There are things like mortgage rates and spending priorities that are healthy political democratic differences that should have no impact on your professional life.

There are also things that are not political. They are war. They are 'over my or your dead body' type of things like slavery, holocasts and treason. We don't vote on those and accept whatever the outcome is. We go to war. That's why that sort of stuff is in a constitution. Because it's not negotiable. Not up for popular vote.

Now. I do admit that I don't think that applies to Facebook. I don't think they are intentionally trying to end the US democracy and break the US society.

But never say never. There is definitely a point. One does not sell hamburgers to the KKK for example. Or help build their website.

That's also why you see so many apolitical brands speaking out and picking a side here. They do understand this is different. This is a war for human rights. Nobody deserves the privilege to stay neutral on this.

> type of things like slavery, holocasts and treason

The problem with convenient trap doors like this is now we’re back to being unable to debate the merits of Snowden because he committed treason.

He did no such thing. He blew the whistle on treason.

It pretty literally fits the definition of treason. Even he knows that and it’s why he’s not hanging out in the US.

> I just don't agree that severing professional ties over political disputes is admirable.

Never? If you worked for an employer that seated black people in the back in the 1960s, it wouldn't be admirable to quit?

>For society to function, people need to be willing to work with others whose politics they find distasteful.

Why?

I am not on some high horse here, I am not sure what I would be willing to put up with if I had no other options but I certainly prefer working with companies that have values that are aligned with my own.

Because otherwise it becomes impossible to truly engage in politics. If everyone sorts themselves into liberal companies that only allow liberal values and conservative companies that only allow conservative values, how are we supposed to have an honest debate on anything?

How about sorting by companies that support honest debate versus those that don't? From the post, "Facebook will keep moving the goalposts..."

I don't need to engage in politics in my workplace. I can work with people with differing political opinions in terms of activism and advocacy, though.

"Liberal" and "conservative" aren't the only political flavors, either. Lots of leftist activists don't work with liberals and lots of right-wing activists don't work with conservatives, for example. It's also difficult to work with someone whose beliefs conflict too much with your own or whose views are dehumanizing (like, I wouldn't want to work with someone who regards themselves as superior because of their race).

If everyone were to sort themselves into companies that were anti-genocide and pro-genocide, how could we ever have an honest debate on anything?

Because unless you are a bootlicker (or the company is yours), the company cannot possibly have all of the same values as you.

There are too many actions that are political when they come down to it (pricing products, marketing products, choosing partners, choosing tools, choosing customers, choosing features, choosing charities, etc). There is no possible way that all of them are going to align with your views.

The reason that works is that you’re just able to not care that they don’t.

Politics affect your profession and your life. You cannot separate politics from your life.

It wasn't over a political dispute though. It was over the CEO effectively lying with regard to a red line that was crossed.

The straw that broke the camels back.

> For society to function, people need to be willing to work with others whose politics they find distasteful.

And how are we supposed to work with people that outright lie? Who are dishonest. Who crosses a red line with that lie? Are we supposed to shrug and accept it? Would you accept people lying in a professional environment?

Why? Nobody should hold the nose and bend over, especially people who have an easy choice.

Is Facebook needed for society to function, though?