Hi, Pablo here
- + +Hi, Pablo here
+ ++
Is your drug dealer a homophobic socialist?
++ Lately, I've noticed a branch of + cancel + culture + I've come to find quite disturbing. I think it has mainly extended in + the US, though I think it's starting to happen in Europe too. It's + this tendency for people at companies to politically and morally judge + business counterparties and come to the conclusion that business + shouldn't be done with them because of it. +
+ ++ I experienced this first hand during some afterwork beers, and for + some reason the scene got burned into my retina. A colleague of mine, + beer in hand, said something like, “We're working with this customer, + and they're unbearable because they complain a lot and challenge us + all the time when we run the monthly reconciliation. Plus, they're + from Israel.” I was mindblown at how casually that was dropped, with + not even a footnote-like explanation deemed necessary. I played my 5 + year old child attitude card and asked, "What's the problem with them + being in Israel?" She said, "Well, you know, they're in Israel and the + whole thing is happening. It's terrible. We shouldn't deal with them." +
+ ++ I couldn't hold it in: I asked her if her hairdresser was from Israel. + She looked at me completely puzzled: “I don't know. Why does that + matter?” I told her, “I don't know. Apparently, you're upset about + dealing people from Israel, so I'm assuming you need to check if + everyone you do business with is from there to not do it if that's the + case.” Silent stood and the air got thick. Someone jumped in with a + nervous joke to break up the tension that my child like questions had + somehow brought to the room, and the conversation moved on. +
+ ++ Ever since that day, I've come across this kind of + social-justice-business-censor thinking pop up a lot. Since that fun + first encounter, whenever someone points out at how business should + not be done with <whatever ideology/country/demographic they don't + like>, I started jokingly triggering them by asking, “Actually, are + you making sure your drug dealer a homophobic socialist?” They + generally laugh, not grasping how their stances on politically + deciding to do or not do business with someone sound as ridicolous to + me. +
+ +
+
+ + Here's what disturbs me: trade is a very civilized act. When we + trade—whether it's goods, services, or anything else—we're putting + aside our differences and doing something mutually beneficial. We both + walk away better off. We hurt no one. We make things a tiny bit better + overall. Deciding not to trade with someone because of some political + detail which is completely irrelevant to the trade itself is + backwards. Even if I didn't like communists, I wouldn't care if a + communist is selling me bananas. It just doesn't matter. +
+ ++ Seeing people blow up trade over politics makes me sad. I think it's + ignorant and hateful. And I don't think they realize where that kind + of thinking can lead. +
+ ++ In the end, I just hope people can leave politics out of business. + Let's do business and all be better off thanks to it. +
-
Is your drug dealer a homophobic socialist?
-- Lately, I've noticed a branch of - cancel culture - I've come to find quite disturbing. I think it has mainly extended in - the US, though I think it's starting to happen in Europe too. It's - this tendency for people at companies to politically and morally judge - business counterparties and come to the conclusion that business - shouldn't be done with them because of it. -
+ +- I experienced this first hand during some afterwork beers, and for - some reason the scene got burned into my retina. A colleague of mine, - beer in hand, said something like, “We're working with this customer, - and they're unbearable because they complain a lot and challenge us - all the time when we run the monthly reconciliation. Plus, they're - from Israel.” I was mindblown at how casually that was dropped, with - not even a footnote-like explanation deemed necessary. I played my 5 - year old child attitude card and asked, "What's the problem with them - being in Israel?" She said, "Well, you know, they're in Israel and the - whole thing is happening. It's terrible. We shouldn't deal with them." -
- -- I couldn't hold it in: I asked her if her hairdresser was from Israel. - She look at me completely puzzled: “I don't know. Why does that - matter?” I told her, “I don't know. Apparently, you're upset about - dealing people from Israel, so I'm assuming you need to check if - everyone you do business with is from there to not do it if that's the - case.” Silent stood and the air got thick. Someone jumped in with a - nervous joke to break up the tension that my child like questions had - somehow brought to the room, and the conversation moved on. -
- -- Ever since that day, I've come across this kind of - social-justice-business-censor thinking pop up a lot. Since that fun - first encounter, whenever someone points out at how business should - not be done with <whatever ideology/country/demographic they don't - like>, I started jokingly triggering them by asking, “Actually, are - you making sure your drug dealer a homophobic socialist?” They - generally laugh, not grasping how their stances on politically - deciding to do or not do business with someone sound as ridicolous to - me. -
- -
-
- - Here's what disturbs me: trade is a very civilized act. When we - trade—whether it's goods, services, or anything else—we're putting - aside our differences and doing something mutually beneficial. We both - walk away better off. We hurt no one. We make things a tiny bit better - overall. Deciding not to trade with someone because of some political - detail which is completely irrelevant to the trade itself is - backwards. Even if I didn't like communists, I wouldn't care if a - communist is selling me bananas. It just doesn't matter. -
- -- Seeing people blow up trade over politics makes me sad. I think it's - ignorant and hateful. And I don't think they realize where that kind - of thinking can lead. -
- -- In the end, I just hope people can leave politics out of business. - Let's do business and all be better off thanks to it. -
-- - -