Readit News logoReadit News
jvm_fan commented on Whistleblowers are the conscience of society, yet suffer gravely   covertactionmagazine.com/... · Posted by u/onewheeltom
jiggywiggy · 3 years ago
What makes it worse is, whistleblowers are trouble makers often. They are difficult people, at best like Snowden, they lay low. It makes it easier to dismiss them. Why? Because people who are good and social with the group do not have a contrarian character. To whistleblow against a very powerful organisation, like the NSA, you have to be a pain in the ass. I don't mean that in a bad way. Normal sociable people just don't do that.

So when a whistleblower breaks out, and they get chastised there almost is never support from within the organization for them.

jvm_fan · 3 years ago
> Why? Because people who are good and social with the group do not have a contrarian character.

Where does this line of thinking come from? It isn't true because e.g. MLK, Malcolm X

It sounds like you're trying to psychologize whistleblowing or activism

Where did you learn this from? Did you grow up in an authoritarian regime or something?

Deleted Comment

Dead Comment

jvm_fan commented on Whistleblowers are the conscience of society, yet suffer gravely   covertactionmagazine.com/... · Posted by u/onewheeltom
paulmd · 3 years ago
Whistleblowers act against power structures and that's the ultimate transgression as far as the power structure is concerned.

Transgressions in favor of the state are one thing, you'll get a slap on the wrist at most, even personal benefit and promotion in some cases, but transgressions against the state are what will provoke a real response. See, for example, the incredible vigor pursued against the people who released the collateral murder videos, and not the people in the video who violated the geneva conventions by murdering surrendering combatants. One transgressed in favor of the state, and one against. That's all that matters.

And of course the power structure has investigated itself and found no wrong-doing, something something "you can't surrender to a helicopter therefore we were fine to shoot them", or whatever. You can't get a hmmwv out to a site during a decade-long occupation to take them in, better shoot them I guess.

It is the same thing in corporations too: you can be incompetent or your project can fail, and that's fine as long as you don't rock the boat. It's actually probably worse to rock the boat and try to save a failing project, not only do you take it on yourself if it fails (which it likely will anyway, because they won't listen/the project is too far gone) but even if it succeeds you've stuck your head up and shown yourself to not be a yes-man. We want team players here, not someone who's going to kick up a fuss and argue with the boss or jump them on the ladder. Doesn’t matter if what you said was true or not, you don’t transgress the power structures.

jvm_fan · 3 years ago
> It's actually probably worse to rock the boat and try to save a failing project, not only do you take it on yourself if it fails (which it likely will anyway, because they won't listen/the project is too far gone) but even if it succeeds you've stuck your head up and shown yourself to not be a yes-man.

This is really bad career advice. There are certain situations where it makes sense to rock the boat, situations where it doesn't matter, and situations where it'll fuck you over

This rule that you've come up with seems really overgeneralized. If I disagree with someone or someone disagrees with me, we reach consensus. If someone disagrees with me instead of just nodding at everything, it makes it easier to form a mental picture of what that person actually knows. Someone who just agrees with everything has something to hide

This type of attitude is self perpetuating and creates an unproductive and political work culture

u/jvm_fan

KarmaCake day-1April 30, 2023View Original