4 ms·

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

by falling 15y ago

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.

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

by falling 15y ago

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

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.