this post was submitted on 18 Apr 2024
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There was a series of completely non-threatening sit-ins (like a couple hours, out of the way of any work) like five years ago, and Google immediately shat itself and started making concessions before any demands were even made. Interesting to see the difference.
tech labor market right now is the weakest it has been since dotcom bubble (other than covid which recovered after literally a few months), even worse than the great financial crisis since that didn't really hit tech, while 5 years ago was the strongest it has been in decades
Same here. I swear, working in tech as a communist will drive you insane sooner or later. All the colleagues I've worked with range from grindset hustlers, "work hard" types who gladly chug the corporate koolaid, liberals who conscientiously read mainstream media to "stay informed and not fall for propaganda" i.e. they tow the US line on Ukraine, Palestine, China etc - all the way to manosphere chuds, anti-communists and ancap cryptobros and, presumably, crypto-fascists.
I've tried spreading a little class consciousness here and there, but it's hard and if you use a word that sounds just slightly socialist, the discussion is over most of the times.
The incentives to radicalize are just not there. The pay is relatively good, KPIs and decent raises and title changes give you the impression of meritocracy, the job tends to be mentally draining, and often tech workers are passionate about tech and have it as a hobby in their free time. So this usually means less paying attention to current events beyond the easily accessible mainstream news (because it's easier to stay in the same tech context in your spare time, or just chill), and more belief that the system is working and that the poors can be disregarded because it's their failure, not a systemic issue.
This thread is about a bunch of them getting fired from great jobs over anti-imperialism. That's a lot more of a commitment than most people have made (probably even most here).
This just isn't accurate. Tons of people insisted on keeping WFH, changed jobs over it, turned down higher pay to keep it, etc., and the companies that really pushed people back to the office had to use all sorts of carrots and sticks to make it happen.
It's that way in most industries. Leftists, especially ones willing to get fired over anti-imperialism, are rare everywhere in the U.S.
I broadly agree there's less potential for radicalization in the tech sector compared to many industries, it just might not be as comparatively bad as it looks, because it's not great most places.
This is what I'm saying -- people didn't roll over, they had to be forced back to the office. You still have people clinging to whatever WFH time they have left.