[freddyc]

> What I also hate is that Uber tries to play the PR game and show themselves as the great guys here. Forget that they pay their drivers peanuts, that drivers have to drive up to 30% more now to make the same wages as just a few years ago, and that many are calling Uber to unionise.

I hate they way everyone is just using people to further their message and forgetting that these are people.

This +100. From what friends who were early at Uber tell me, this is not consistent with his character and feels like a PR grab. This issue is beyond f'd up, and while I guess any attention is good attention if it causes action, I draw the line at giving credit for cheap PR stunts.

[anarazel]

So what? What'd be right thing to do in this case? I disagree with Uber on a bunch of things, but me judging them to do the wrong thing on some issues, doesn't prevent them doing the right thing on others. By critizing them for doing the right thing you're just disincentivizing from doing the right thing again.

I think this line of argument weakens "our" position considerably.

[panarky]

> What'd be right thing to do in this case?

The right thing to do is for Kalanick to loudly and publicly resign his position on Trump's "economic advisory group".

This group has zero influence on the administration. Its only purpose is to legitimize the administration and its policies of hate.

In exchange for collaboration and legitimization, Kalanick might buy some preferential treatment for Uber. There's nothing principled here.

If the Muslim ban stands and Kalanick doesn't resign, it will be obvious that he's a total hypocrite.

Far from "standing up for what's right", Kalanick has sold out to hate.

[freddyc]

I realize that the parent comment focused on Uber, but my concern is directed at the personalization of the post. This was posted under Travis' personal Facebook account. It was a statement by him to his employees that he chose to then release publicly (also look at his use of personal pronouns in places). If this were a statement released by Uber I would take less issue with it.

I have seen the fallout from friends who personally experienced horrible treatment by the guy, so this fake hero crusade is what I take issue with. Uber paying affected drivers, on the other hand, is fantastic.

*Edited for clarity.

[brandonbloom]

Why do you care? If getting credit as a "hero" is what it takes to get him to do good things, then let him have it. Even if this is a PR stunt, it has positive externalities that can only be amplified by adept public relations management.

[KirinDave]

I cannot overstress this or agree with you more. I genuinely don't care what people's internal monologue is. I fully understand a lot of altruism is for social credit.

All that is fine, so long as over time it forms a more free, open, and welcoming society for everyone.

No one is forgetting Uber is a company with a checkered past. This just fills in one of the good squares in contrast to the bad ones.

[thatcat]

Ubers position on immigration is not relevant to ubers business so it costs them little to take any attention grabbing position they can as that offers the a cheaper marketing model than paying for ads. Ironically trump uses similar strategies.

[anarazel]

Assuming that's the case: So what? They could also do similarly on a lot of other topics, some directly opposing the current statement.

I also doubt that opposing positions on one the current government's key issues is actually free. Uber has a lot of local regulatory issues, and complex enough international setup - federal (and some state's) goodwill surely has some affect on Uber's success.

[tedmiston]

> Ubers position on immigration is not relevant to ubers business

Are you sure about that? A large percentage of Uber drivers are immigrants.

[crdoconnor]

>Ubers position on immigration is not relevant to ubers business

Immigration drives down semi and unskilled worker's wages (which drives up profits).

Uber absolutely has a dog in this fight.

Arguably the reason why Trump's rhetoric has struck such a chord is precisely because wages have been driven down by (among other things) immigration.

[SwellJoe]

If they actually follow through on paying their drivers that aren't able to work due to this executive order, it won't be "a cheap PR stunt". But, it could still be a PR stunt.

I support tech companies (and everybody else) speaking out, emphatically, against this order, even if I think the company speaking out has kind of questionable moral standing. If only those who are perfect can act against evil actions by our government, then we're in serious trouble.

Uber is imperfect. But, if they are sincere, I support them in this. And, perhaps if it comes time for armed insurrection to depose our Vichy regime, we can all hail an Uber and roll up to the revolution in style.

[jessaustin]

That last metaphor lost me... who are the Nazis, in this allegory?

[SwellJoe]

I don't think there's a very good direct corollary with historical fascist regimes; comparing the Trump administration and the complicit GOP Senate and House to Nazi Germany doesn't feel quite right. I feel like the GOP is more comparable to the Vichy regime in France: Collaborating with a monster for the sake of personal gain, not because they believe in the values Trump espouses.

Any comparison to Nazi Germany and the events that led to the rise of fascism is prone to be reaching; and prone to be dismissed by someone because there are many gaps in the comparison. Likewise, while there are certainly similarities to Italy's Mussolini and Spain's Franco, that's also a stretch. The world we live in is very different from that time and place. Fascism looks different today.

So...it's an imperfect metaphor. I merely wanted to poke fun at the craven GOP who have fallen in line behind a man they spent months criticizing and calling out for his fascist traits. Now that he's in a position of power they kowtow to him. More worrying, law enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and significant sections of the civilian and military government seem to be falling into line behind him rather than pushing back on his unconstitutional and illegal orders, even when I don't think they share his ideals. That's where my Vichy comparison comes from.

It's a stretch, I know. But, every comparison to historic fascists is. It doesn't make it less true that our new president is behaving like a fascist, and seems to have significant support.

Also, Putin's Russia probably had a hand in putting our new president into office.

[KirinDave]

Perhaps in this case we don't need metaphorical Nazis because American politics now has real people pushing an Americanized version of the Nazi agenda?

[dragonwriter]

If we have a "Vichy regime", then ...Putin's Russia?

[fullshark]

If you want to build a democratic coalition for action, you have to let in some members you don't see eye to eye with on every issue.