The US could start on a ten-year plan to develop the next generation of electronic technology, probably already are with nonotech to some extent, but it probably needs to be a massive or visionary gov't backed effort, like it was in aerospace, or DARPA.
Now you're starting to get it. How do you think the South Korean economic miracle/chaebol system ever got off the ground? How do you think the Chinese themselves have been pulling off their own version of it (albeit while maintaining rather than abandoning repressive systems)? Frankly, I don't think we can compete with China unless we merge private capitalism with state backing. The Nordic countries (e.g., Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund) and the Arabian Gulf States are living proof of the economic success of this approach (although the Nordic countries are obviously at the polar opposite of Saudi Arabia regarding human rights). And on the very rare occasions when America also decided to act on this scale, things happened.
Now you're starting to get it. How do you think the South Korean economic miracle/chaebol system ever got off the ground? How do you think the Chinese themselves have been pulling off their own version of it (albeit while maintaining rather than abandoning repressive systems)? Frankly, I don't think we can compete with China unless we merge private capitalism with state backing. The Nordic countries (e.g., Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund) and the Arabian Gulf States are living proof of the economic success of this approach (although the Nordic countries are obviously at the polar opposite of Saudi Arabia regarding human rights). And on the very rare occasions when America also decided to act on this scale, things happened.
The whole thread of comments on this topics actually shows how wrong it is to tackle politics as a business. As a business, especially as Apple, the only value that should be catered and cherished is a user, customer. Why? Because people have very different view on any political and/or social issue and even more about importance and priority of the same.
While I don't deny the right to equality for LGBT in almost everything, I believe there are many other injustices in the world that would require at least if not more attention from all of us. Like rich against poor, like exploiters against exploited, like 1% against 99%.
There are many, many other issues ad picking just one or few is politically incorrect, selfish and hypocritical. As much as I like Tim Cook as a Apple CEO, I have to admit that Jobs was much smarter in politics. Perhaps because he really didn't care. Or perhaps he did and he was quiet about who he supported and helped. Mostly. However, Tim Cook can't help himself and after his outing I knew things will change. Being gay is for him gift from God, as he said, which puts this fact to the highest place in his life. To me this means nothing, like for him it means nothing that there is 1% of him and 99% of me and he certainly doesn't feel this is wrong. I'd be free to say that if my view on LGBT was equal to his and theirs to any of the issues I consider important, I'd be burned at stake. Publicly.
So, Tim, go out of the politics. Respect your customers, even those, that don't share your views and values.
The whole thread of comments on this topics actually shows how wrong it is to tackle politics as a business. As a business, especially as Apple, the only value that should be catered and cherished is a user, customer. Why? Because people have very different view on any political and/or social issue and even more about importance and priority of the same.
While I don't deny the right to equality for LGBT in almost everything, I believe there are many other injustices in the world that would require at least if not more attention from all of us. Like rich against poor, like exploiters against exploited, like 1% against 99%.
There are many, many other issues ad picking just one or few is politically incorrect, selfish and hypocritical. As much as I like Tim Cook as a Apple CEO, I have to admit that Jobs was much smarter in politics. Perhaps because he really didn't care. Or perhaps he did and he was quiet about who he supported and helped. Mostly. However, Tim Cook can't help himself and after his outing I knew things will change. Being gay is for him gift from God, as he said, which puts this fact to the highest place in his life. To me this means nothing, like for him it means nothing that there is 1% of him and 99% of me and he certainly doesn't feel this is wrong. I'd be free to say that if my view on LGBT was equal to his and theirs to any of the issues I consider important, I'd be burned at stake. Publicly.
So, Tim, go out of the politics. Respect your customers, even those, that don't share your views and values.
The value of equality for everyone underlies all other values, social and political. If one doesn't share that view, it's like living with the one percent.
If you don't think that gays and other gender-blended people deserve equality, you have a moral problem, like several do in this thread. It is your problem, not ours.
A company taking a public stand on the leading edge of social consciousness is nothing new. In the 70s many companies made a big deal in their advertising about being "equal opportunity employers." Since we now live in a more activist period and the company is in the business of raising consciousness, it is natural that Apple will be taking ever more public stands for social values.
I would imagine that Tim Cook is going to take on income inequality sometime in the future, especially as the "Apple effect" on the new economy becomes clearer. Spreading the wealth is certainly within his moral universe, and I doubt that he cares much about his own wealth beyond musing about what good he can do with it eventually, sooner or later. Just watch.
The value of equality for everyone underlies all other values, social and political. If one doesn't share that view, it's like living with the one percent.
If you don't think that gays and other gender-blended people deserve equality, you have a moral problem, like several do in this thread. It is your problem, not ours.
A company taking a public stand on the leading edge of social consciousness is nothing new. In the 70s many companies made a big deal in their advertising about being "equal opportunity employers." Since we now live in a more activist period and the company is in the business of raising consciousness, it is natural that Apple will be taking ever more public stands for social values.
I would imagine that Tim Cook is going to take on income inequality sometime in the future, especially as the "Apple effect" on the new economy becomes clearer. Spreading the wealth is certainly within his moral universe, and I doubt that he cares much about his own wealth beyond musing about what good he can do with it eventually, sooner or later. Just watch.
Please, spare me of any moral lectures and hypocrisy. I'm perfectly OK with any equal rights movement and action, as you could very well read. But I'm pointing out, that for me, and many other people other right are more important, yet no business is tackling them, because they are simply not popular or backed by capital.
And please, don't embarrass yourself by taking 70's advertisements as an argument, because they were riding the hype for commercial reasons and not because of real belief and ideals. Just naming Coke Flower Power commercial is enough...
Bottom line: Rights for everyone in every way, not just in one, particular and hyped one. Not possible? Then leave the politics out of the business.
Please, spare me of any moral lectures and hypocrisy. I'm perfectly OK with any equal rights movement and action, as you could very well read. But I'm pointing out, that for me, and many other people other right are more important, yet no business is tackling them, because they are simply not popular or backed by capital.
And please, don't embarrass yourself by taking 70's advertisements as an argument, because they were riding the hype for commercial reasons and not because of real belief and ideals. Just naming Coke Flower Power commercial is enough...
Bottom line: Rights for everyone in every way, not just in one, particular and hyped one. Not possible? Then leave the politics out of the business.
Those business ads, no matter how self serving, did a lot of good by shaming the racist diehards and laying out a better ideal for equal treatment for nonwhite Americans.
At the same time, the US was killing hundreds of thousands, poisoning the environment, and land-mining the trails and fields in Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia.
If you had been in the US at the time, would you have been saying we should not be marching for civil rights for blacks, and that IBM and a hundred other companies should not be taking a stand because we weren't also fighting for the rights of Southeast Asians, Uighers, Tibetans, Chileans, Guatemalans, Iranians, Czechs, Hungarians . . . ?
Sounds like excuse-making to me, or worse. What you're presuming to call hypocrisy i would call practical social action.
Actually, I answered your question you are just refusing to see it...or maybe it's a reading comprehension issue. Who knows. I said I don't know. Nobody here knows why. They can only guess or make wild assumptions colored by their own personal beliefs. I did say that maybe it was because those employees had, until last Friday, been unequal. [...etc...]
No, you did not answer my question directly: sarcasm is dismissiveness of a point of view, not acknowledgement with an earnest response. Take solace in the fact that your constitutionally protected right to snark and bend the truth with blanket statements remains intact, and your opinion does not matter any more than anyone else, nor do non-answers rise you above discussion. So yes, why is Tim Cook more concerned with a marginal segment of his employees - not "significant", as you originally claimed? You're throwing around a lot a weasel words with nothing to back it up (ie. "a large portion of Christians support..", "a significant portion of Apple employees are LGBT supporters", etc.), so that's exactly where it remains: a weasel-worded pretense, and nothing more. By the way... I never said that Cook was "disrespectful towards Christians"; maybe you're so hung up on making inflammatory remarks that you completely misread my comments... and you're snarking about MY reading comprehension? LOL
Additionally, Apple is a product company, not a political company. If happiness and human rights are TRULY his motivation, then I'll ask again: what is he doing about the deplorable living/low wage conditions of suicidal Chinese factory workers who make that vast majority of Apple products? Is Tim Cook TRULY for the well being of Apple employees and partners, or is he more realistically speaking out about an issue that more personal to him, and less about employee happiness? Of course he can't take on every human rights issue on the planet, inasmuch as you can't have it both ways. If you TRULY believe his interests lie solely in happiness/human rights, then you should be boycotting Apple until their Chinese manufacturing partners meet the same standards for employment as Apple does its own employees. Until then... your hypocrisy is duly noted.
Bullshit, sure he did. When he had issues with Flash and with DRM he wrote essays that were hosted on the Apple website. We all just agreed with them so no one batted an eye.
Flash and DRM were business issues - directly related to how Apple sold its products, and how they worked. Neither of these were political issues. Can you tell the difference?
At the very least I guess it can be said because he has a shred of common sense. Religion is the cancer of the world, it was invented to control and enslave people, and goddamn does it still work brilliantly.
You would think in the modern world some people would be able to shake the cob webs out of their heads and say, "Holy shit...we've been following some insane falsehood invented by nearly illiterate medieval nobles for the purposes of controlling and brainwashing the population, and allowing the weak few to rule the many...I think we stop now,"
Wow. Just, wow. Those who scream about "intolerance" non-stop are very often intolerant of others' lifestyles/beliefs/religion/etc, and often pretty vicious about it. Funny how that works.
Flash and DRM were business issues - directly related to how Apple sold its products, and how they worked. Neither of these were political issues. Can you tell the difference?
I can, but you apparently do not want to. Making sure your employees have the same right as other employees IS a business issue. It’s how you foster more loyalty with your employees – when they know you will go to bat for them and not just pay them lip service. It’s a political issue to you because you see it that way – many others do not see it as a political issue any more than any other issue – other than people using it to further an agenda.
I can, but you apparently do not want to. Making sure your employees have the same right as other employees IS a business issue. It’s how you foster more loyalty with your employees – when they know you will go to bat for them and not just pay them lip service. It’s a political issue to you because you see it that way – many others do not see it as a political issue any more than any other issue – other than people using it to further an agenda.
Employee rights and your hyperbole spin are mutually exclusive concepts. What you are describing IS a political issue, as a matter that was decided by the Supreme Court that was loaded with political contention, even if you choose to not perceive it that way. "Employee rights" is a complete farce, as Cook does not devote his attention to any and every other perceivable inequality or human rights issue, as he does to one that is personal to him, and "gay rights" issues do not translate to more "employee loyalty". What were you saying about "furthering an agenda"? Oh yeah... it definitely applies in this case. As someone else said, Jobs never used Apple as his personal soapbox. Tim Cook does, though.
I don't always agree with the SCOTUS. On some issues they haven't legislated far enough in terms of the social good. It was, however, nice to see recent strides made in Hate Crime legislation. But for once on the LGBT front, they're *finally* legislating like it really is 2015.
Finally? Lol.
The passing of time doesn't make wrong right. Nor does it mean that it's ok to kill off "by the people and for the people."
This is literally a few people with too much power abusing said power.
And you like it.
Just remember that when such power is used in a way that affects you negatively.
Imagine a legislature that forced Christianity down your throat.
Now imagine the Christians who have this trash shoved down theirs.
The passing of time doesn't make wrong right. Nor does it mean that it's ok to kill off "by the people and for the people."
This is literally a few people with too much power abusing said power.
And you like it.
Just remember that when such power is used in a way that affects you negatively.
Imagine a legislature that forced Christianity down your throat.
Now imagine the Christians who have this trash shoved down theirs.
America is no longer a union. It's a kingdom.
Except they're forcing absolutely NOTHING down your throat. They're just finally giving equal rights to people who have been discriminated against. If you're not one of these people, NOTHING changes for you -- other than having to live with the knowledge that people of the same sex are getting legally married. If it's that much of an inconvenience to you, I think you need to have your brain examined. It has been rotted out by religion.
Comments
The US could start on a ten-year plan to develop the next generation of electronic technology, probably already are with nonotech to some extent, but it probably needs to be a massive or visionary gov't backed effort, like it was in aerospace, or DARPA.
Now you're starting to get it. How do you think the South Korean economic miracle/chaebol system ever got off the ground? How do you think the Chinese themselves have been pulling off their own version of it (albeit while maintaining rather than abandoning repressive systems)? Frankly, I don't think we can compete with China unless we merge private capitalism with state backing. The Nordic countries (e.g., Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund) and the Arabian Gulf States are living proof of the economic success of this approach (although the Nordic countries are obviously at the polar opposite of Saudi Arabia regarding human rights). And on the very rare occasions when America also decided to act on this scale, things happened.
You missed the point.
The whole thread of comments on this topics actually shows how wrong it is to tackle politics as a business. As a business, especially as Apple, the only value that should be catered and cherished is a user, customer. Why? Because people have very different view on any political and/or social issue and even more about importance and priority of the same.
While I don't deny the right to equality for LGBT in almost everything, I believe there are many other injustices in the world that would require at least if not more attention from all of us. Like rich against poor, like exploiters against exploited, like 1% against 99%.
There are many, many other issues ad picking just one or few is politically incorrect, selfish and hypocritical. As much as I like Tim Cook as a Apple CEO, I have to admit that Jobs was much smarter in politics. Perhaps because he really didn't care. Or perhaps he did and he was quiet about who he supported and helped. Mostly. However, Tim Cook can't help himself and after his outing I knew things will change. Being gay is for him gift from God, as he said, which puts this fact to the highest place in his life. To me this means nothing, like for him it means nothing that there is 1% of him and 99% of me and he certainly doesn't feel this is wrong. I'd be free to say that if my view on LGBT was equal to his and theirs to any of the issues I consider important, I'd be burned at stake. Publicly.
So, Tim, go out of the politics. Respect your customers, even those, that don't share your views and values.
The value of equality for everyone underlies all other values, social and political. If one doesn't share that view, it's like living with the one percent.
If you don't think that gays and other gender-blended people deserve equality, you have a moral problem, like several do in this thread. It is your problem, not ours.
A company taking a public stand on the leading edge of social consciousness is nothing new. In the 70s many companies made a big deal in their advertising about being "equal opportunity employers." Since we now live in a more activist period and the company is in the business of raising consciousness, it is natural that Apple will be taking ever more public stands for social values.
I would imagine that Tim Cook is going to take on income inequality sometime in the future, especially as the "Apple effect" on the new economy becomes clearer. Spreading the wealth is certainly within his moral universe, and I doubt that he cares much about his own wealth beyond musing about what good he can do with it eventually, sooner or later. Just watch.
The value of equality for everyone underlies all other values, social and political. If one doesn't share that view, it's like living with the one percent.
If you don't think that gays and other gender-blended people deserve equality, you have a moral problem, like several do in this thread. It is your problem, not ours.
A company taking a public stand on the leading edge of social consciousness is nothing new. In the 70s many companies made a big deal in their advertising about being "equal opportunity employers." Since we now live in a more activist period and the company is in the business of raising consciousness, it is natural that Apple will be taking ever more public stands for social values.
I would imagine that Tim Cook is going to take on income inequality sometime in the future, especially as the "Apple effect" on the new economy becomes clearer. Spreading the wealth is certainly within his moral universe, and I doubt that he cares much about his own wealth beyond musing about what good he can do with it eventually, sooner or later. Just watch.
Please, spare me of any moral lectures and hypocrisy. I'm perfectly OK with any equal rights movement and action, as you could very well read. But I'm pointing out, that for me, and many other people other right are more important, yet no business is tackling them, because they are simply not popular or backed by capital.
And please, don't embarrass yourself by taking 70's advertisements as an argument, because they were riding the hype for commercial reasons and not because of real belief and ideals. Just naming Coke Flower Power commercial is enough...
Bottom line: Rights for everyone in every way, not just in one, particular and hyped one. Not possible? Then leave the politics out of the business.
Those business ads, no matter how self serving, did a lot of good by shaming the racist diehards and laying out a better ideal for equal treatment for nonwhite Americans.
At the same time, the US was killing hundreds of thousands, poisoning the environment, and land-mining the trails and fields in Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia.
If you had been in the US at the time, would you have been saying we should not be marching for civil rights for blacks, and that IBM and a hundred other companies should not be taking a stand because we weren't also fighting for the rights of Southeast Asians, Uighers, Tibetans, Chileans, Guatemalans, Iranians, Czechs, Hungarians . . . ?
Sounds like excuse-making to me, or worse. What you're presuming to call hypocrisy i would call practical social action.
Actually, I answered your question you are just refusing to see it...or maybe it's a reading comprehension issue. Who knows. I said I don't know. Nobody here knows why. They can only guess or make wild assumptions colored by their own personal beliefs. I did say that maybe it was because those employees had, until last Friday, been unequal. [...etc...]
No, you did not answer my question directly: sarcasm is dismissiveness of a point of view, not acknowledgement with an earnest response. Take solace in the fact that your constitutionally protected right to snark and bend the truth with blanket statements remains intact, and your opinion does not matter any more than anyone else, nor do non-answers rise you above discussion. So yes, why is Tim Cook more concerned with a marginal segment of his employees - not "significant", as you originally claimed? You're throwing around a lot a weasel words with nothing to back it up (ie. "a large portion of Christians support..", "a significant portion of Apple employees are LGBT supporters", etc.), so that's exactly where it remains: a weasel-worded pretense, and nothing more. By the way... I never said that Cook was "disrespectful towards Christians"; maybe you're so hung up on making inflammatory remarks that you completely misread my comments... and you're snarking about MY reading comprehension? LOL
Additionally, Apple is a product company, not a political company. If happiness and human rights are TRULY his motivation, then I'll ask again: what is he doing about the deplorable living/low wage conditions of suicidal Chinese factory workers who make that vast majority of Apple products? Is Tim Cook TRULY for the well being of Apple employees and partners, or is he more realistically speaking out about an issue that more personal to him, and less about employee happiness? Of course he can't take on every human rights issue on the planet, inasmuch as you can't have it both ways. If you TRULY believe his interests lie solely in happiness/human rights, then you should be boycotting Apple until their Chinese manufacturing partners meet the same standards for employment as Apple does its own employees. Until then... your hypocrisy is duly noted.
Bullshit, sure he did. When he had issues with Flash and with DRM he wrote essays that were hosted on the Apple website. We all just agreed with them so no one batted an eye.
Flash and DRM were business issues - directly related to how Apple sold its products, and how they worked. Neither of these were political issues. Can you tell the difference?
At the very least I guess it can be said because he has a shred of common sense. Religion is the cancer of the world, it was invented to control and enslave people, and goddamn does it still work brilliantly.
You would think in the modern world some people would be able to shake the cob webs out of their heads and say, "Holy shit...we've been following some insane falsehood invented by nearly illiterate medieval nobles for the purposes of controlling and brainwashing the population, and allowing the weak few to rule the many...I think we stop now,"
Wow. Just, wow. Those who scream about "intolerance" non-stop are very often intolerant of others' lifestyles/beliefs/religion/etc, and often pretty vicious about it. Funny how that works.
Flash and DRM were business issues - directly related to how Apple sold its products, and how they worked. Neither of these were political issues. Can you tell the difference?
I can, but you apparently do not want to. Making sure your employees have the same right as other employees IS a business issue. It’s how you foster more loyalty with your employees – when they know you will go to bat for them and not just pay them lip service. It’s a political issue to you because you see it that way – many others do not see it as a political issue any more than any other issue – other than people using it to further an agenda.
I can, but you apparently do not want to. Making sure your employees have the same right as other employees IS a business issue. It’s how you foster more loyalty with your employees – when they know you will go to bat for them and not just pay them lip service. It’s a political issue to you because you see it that way – many others do not see it as a political issue any more than any other issue – other than people using it to further an agenda.
Employee rights and your hyperbole spin are mutually exclusive concepts. What you are describing IS a political issue, as a matter that was decided by the Supreme Court that was loaded with political contention, even if you choose to not perceive it that way. "Employee rights" is a complete farce, as Cook does not devote his attention to any and every other perceivable inequality or human rights issue, as he does to one that is personal to him, and "gay rights" issues do not translate to more "employee loyalty". What were you saying about "furthering an agenda"? Oh yeah... it definitely applies in this case. As someone else said, Jobs never used Apple as his personal soapbox. Tim Cook does, though.
Finally? Lol.
The passing of time doesn't make wrong right. Nor does it mean that it's ok to kill off "by the people and for the people."
This is literally a few people with too much power abusing said power.
And you like it.
Just remember that when such power is used in a way that affects you negatively.
Imagine a legislature that forced Christianity down your throat.
Now imagine the Christians who have this trash shoved down theirs.
America is no longer a union. It's a kingdom.
Finally? Lol.
The passing of time doesn't make wrong right. Nor does it mean that it's ok to kill off "by the people and for the people."
This is literally a few people with too much power abusing said power.
And you like it.
Just remember that when such power is used in a way that affects you negatively.
Imagine a legislature that forced Christianity down your throat.
Now imagine the Christians who have this trash shoved down theirs.
America is no longer a union. It's a kingdom.
Except they're forcing absolutely NOTHING down your throat. They're just finally giving equal rights to people who have been discriminated against. If you're not one of these people, NOTHING changes for you -- other than having to live with the knowledge that people of the same sex are getting legally married. If it's that much of an inconvenience to you, I think you need to have your brain examined. It has been rotted out by religion.