Googlers Fired For Protesting Project Nimbus

Google is in the news again for firing people, and this time it's a little different. Just last month, Google dismissed 50 staff members for being involved in protests against Project Nimbus - Amazon and Google's cloud computing services deal with the nation of Israel. 

For those who've been living under a rock, Israel and Palestine are at it again. The how and when are going to need more time than you have to read this blogpost, so let's move on. Suffice to say, the concern is that Project Nimbus will have military applications, even if this is not the expressed intent of Google.

Mixed feelings about the Googlers

I'll begin by saying that yes, I agree with CEO Sundar Pichai, politics should be kept out of the workplace. If you don't like what your company is doing and can't square it with your conscience, just leave. Don't be a drama queen about it. Especially, don't use the time that the company is paying you for, to work against the company itself. Amazon employees protested Amazon's involvement as well, but at least that was only in the form of a signed petition. 

On the other hand, Project Nimbus sounds all kinds of dangerous. A.I to profile people in Gaza? Possible military application? Huge potential for abuse. I don't blame the Googlers for not wanting any part of it. That goes double for if these Googlers are Muslim, or Palestinian. Seriously, why would Google even think it would be OK for a Muslim to aid Israel? There's only so far you can push the concept of "professional obligation".

An ominous cloud.

All that said, while their former staff might have been behaving in a manner that was less than professional, there's this part of me that thinks Google absolutely asked for it.

All these years, Google has been painting itself as this ultra-progressive place where their work shapes the world. They hired young idealistic types with self-righteous mantras such as "Don't be Evil" and "Do The Right Thing". The very kind of people who would be expected to dig their heels in if Google strayed from their perceived path of not being evil.

And now they object to this behavior? Come on, that's bullshit. Google made that bed, and now they get to lie in it.

About this whole Israel-Palestine thing...

I've had more than one person telling me that this Israel-Palestine issue should not be characterized as a "conflict" or a "war", and that doing so is disingenuous and downplays the fact that Israel is committing "genocide". OK, let's say that this is true. Let's say that the level of fuckery going on in that part of the world is off the scale.

But the Russia-Ukraine war is still going on. Pretty sure that hasn't been settled yet. People are still dying.

There's also whatever is allegedly going on in Xinjiang, China. Western media tells us it's a genocide, though at this point I trust Western media about as much as I trust China's. But again, let's assume it's true.

And Myanmar. After that coup back in 2021, the injustices are still happening, aren't they? Myanmar hasn't been somehow liberated while we weren't looking.

War is everywhere.

My question is; why do these people talk like the Israel-Palestine thing should matter to me the most? I get that if someone is Muslim or Jewish, without question, this should matter to them. And even if they're not Muslim or Jewish, they should be able to care about this issue as much as they wish.

But why me? Why do people insist that I care about this over everything else that's happening?

Human Rights violations? It's the humane thing to do? Children are dying? Shit, one could make the same argument about Russia-Ukraine, or Xinjiang, or Myanmar. I realize that this sounds horribly cold, but what makes Israel-Palestine special? Or is this just a case of "I care because I'm a good person, and if you were a good person, you'd care too"?

And if the answer is, no, I don't have to choose, I should care about all this equally? Sorry guys, I don't have the kind of bandwidth required to study the history of all these conflicts. I actually have a job, unlike those former Googlers (low blow, couldn't resist, heh heh) and shit I need to handle. At some point, we all need to choose what to spend our time and energy on. Yes, this sounds like a cop-out, but that doesn't make it any less true.

If they want people to prioritize this, a compelling reason is needed. And no, "be on the right side of history" (whatever that dumb shit even means) does not count. You guys realize that there is no "right" side of history, right? No matter what you do, or don't do, a hundred years from now, some snot-nosed kid is going to read a history book and judge you for it. The same way youngsters are now judging the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Lee Kuan Yew, and so on.

Conclusion

No two ways about it - in this story, everyone's an asshole.

Google, not for their business dealings with Israel. Project Nimbus is pretty disturbing, yes, but they're a company and they don't owe anyone an explanation as long as it's legal. But for hiring woke and passionate people who will absolutely put their passion over common sense, almost encouraging them to act that way, and then having the unmitigated gall to take exception when they inevitably do so? Total dick move.

The people who got fired, also did their best to make it happen. Shit, how did they think it was going to go down? Did they think Google was going to cave in to the pressure and beg for forgiveness? Google's been laying people off; they were probably grateful for the excuse.

No silver lining in this cloud!
T___T