Long way from the "Think Different" era Apple. Been thinking about that campaign this week. Posters of people like MLK, which Jobs had to get permission for from each and every estate for the campaign. When Apple was solidly, unambiguously positioned as the computer for the rebels, the misfits, the crazy ones.
If nothing else, there was an opportunity to simply say that given the day's events, a movie screening didn't feel right. Or – "hey there's a gigantic winter storm covering half the country, and I have a lot of logistical stuff to take care of."
All I can say is remember. Remember the hypocrisy, the spineless lack of values, the willingness to engage, effectively, in corruption. That should be the permanent understanding you now have of these people.
Next time they are up on stage telling you how great their new product or service is - make sure your first thought is, the person selling me this put corruptly pandering to an authoritarian wannabe dictator ahead of their own integrity. If they have no integrity, why should I trust anything they say about this product they are now pitching to me?
It's kind of wild that the founder of this venerable company shared the same stage with Khashoggi's fiance pre-Covid.
It's like attending a memorial of an assasinated Belarus activist and then following it up by attending the premiere of a propaganda movie about Putin's wife.
Someone inside Amazon should keep tabs on the actual non-inflated viewing numbers of this amazing blockbuster for posterity's sake.
Edit: Bezos is not listed as attending (elsewhere Tony Robbins and Mike Tyson are)
Would be easier if half of HN didn't work for them. There's a reason why these posts get maybe 20 comments on here whereas ones showing similar allegiance to the Party by companies half of HN doesn't work at get 600.
It's interesting how people I know wouldn't work for my small startup if I, as the boss, aligned myself with such people, but are happy to work for big tech companies that do that. It's amazing what 100 levels of abstraction and money can make you do.
and/or come up with some kind of civil disobedience that isn't some antiquated waste of time. boycott? why not just pray about it and see if that works?
On the night of Alex Pretti's execution by Border Patrol, big tech CEOs think it's a great idea to show up at the preview of the most pathetic movie in existence. This goes beyond "having to seat at the table" to change things, like Tim Cook often said. This is high level simping. I am so disgusted. These are the people y'all work for.
Yea, Apple's decision to have its CEO embrace fascism has really destroyed a ton of my goodwill towards the company and I'm actively looking for alternatives, delaying further purchases, and encouraging others to do the same.
Doesn't help that they appear to have shot all of their UX designers into the sun judging by the most recent iOS and MacOS upgrades.
Capitalists only care about capital. Witness how fast the DEI stuff was jettisoned once it was determined to be unprofitable under the current administration.
Very true. This is why Hitler was surrounded by so many people. They went where the power was. Even if it’s not “who he is”, it is who he became.
The nazis were prosecuted decades later. Tim Cook’s actions shouldn’t be magically forgotten once Trump is out of office.
This pattern has historical precedent. Adolf Hitler’s inner circle included people like Albert Speer, a trained architect who was not an early ideologue but aligned himself with power as the regime consolidated control. Speer benefited professionally, became Minister of Armaments, and later claimed political detachment. These claims were rejected at Nuremberg, where he was convicted for his role in the Nazi state.
The fact that alignment can be opportunistic rather than ideological did not absolve responsibility then, and it should not automatically do so now. Accountability is not erased simply because a political era ends.
There's a big difference between being a party member actually in a government position (war related, no less), and being a businessman surviving under that regime. You're not only making an absurd comparison, you're calling for punishment for somebody who hasn't even remotely broken any laws. Can't you see you're being authoritarian?
Law and morality are not the same thing. The apologism for Apple on HN is comically and selectively gymnastics. I think the biggest shame here is the brand identity for a corporation that many of you have self deluded into adopting. Even now the voices that tell you to stop bootlicking them and warning against them get shouted down.
That may be true, but if you think your definition of morality is correct and anybody who thinks otherwise needs to be punished, then no wonder you've ended up with an authoritarian who's beaten you at your own game.
It's also got nothing to do with Apple fanboyism. The same is true for all corporations in the US.
Forced means something else when you’re among the most rich and powerful people on earth - they chose to do this. It’s far more demeaning and should haunt them to their graves.
End Amazon overnight and see what the response is from the people. What I don’t get about these guys is that they have their OWN power base - their customers. Just look at the leverage TikTok had because of their users
> What I don’t get about these guys is that they have their OWN power base - their customers
What do you not get about these guys? It's very simple. The likes of Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos are the exact same as Peter Thiel and Elon Musk. The last two are just louder about it. They have their own power base, but relying on it doesn't maximize their wealth. In a best case scenario, they could achieve maybe 50% of the wealth by relying on their own power base, compared to kowtowing to The Party. They don't want 50%, they want 100%, and there's absolutely nothing that they won't do for it.
I’m sure that’s what Bezos tells himself. Which is both wrong and absolutely ignominious.
And if Elon’s X feed contains his real thoughts, his brain has turned to pudding and he earnestly believes a bunch of really vile racist garbage, so I guess it makes sense he’s hanging out with the rest of the deplorables in this administration.
Long way from the "Think Different" era Apple. Been thinking about that campaign this week. Posters of people like MLK, which Jobs had to get permission for from each and every estate for the campaign. When Apple was solidly, unambiguously positioned as the computer for the rebels, the misfits, the crazy ones.
If nothing else, there was an opportunity to simply say that given the day's events, a movie screening didn't feel right. Or – "hey there's a gigantic winter storm covering half the country, and I have a lot of logistical stuff to take care of."
Please, God, let Mel Brooks make one more film after Spaceballs 2.
All I can say is remember. Remember the hypocrisy, the spineless lack of values, the willingness to engage, effectively, in corruption. That should be the permanent understanding you now have of these people.
Next time they are up on stage telling you how great their new product or service is - make sure your first thought is, the person selling me this put corruptly pandering to an authoritarian wannabe dictator ahead of their own integrity. If they have no integrity, why should I trust anything they say about this product they are now pitching to me?
It's kind of wild that the founder of this venerable company shared the same stage with Khashoggi's fiance pre-Covid.
It's like attending a memorial of an assasinated Belarus activist and then following it up by attending the premiere of a propaganda movie about Putin's wife.
Someone inside Amazon should keep tabs on the actual non-inflated viewing numbers of this amazing blockbuster for posterity's sake.
Edit: Bezos is not listed as attending (elsewhere Tony Robbins and Mike Tyson are)
Boycott all these goobers.
Would be easier if half of HN didn't work for them. There's a reason why these posts get maybe 20 comments on here whereas ones showing similar allegiance to the Party by companies half of HN doesn't work at get 600.
But hey, vests too juicy.
It's interesting how people I know wouldn't work for my small startup if I, as the boss, aligned myself with such people, but are happy to work for big tech companies that do that. It's amazing what 100 levels of abstraction and money can make you do.
and/or come up with some kind of civil disobedience that isn't some antiquated waste of time. boycott? why not just pray about it and see if that works?
You don't think boycotts work? You should ask Target how they feel about that comment.
And, amazingly enough, "boycott all these goobers" is not the _only thing_ in the world a person can do at once.
But sure, keep hurling money at people you despise while talking about how others should do better.
> "boycott all these goobers" is not the _only thing_ in the world a person can do at once.
This.
Boycotts can be effective and important tools, but they aren't sufficient all by themselves. No tool is.
I was on a website and got a “sign Melania’s birthday card” advertisement. Super creepy.
Adam from Adam Does Movies can't wait to do a recrap of Melania and my family is excited to see THAT.
What could possibly be in this movie other than Melania constantly suing news outlets who ran reports she was a sex worker?
and she’s an immigrant.
A friendly reminder that the western world too is ruled by oligarchs and is democratic in name only.
It is time to take control over the means of production.
On the night of Alex Pretti's execution by Border Patrol, big tech CEOs think it's a great idea to show up at the preview of the most pathetic movie in existence. This goes beyond "having to seat at the table" to change things, like Tim Cook often said. This is high level simping. I am so disgusted. These are the people y'all work for.
[flagged]
Person A: "We should improve society somewhat."
A certain Person B: "Yet you participate in society! Curious!!"
Some more info on the "Tu Quoque" logical fallacy being employed by the certain person B: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_quoque
So many apologists for Tim Apple over the past year, but I think this is just who he is. Gladly embracing fascism and authoritarianism.
Yea, Apple's decision to have its CEO embrace fascism has really destroyed a ton of my goodwill towards the company and I'm actively looking for alternatives, delaying further purchases, and encouraging others to do the same.
Doesn't help that they appear to have shot all of their UX designers into the sun judging by the most recent iOS and MacOS upgrades.
Don't forget that he did it for Trump's first admin too. Cooperation with the government seems to be an imperative beyond the CEO's control.
Capitalists only care about capital. Witness how fast the DEI stuff was jettisoned once it was determined to be unprofitable under the current administration.
Here’s to the crazy ones
Very true. This is why Hitler was surrounded by so many people. They went where the power was. Even if it’s not “who he is”, it is who he became.
The nazis were prosecuted decades later. Tim Cook’s actions shouldn’t be magically forgotten once Trump is out of office.
This pattern has historical precedent. Adolf Hitler’s inner circle included people like Albert Speer, a trained architect who was not an early ideologue but aligned himself with power as the regime consolidated control. Speer benefited professionally, became Minister of Armaments, and later claimed political detachment. These claims were rejected at Nuremberg, where he was convicted for his role in the Nazi state.
The fact that alignment can be opportunistic rather than ideological did not absolve responsibility then, and it should not automatically do so now. Accountability is not erased simply because a political era ends.
There's a big difference between being a party member actually in a government position (war related, no less), and being a businessman surviving under that regime. You're not only making an absurd comparison, you're calling for punishment for somebody who hasn't even remotely broken any laws. Can't you see you're being authoritarian?
Somehow I doubt Tim Cook would have trouble surviving if he did not choose to bend the knee.
He might be lynched by his shareholders :)
Law and morality are not the same thing. The apologism for Apple on HN is comically and selectively gymnastics. I think the biggest shame here is the brand identity for a corporation that many of you have self deluded into adopting. Even now the voices that tell you to stop bootlicking them and warning against them get shouted down.
That may be true, but if you think your definition of morality is correct and anybody who thinks otherwise needs to be punished, then no wonder you've ended up with an authoritarian who's beaten you at your own game.
It's also got nothing to do with Apple fanboyism. The same is true for all corporations in the US.
> Even if it’s not “who he is”
We are what we do.
[flagged]
I'm amazed that Klemen Slakonja's First Lady Melania Trump documentary made it out of Slovenia.
It's certainly a beautiful country.
It's pathetic on many levels but I cant shake the most obvious one to me, the nerds are being forced to worship the school bully and his girl
Forced means something else when you’re among the most rich and powerful people on earth - they chose to do this. It’s far more demeaning and should haunt them to their graves.
Bezos can afford anything on Earth, but he can't afford to alienate Trump. Tariffs could end Amazon overnight.
Same is true for Musk, whose fortune hinges on government largesse and regulatory collegiality.
But Apple? Screw those asshats, they have no such excuses.
They absolutely can afford to be a-political. It may not maximize their wealth, but they can afford a little less maximizing.
Donald Trump is an extreme narcissist and you are either with him or against him. There is no “a-political”.
End Amazon overnight and see what the response is from the people. What I don’t get about these guys is that they have their OWN power base - their customers. Just look at the leverage TikTok had because of their users
> What I don’t get about these guys is that they have their OWN power base - their customers
What do you not get about these guys? It's very simple. The likes of Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos are the exact same as Peter Thiel and Elon Musk. The last two are just louder about it. They have their own power base, but relying on it doesn't maximize their wealth. In a best case scenario, they could achieve maybe 50% of the wealth by relying on their own power base, compared to kowtowing to The Party. They don't want 50%, they want 100%, and there's absolutely nothing that they won't do for it.
> Tariffs could end Amazon overnight.
Is this really true? Tariffs can be applied only if products go inside/outside the US. They could still operate from othe locations.
I’m sure that’s what Bezos tells himself. Which is both wrong and absolutely ignominious.
And if Elon’s X feed contains his real thoughts, his brain has turned to pudding and he earnestly believes a bunch of really vile racist garbage, so I guess it makes sense he’s hanging out with the rest of the deplorables in this administration.
Each round of Chinese tariffs had an exception for smartphones.
That wasn't by chance. iPhones going up in price 50% would kill Apple very quickly.
> being forced to
Choosing to.
Wow. That’s a breakdown I will remember for a long time.
Oh is this the schlock they can get to play at the Trump Kennedy Center now?