Have fun, WWDC peeps.
I would have love to join you, but I have a self-imposed boycott on the US whilst the current administration is in power. Which is ridiculous I know, but what can ya do?
@samdeane Really? You realize that the majority of the US didn’t even vote for the current administration. It was all due to the flaw in our political system called the Electoral College. That seems a bit extreme, especially considering Apple has nothing to do with the US administration.
@EddieHinkle @samdeane we’ve read too much, too much about children being separated from their parents, about airport searches that amount to sexual assault, about invasive searches of technology, about people being mistreated for the sin of being from Malaysia, or visiting it.
When your country rejoins the civilised world, please let the rest of us know?
@dgold How rude and ignorant! Do you think we Americans are happy or excited about any of that? Is this how you would react to someone living under a dictatorship? There is literally nothing Americans can do until November 2020. Most of us didn’t choose this (according to majority of votes), and based on the legal system of our country there is nothing that we as citizens can do until the next election.
@EddieHinkle how is it rude or ignorant? I understand it isn’t pleasant, but what possible reason is there for someone who doesn’t live in (as you put it) a military dictatorship to travel into one? Fwiw, I do extensive work with marginalised people in many places. The type of work that would almost certainly get me detained in your country.
@dgold I am not saying anyone has to travel into the USA. I read @samdeane’s initial post as he wasn’t going to even watch a live stream from Apple because it was coming from USA. I have no expectations that people travel here. I’m just saying don’t igbore things in the USA because it originated here. If I misread the original post, I apologize.
@EddieHinkle @dgold There is plenty of non-violent direct action that we can do (and some are doing it). Constant protests and human chains outside of immigrant detention centers (especially the ones that house children). Join BLM marches. Get out and support Democrats in the elections this fall. Occupany hallways of Congress and get arrested in protest of inaction on DACA. Work on flipping state legislatures and governorships. Visit courthouses and verbally point out ICE agents. Film abuses and get them to go viral on social media. Support sanctuary cities, churches, mosques, synagogues, etc. Join countermarches to the alt-right and mock them. Support Progressive DAs, like Larry Krasner in Philly.
Don't let apathy stop us until 2020. Millions are suffering and being persecuted in the meantime.
@jemostrom that’s fine, like I said. I don’t have any issues with people choosing where they want to travel. I’m just saying, ignoring an event because it’s in the USA isn’t gonna change anything, and that US citizens aren’t any happier about the situation than those living outside the US
@EddieHinkle I would never support such an idea! I watched the keynote (granted, I not-actual-hate-watched it with some fellow snarks, here and elsewhere) and I interact with my American friends all the time. I just cannot, will not take the risk of travelling to the USA, and I wish more Americans understood why people feel that way. I wrote at length my initial reaction after the election: The Cold Pre-Dawn
@dgold Yeah, I am completely fine with people not traveling into the US. I understand that there have been some crazy immigration and travel issues. I have friends that have temporarily lost jobs and thankfully got them back because of green card issues under the current administration. I just felt like the sentiment in the initial post because the event was US based was hurtful. I assumed you agreed based on your initial response
@EddieHinkle I’ve avoided going to conferences in the US and I know that it makes no difference. I’m also aware about the feelings of many US citizens (in fact all I’ve met and/or communicated with). There are also other countries I avoid traveling to ... see it my personal protest against the governments for these countries (has very little to do with the citizens). A protest that makes no difference and nobody cares about.
@EddieHinkle well, I’m glad we were able to have this conversation. And I’m glad it was a conversation. We all have to keep talking, keep sharing views and hopes and, yes, fears, we must keep talking because that’s how we educate each other.
There’s a quote from Robespierre which keeps coming back to me (despite him being a pretty terrible person, I think he got this one right)
The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant
@dgold Definitely. 👍 Thanks for sharing your views, I understand what you are saying a lot more than at the beginning. It’s interesting because you compared the US to Germany in your article and my wife and I have had similar conversations. So glad to see we are more on the same page than not. And hopefully over the next years, the US can slowly begin to transition back to a country that I’m more proud of
@EddieHinkle I did indeed just mean that I’m avoiding travelling there. I understand how the electoral college works, and of course have no issue with the people who didn’t vote for him (I’m appalled at how many did though!).
cc/ @dgold
@samdeane Ohh okay. Sorry for the mis-understanding. And yes, aren't we all 🙈 (appalled at how many people voted for him). My wife and I thought it would turn out to be a sick joke...until the election ended and it turned out the joke was on us.