This article is very simple: they asked nine tech companies whether they would make a statement refusing to help Trump create a registry of Muslims. Six gave no answer, and only one, Twitter, gave a clear answer of "No."
I regard this is very damning. Consider IBM's history of aiding Hitler in the Holocaust and apartheid in South Africa. There's a lot of money to be had selling technology to racist governments to aid them in ethnic cleansing, as long as you care only about money and not about people.
Trump is notoriously thin-skinned and reacts wrathfully to any slight or insult. So now is a critical time for companies to choose whether to fawn at his feet and adore him, or to take a firm position against his evil plans.
I applaud Twitter, which had the courage to actually take a position against racism. And I regard the other tech companies as morally vacant. Sure, the President-Elect wants to herd ethnic and religious groups into concentration camps. Why should we risk potential lucrative future business deals opposing it now? Clearly the path for maximum short-term profit is to take a wait-and-see attitude, kiss up to Trump, and see how much money he offers us to help with genocide. If it's enough money, our Board of Directors will thank us for leaving the decision up to them and their accountants, and not closing business opportunities with emotional issues like decency and morality.
So here are the companies that let their first public invitation to resist ethnic cleansing pass without comment:
"No one has asked us to build a Muslim registry, and of course we would not do so."If I were in one of Trump's currently targeted groups, I'd not be very reassured by this tepid, flippant support. But it's better than the other seven, who can't even be bothered to mock the question.
But if you speak out now, you won't get invited to meetings like this:
Posted 12-14-16 by Sam Bowne
Section removed 12-18-16