Tech investor urges Apple CEO Tim Cook to publicly voice company values amid protests
Billionaire tech investor and Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla this week called on Apple CEO Tim Cook to speak out on the company's values as protests over the killing of George Floyd rage across the U.S.
Khosla in a tweet Monday urged Cook to publicly address the ongoing protests which were sparked by the death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last week. The incident once again shined a light on racial injustice in America, with many around the world joining in movements of their own to protest excessive use of police force.
"It's easy to support equality & justice for all decent folks," Khosla's tweet reads. "It's when one has to give up something to support it that belief in our real values show up. @tim_cook easy to talk but why do you suck up to @realDonaldTrump? Memo's to employees is easy. Please retweet."
Despite ideological differences, Cook has met with Trump on numerous occasions to parlay on topics ranging from the administration's China tariffs to education and America's economic health. Apple in November invited Trump to tour a partner manufacturing plant in Texas in the buildup to the launch of Mac Pro, one of very few Apple products to be assembled in the U.S.
Responding to critics who accuse Cook of kowtowing to a right-leaning regime, the executive has in the past said engagement with government entities is an effective method of forwarding critical issues.
As for the ongoing protests, Khosla in a follow-up tweet asked, "Do you,@tim_cook support being aggressive with protestors? [ ] Would you be willing to speak up beyond memo to employees? Is this unifying the country?"
In a memo to employees on Sunday, Cook voiced support for minorities and those challenging racial injustice. He went on to tout Apple's efforts to forward diversity and inclusion in the workplace, but noted "we must do more."
"To create change, we have to reexamine our own views and actions in light of a pain that is deeply felt but too often ignored," Cook wrote. "Issues of human dignity will not abide standing on the sidelines. To our colleagues in the Black community -- we see you. You matter, your lives matter, and you are valued here at Apple."
Business Insider reported on Khosla's tweets earlier today.
In support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Apple on Tuesday participated in the #BlackoutTuesday campaign by pausing Beats 1 radio programming and replacing prominent Apple Music sections with blacked out graphics.
"In steadfast support of the Black voices that define music, creativity, and culture, we use ours," a message on Apple Music's Browse page reads. "This moment calls upon us all to speak and act against racism and injustice of all kinds. We stand in solidarity with Black communities everywhere."
Khosla in a tweet Monday urged Cook to publicly address the ongoing protests which were sparked by the death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last week. The incident once again shined a light on racial injustice in America, with many around the world joining in movements of their own to protest excessive use of police force.
"It's easy to support equality & justice for all decent folks," Khosla's tweet reads. "It's when one has to give up something to support it that belief in our real values show up. @tim_cook easy to talk but why do you suck up to @realDonaldTrump? Memo's to employees is easy. Please retweet."
Despite ideological differences, Cook has met with Trump on numerous occasions to parlay on topics ranging from the administration's China tariffs to education and America's economic health. Apple in November invited Trump to tour a partner manufacturing plant in Texas in the buildup to the launch of Mac Pro, one of very few Apple products to be assembled in the U.S.
Responding to critics who accuse Cook of kowtowing to a right-leaning regime, the executive has in the past said engagement with government entities is an effective method of forwarding critical issues.
As for the ongoing protests, Khosla in a follow-up tweet asked, "Do you,@tim_cook support being aggressive with protestors? [ ] Would you be willing to speak up beyond memo to employees? Is this unifying the country?"
In a memo to employees on Sunday, Cook voiced support for minorities and those challenging racial injustice. He went on to tout Apple's efforts to forward diversity and inclusion in the workplace, but noted "we must do more."
"To create change, we have to reexamine our own views and actions in light of a pain that is deeply felt but too often ignored," Cook wrote. "Issues of human dignity will not abide standing on the sidelines. To our colleagues in the Black community -- we see you. You matter, your lives matter, and you are valued here at Apple."
Business Insider reported on Khosla's tweets earlier today.
In support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Apple on Tuesday participated in the #BlackoutTuesday campaign by pausing Beats 1 radio programming and replacing prominent Apple Music sections with blacked out graphics.
"In steadfast support of the Black voices that define music, creativity, and culture, we use ours," a message on Apple Music's Browse page reads. "This moment calls upon us all to speak and act against racism and injustice of all kinds. We stand in solidarity with Black communities everywhere."
Comments
What more does this dude want? Mr. Cook already ranks super high on the virtuous scale.
I don't believe that any rational person would fault Tim Cook for attempting to maintain a semblance of a dialog with an adversary, regardless of how repugnant he personally feels the person he's having to deal with really is. Retreating to one's corner and hurling insults and condemnation from afar at the perceived enemy will only escalate the conflict. Tim Cook is morally and fiscally responsible for trying to find a workable compromise in the face of the many challenges he faces with the current administration and political climate.
Showing up at the negotiating table is not "sucking up" or "kowtowing to extremism." It's a demonstrable and pragmatic attempt to make things better under extremely difficult circumstances. It's an expression of hope and unwillingness to blindly accept defeat at the hands of an aggressor. As long as both sides are talking and engaging in a dialog, there is always the possibility of a compromise.
What do you believe in?
And he presumes to give Tim Cook advice on social conscience and empathy. Give me a break.
Spoiler alert: The Supreme Court (yeah, it went all the way to the SCOTUS) threw out his case, i.e., he finally lost.
Absolutely. These days people will feel less comfortable dealing with companies that don’t share those values.
Values for a corporation is marketing to a large extent, because at the end of the day they just want you to buy their stuff. There is always that thought in the back of one’s mind that they are just telling you what you want to hear so you will buy their stuff.
Being pushed and prodded publicly by a third party should be ignored. Hounding people who have no real reason to pronounce one way or another is bad in itself.
The root issues here have nothing to do with Apple or its business and Apple cannot really bring about any major change in the situation anyway.
The vast majority of people have an idea of the issues that brought about this situation. Some will feel the need to speak on the subject, others will protest publicly, while others may choose to do nothing and say nothing.
Not doing or saying anything publicly is an option we should all enjoy of our own free will. People shouldn't be publicly naming and trying to force a reaction out of people who are neither here nor there with regards to what happened and the aftermath.
If Tim decides to make a public statement, fine. If he doesn't, fine again.
I personally believe that all public servants at every level should be subservient and accountable to the Roles that they serve, and that no person is bigger or more important than the Role they serve. This is one of the reasons why an elected official should generally be respected within the context of the Role they serve, whether you voted for them or not. You can respect the Role even if you do not respect the Person.
Unfortunately some elected officials seem to believe that they are a person larger than the Role they serve. They neither hold themselves accountable for following the requirements of the Role, and much less, adhering to norms associated with the Role. But just like the board of directors can vote out a non-complaint CEO who views themself as bigger than the Role they serve, voters in a democracy can vote out a non-compliant public servant who views themself as bigger or more important than their Role.