Okay. So it's falling on the usual partisan lines, where the right and further right commenters on here all fall into line and get all righteous about defending the rights of the poor billionaires (while I'm dishing out the hyperbole let's add in the poor landlords and multimillionaires in need of those tax cuts). Fair enough. So far so predictable.
Let's ignore the loss of worker's rights eh? Let's ignore the fact that many businesses would have gone under if it wasn't for the workers during covid and their adaptability to be able to work from home, work on the front line eh, that's not important because that doesn't matter right?
I work from home four days a week in a city that is impossible to get anywhere, otherwise known as Auckland. You call it a privilege but I make sure I work my 8 hours, and I often work more. Many of my colleagues are the same, and this is common in many of the other industries that I have worked in. Our offices (i.t., banking, finance, insurance, television, telecomms) are pared back to only allow usually around 2/3rds of staff to attend at any one time, and it's all hot desking. They WANT and indeed NEED people to work from home.
And the employers don't pay for water, rates, electricity, toilet paper or anything else that you might need. Nope, they get all that for free.
In case you hadn't noticed, billionaires around the world are actively working to dismantle democracies and wind back human rights. OUR rights. All of us - on here, of all political stripes - our rights. Billionaires including assholes like this guy. We're regressing towards serfdom if we allow this to happen. Human rights are hard fought, and hard won for, and easily taken away, and we are witnessing this at a great rate of knots in the race to a low wage economy with higher unemployment, the contraction of decent journalism that holds people to account, all neolib tactics to enrich the already wealthy.
So come on you predictable commenters, let's not pretend this guy is even remotely altruistic.
There's other aspects and context that isn't being addressed - like control, and power. Like the fact this guy is effectively saying "I own you, you are my personal slaves and you will do what I tell you". The fact that he is openly stating he wants to restrict an individual's freedom of movement. That's called authoritarianism. That's fascist in nature. That's a violation of basic human rights.
Yes, yes, the eye rolling is loud, I hear the howls of "BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORK THERE!!!! HE'S SO BENEVOLENT!! THE WORKERS ARE JUST GREEDY AND SELFISH!!!". But look at his own words
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This is who he is. This is who the billionaires are. Not all I'm sure, but there's quite a few who are actively wanting to fuck over everyone else and the planet RIGHT NOW. Of the rich, by the rich, for the rich. Like this government (I had to get that in, I'm equally predictable)
And let's look at what else he's looking to set up - he employs the psychologists - he will own the content of those sessions. He will know exactly which employees are sick, are mentally struggling, he will have access to all medical records, all personal information. He will know everything about that employee, about all employees.
Because He Owns You. That's where this is heading. You will say, "Oh that's bullshit", go back and read his words. His intent. It's pushing boundaries, and that's deliberate on his part.
And like most on the right there are the fictional claims with no facts that start this - the dead cat strategy -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_cat_strategy#:~:text=3 See also-,Origin,facts are overwhelmingly against you". He offers no proof that people are working from home 3 days a week and claiming 5 days pay.
Because it's not about that. It's about the fact that there's a climate now where he's dipping his toes in the water and he's testing out if he can get away with the beginning of what he REALLY wants to happen - complete control and ownership. It's taking us back to the dark ages. No surprises either that this has come from a mining magnate who rampantly destroys the environment (yes that's a partial dog whistle.)
I find it odd that some on here are okay with this, but there's been a pattern of defending ideologically along a battleline without addressing the content, so I shouldn't really be surprised. I'm not okay with it at all, just in case you're wondering.
Have a great day everyone, enjoy the weekend, up the wahs, and here's hoping
Webby has an amazing offseason with some excellent new tactics.
