Tech workers and Google leadership have both been very naive. Tech workers for believing that they can have influence within a company when it really matters, Company leadership for going along with it, and maybe even believing it by themselves at times.

Unless the CEO gets a mandate from the board and shareholders saying that It's OK to take financial hit because employer activism inside the firm is so important, it's all patronizing and empty talk.

There are only few ways employers can do political action inside a big company when labor laws are weak.

  1. Quitting. 
  2. Unsanctioned agitation (getting fired if caught)
  3. Sabotage (risking getting charged if caught)  

I tried my best to not editorialize the title and still make it fit. Full original title is, "Sundar Pichai tells Google staff he doesn’t want any more political debates in the office after firing 28 employees over Israeli contract protest".

I agree with the stance that companies like Google, Meta, et al are taking. Politics, like religion, should be strictly a personal matter and not be used to push a personal belief onto a larger group. As the GP noted, one is free to leave their employer if they don't agree with the latter's policies; they can't (and shouldn't be allowed to) force their viewpoints on others.

Byline date: April 22, 2024

I sure hope they shut down industryinfo, that hive of scum and villany.