ago
    I’m sorry but in this case is like if that guy had a sign that said “Angry: need money to buy bullets”.
    - afterburner 15y ago
      If you're thinking of Google and SOPA, not it's not, because bullets and guns didn't exist when the dollar was given. You're thinking of the CIA and bin Laden I assume...
- jorgeramirez 15y ago
  You don't love it. Why do people keep saying that "I love how..." when they don't really do. It's arrogant and stupid.
miles_matthias 15y ago
How much money is $17.5 compared to how much Google gives other lawmakers? How much is it in comparison to what the lawmakers get from other people? On my first reaction that doesn't sound like very much, could be wrong though.
sunchild 15y ago
Reminds me of the old strategy of hiring all the divorce lawyers in town so your wife can't find a good one.

by Rhapso 15y ago

chimeracoder 15y ago

> and supports too many things, too not in have in some way contributed money to just about everything It's not uncommon for large companies to contribute to candidates across the board - even (or especially) to the two presidential candidates (both Dem and GOP). In a world (or country) where corporations and money have a large impact on policy, it'd be foolish for them not to. (You can say that this reflects poorly on the US political system, but it's not Google's job to change that). On a separate note, I know that some candidates set up 501(c) 3s and -4s before they officially start running, and Google matches charitable contributions from its employees. Does anybody know if those types of funds (or funds donated through another organization) are included in these totals? It may not be the case, but on the off-chance it is, then this would just be a byproduct of the employees' own contributions.

falling 15y ago

I love how Google always gets a free pass. People say Jobs is a cult, but this isn't much different.

jQueryIsAwesome 15y ago
Of course; is all a conspiracy and Google is the secret original creator of SOPA... or you think this is evil because they understood how the congre$$ works?
tsantero 15y ago
This isn't so much of a case of Google getting a "free pass" as it is a simply a coincidence that they have provided campaign contributions to a politician who happens to support SOPA. I am willing to bet they have made more contributions to other supporters as well. Did you actually look at the distribution table? The donations occurred on 11 separate occasions in amounts no larger than $2,000 over the past 5+ years. This is a non-event, and IMHO does not belong on the top of HN.
ascendant 15y ago
17.5k is like finding 2 quarters in your couch cushions in the world of politics. Relax.
- mattmcknight 15y ago
  Exactly. The question is how much more Google and friends need to give to this guy to get him to change his position.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
DanBC 15y ago
It's not so much as a "free pass" as it is "watch and wait". There's not nearly enough information to suggest anything at the moment. I'm trying hard to avoid Politics and partisan side-choosing. Giving small amounts of funding to all politicians is better than picking a side and giving large amounts to that side; it helps even out spending wins. Funding pro-SOPA politicians at least gives you an edge when you talk to them: "We hate SOPA, we like you, we even gave you some cash,but this SOPA thing is awful. Please, let us explain why." While I'm here: I'd be really really interested to see a pop-economics analysis of votes and spending; a bit like "Moneyball" but for politics.
- falling 15y ago
  To all: no, I don’t think Google supports SOPA – what you explain here might be reasonable, there are other reasonable positions in other threads. I am noticing the fact that people here are taking the “watch and wait” approach, trying to explain that an explicit donation doesn’t necessarily mean support, or finding all the possible ways this could be seen as defensive, while other companies have been profusely grilled just for not explicitly taking a stance against it.
citricsquid 15y ago
It's not a free pass. They explicitly do not support SOPA, this is the same as being told you're a co-conspirator in a crime committed by a homeless man because you gave him $1 when he was sitting in the street.
- falling 15y ago
  I’m sorry but in this case is like if that guy had a sign that said “Angry: need money to buy bullets”.
  - afterburner 15y ago
    If you're thinking of Google and SOPA, not it's not, because bullets and guns didn't exist when the dollar was given. You're thinking of the CIA and bin Laden I assume...
jorgeramirez 15y ago
You don't love it. Why do people keep saying that "I love how..." when they don't really do. It's arrogant and stupid.

miles_matthias 15y ago

How much money is $17.5 compared to how much Google gives other lawmakers? How much is it in comparison to what the lawmakers get from other people? On my first reaction that doesn't sound like very much, could be wrong though.

sunchild 15y ago

Reminds me of the old strategy of hiring all the divorce lawyers in town so your wife can't find a good one.