Twitter: The deranged American work place culture is on full display.

[fightforfreedom]

A rich fuck destroys the lives of thousands of employees in the name of greed and power.

[Lovie777]

1. It's the wet dream of GQPs...........

[Skittles]

4. it's the wet dream of Putin too

imagine that

[SheltieLover]

9. Funny how their goals & behavior are identical.

[markodochartaigh]

22. Authoritarian Strong Leaders

often conspire with each other against their own people. They have more in common with each other than they have with their own people. There were US companies and banks which worked with the nazis before and during WWII. Koch Industries, among others, is still operating in Russia even after the invasion of Ukraine.

[SheltieLover]

24. Yes. Pootin has been quite busy around the world...

Bayer comes to mind as one.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Because what happens at Twitter applies to all 160 million (give or take) workers in

the US civilian labor force.

Of course.

[BlackSkimmer]

3. No kidding. The humanity.

The handwringing over this is hilarious.

I quit counting threads about twitter, but at least they’ve knocked tfg off the front page.

[IronLionZion]

8. Maybe they fired the people who can put TFG back on Twitter

[Sympthsical]

13. I am having the best of times

The best. of. times.

It's honestly like watching the local liquor store close and everyone starts getting the shakes.

You almost feel bad, but then you kept telling them they had a problem. Now they're licking the glass and hoping the lights turn back on soon.

So much happening in the world, and this is what people are talking about all day and all through a major a election.

Nah. Not a problem.

[BlackSkimmer]

20. Lol, very well put!

I noticed the brouhaha over twitter knocked human rights in Iran off the front page, Ukraine seems to be forgotten, mass murders at college campuses barely mentioned, the loss of the House even appears to pale in light of the “twitter tragedy.”

I find it all very interesting.

But at least the tfg fan threads seem to be gone (temporarily I’m sure).

[SledDriver]

33. Yeah... because alcohol withdrawal is funny

[Sympthsical]

37. Addiction is always sad

But I'm happy that social media addiction is being revealed in all this.

Way too much denial - and way too much societal acceptance of that denial - has been allowed to go on.

And I say this as someone who used to drink way too much. This is an intervention sorely needed.

[Farmer-Rick]

21. No, but it is a prime example how dysfunctional capitalism is.

One person making all the decisions for over 7,000 employees and millions of customers.

We need more democracy in the workplace.

[Orrex]

26. Pretty sure that's 00 not what the OP is saying

But go on with your bad self.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

5. Anyone who sets fire to $44 BILLION, NEEDS to be taxed at 70%.

Imagine what good could have been done with that money. But then, Elon Musk is NOT that good of a person who would give $44 BILLION to charity.

[Joinfortmill]

6. Yeah, he sucks bigly.

[brooklynite]

23. Again: that $44 Billion IS NOT INCOME. Its wealth.

[WestMichRad]

41. So what?

Someone with that much wealth shouldn’t be taxed? Eff that!!

[brooklynite]

43. President Biden doesn't support a wealth tax.

[Kennah]

53. Dude could end up paying the bonesaw tax

[IronLionZion]

7. Conservatives love to rule by fear

they want workers to be desperate and subservient

[3Hotdogs]

10. Can they collect unemployment, based on hostile work environment?

[forthemiddle]

12. Why would they want to file unemployment?

They were offered 3 months severance pay if they didn't want to work for twitter anymore.
That is a much better deal than unemployment.

[3Hotdogs]

14. OK. Good point.

[Srkdqltr]

18. At the rate the company is imploding will there be anyone who can cut checks?

[Farmer-Rick]

31. In many states, you can file for unemployment if you get severance.

You just have to report the severance when you file.

Yes, you can get both in some states. I say get both if you are eligible.

You know corporations that fired workers during the pandemic still took PPP loans that were forgiven. Act like a corporation and look out for yourself.

[uponit7771]

35. +1,

[yellowdogintexas]

44. I went through 3 shut downs, and we got our severance, our unemployment

and 2 of them also gave us extra bonuses for working the runout (we processed the remaining claims)

One of them was 9 months.

[maxrandb]

11. It's the corporate screed "Who Moved My Cheese?" brought to fruition

Billionaires and millionaires have been treating folks like mice in a maze forever.

This is simply the modern day equivalent of the Gladiators

[Hortensis]

15. Twitter epitomizes the "deranged" AMERICAN workplace culture?

Interesting conclusion.

My take is that we're witnessing a unique event, with one brilliant but also defective billionaire putting his own limitations on full display to the world. Of course, people do buy and destroy businesses all the time, so not unique in that way, but those are on full display to much smaller audiences.

Btw, isn't "destroys the lives of thousands of employees" a just a bit of an overstatement? Into all lives some work changes and income adjustments must fall. Or should. What kind of workforce would this be if they couldn't even handle having to go get another job?

[stopdiggin]

17. a stretch. -(nt)-

[plimsoll]

29. I agree and disagree with you.

It's not the norm, so it can't epitomize how deranged the workplace can be. But that's because: 1) Usually the sociopath in the corner office doesn't have the entertainment media following him about 24x7 reporting how brilliant he must be for acting like a sociopath. 2) Said sociopath is usually high functioning enough to realize that certain dickish moves don't look like brilliant business plans. 3) There are often layers of other people who are not sociopaths between the stupid utterance and implementations.

I believe nuclear engineers would call what Eloon did "prompt stupid."

[Hortensis]

48. Hey, new term to me: "Prompt stupid." Is that something like

goofing up a prompt engineering setup?

I don't really think we disagree about Eloon's Twitter epitomizing the American workplace. Frankly, I took the OP as use of a Twitter subject to express the miasmic grievance theme that employees in America are dreadfully victimized and abused by greedy capitalist billionaires. Why on earth are labor revolts and worker riots so peculiarly rare with all this suffering? Maybe those thousands of ex- Twitter employees with ruined lives will finally get a good one going.

I like your discussion, though, and agree. Of course, there are more often than not normally deficient people in the corner offices, as well as most of the other desks.

Speaking of, though, diagnosable sociopaths may be less than 5%, but that's a whole lot of sociopaths, and then we get to the multiples of that number who are sociopathic ENOUGH to qualify for that corner office scenario. They're numerous enough to be everywhere, and are (as my own memories fly).

[plimsoll]

52. Yeah, didn't think we disagreed per se just both objected to the hyperbole.

So "prompt stupid" is from nuclear engineering. Nuclear power plants generate power at critical, that's heat, lots of neutrons and fission. Prompt critical is when things go boom. So there's normal stupid and what Musk seems to have done, prompt stupid.

[Hortensis]

58. Ah, okay. Like that. Prompt stupid!

[uponit7771]

32. He's not "brilliant but defective" he's an socially privileged asshole doing really stupid shit ...

That's it and he's tearing up peoples lives while being stupid, there's nothing brilliant about him.

[Farmer-Rick]

38. I don't think this is so unique

Take away the media aspect of it and CEOs and owners destroy corporations all the time. Sometimes by accident and mistakes, sometimes on purpose to raid the corporations savings and pensions.

So, not a unique event considering the bankruptcy of Sears, K-Mart, Lehman Brothers and Toys R Us. I'm sure everyone has their own list of destroyed once prosperous corporations.

It's just how capitalism rolls.

And I have to say, your question at the end is kind of amazing. When the 2008 crash hit, millions and millions of people could not find a job. And Congress refused to extend their unemployment except for a few that first lost their jobs at the beginning of it. And then there were all the jobs lost in the Pandemic that Trump managed. So, that's the kind of workforce we have.

[Hortensis]

56. Whoops, another post that neglected to differentiate the liberal

progressive, egalitarian ideology of the Democratic Party from the authoritarian far-right, wealthy-serving, racist, class-based policies of the Republican Party. "Congress," instead of Republicans or Democrats in Congress.

People who could watch the giant dramas of the midterms just now and imagine they were watching Tweedledum and Tweedledee battle over who gets to steal the most spoils need our help. Actually, they need a lot more help than we can give them; but this is DU, at least visits here should expose them to the truth and not reinforce any irrational anti-Democratic notions they've picked up elsewhere. Imo, we owe it to ourselves to help them understand that Democrats are strongly egalitarian both socially and economically and fight, rather than are to blame for, what Republican voters and officials do.

Also to understand what HALF those who vote are strongly antiegalitarian and strongly disagree with the Democratic half means for our ability to control this nation, including the "congress" you mentioned.

[stopdiggin]

16. except - that flushing sound is ALSO

45 billion of 'wealthy' money going down the drain here as well.

It's hard to ascribe any sort of machiavellian 'rich f*ck' rationale or motivation - when the perp is taking down his own fortune (to screams of laughter and late night mockery) first and foremost. (I'm sure 'investers are just tickled to death with this 'capitalist dream' as well) Lots of 'winning' for the oligarchs going on ....
------ ----- ---------- ------

[Hortensis]

19. +1.

If he literally shot his own foot off, someone would ascribe that to billionaire greed.

[IronLionZion]

25. And someone else would defend it as a genius way to find efficiencies with one foot

[Hortensis]

59. Lol, Eloon among them.

[plimsoll]

34. I'm waiting for the good part.

When the not "the wealthiest man in the world" investors in his other ventures say, this guy is a loose cannon and start pulling their money out.

Hey, TFG said we'd get tired of winning.

[malaise]

27. He probably learned well from his daddy's mines

in Zambia

[uponit7771]

28. K&R,

[fightforfreedom]

30. Just a reminder, the employees at twitter are like all employees. They are real live people.

They are not scraps of meat you toss away. They have bills, they have families, they have kids. Some of them may be battling cancer, maybe some of them have a kid who is battling cancer. We have no idea what is going on in their lives.

We the employees are treated like scraps of meat, that's the deranged American workplace culture. It doesn't have to be that way.

[LittleGirl]

36. Great points made on this thread.

I’m against everything musk represents. Greed, sloth, procreation efforts, sugar daddy barf behavior…it’s all disgusting when lives will be broken by his selfish behavior. How many people will fall through the cracks and die because of this? Anyone laughing hasn’t looked for a job lately. There is NO job security ANYWHERE ANYMORE. Was there ever?

My heart goes out to those Twitter employees. I can’t even imagine being in their shoes. I would be furious!

[fightforfreedom]

39. Our deranged work place culture is another good reason we need a medicare for all healthcare.

At least when we get tossed away like scrapes of fucking meat, we would still have healthcare.

[gulliver]

47. We need national healthcare on the Canadian or British model

But it needs to include dental and vision. I used to like hearing it called "Medicare for All," because it makes it seem like a no brainer. Medicare works; just extend it. But politically it sounds like a loser if you're on Medicare, imo, because "you already have yours." And the "all" in "Medicare for All" only sounds good in a liberal framing. It appeals to us liberals, but it sounds like handouts and socialism to others.

The appeal of national healthcare isn't just that it takes employers out of the equation. It also means all of our records are available everywhere. We don't have to fill in three forms every time we go to a doctor or dentist.

[MichMan]

54. Funded by a VAT like they do ?

[gulliver]

55. I think the funding mechanisms proposed for Medicare for All would be a good start

I just think the product needs to be made attractive for everyone. That means win-win.

I guess the UK pays for the NHS using the income tax. That seems simple to me. Make it very progressive imo. The usual number I hear bandied about for who might have to pay more taxes is "people earning more than $400,000". Maybe focus on that for a US version of NHS.

The general rule could be, "no one gets less insurance" and "people making under $400,000" won't see a change in costs. Everyone will get less complexity, more portability, coverage for pre-existing, etc.

[liberalmuse]

40. It's sickening.

Someone on Reddit pointed out that he could have saved billions of dollars by giving each of his employees a multimillion dollar severance and just shutting down Twitter. Instead thousands of employees were forced to leave during the holidays with a pittance while this jackanape with way too much money is playing with millions of lives. Nobody should have this much power or money, especially not this ass. And yes, he is putting America’s dehumanizing work culture on global display.

[haele]

49. There is also the fact that those employees and contractors to Twitter...

....have to spend their holidays looking for their next job. And that three months severance pay is for salaried workers, the management, senior engineers and code writers.
From working in the engineering/tech field for nearly 45 years, those employees are typically only 1/3 to 1/2 of the workforce of a large tech company. Twitter is not a storefront or a couple grad student buddies running a business out of the founder's garage turned into an office. There's a whole base international infrastructure that has been built up over the years to support it.
Does anyone think all the lower level hourly work force at Twitter is getting three months severance pay? That the service businesses with contracts with Twitter will be given thee months worth or cushion to furlough with pay their workers and cover the loss of revenue while they scramble to find a new contract?
Nope, hourly work force and contractors will just get cut off and sent to the unemployment line. The damage is done to those employees, to millions of share and stakeholders, just because rich, petulant man-child has a sad that other people don't think the fast-talking hustle schtick he made his billions with is really worth much respect.

Haele

[bucolic_frolic]

42. He is stress testing his company to see how few employees he really needs

[Ilsa]

45. I know of a company that was good to work for, buy from, until the

MBAs who care only for dividends took over after it went public.

They fired mid-level software engineers who knew how the products worked and left customers stranded. I'm surprised they are still in business

[gulliver]

46. Well, he employs over a hundred thousand with Tesla, SpaceX, and the Boring Company

He needs to get the right people at Twitter or it really will go downhill. I'm really curious to see what he does to create Twitter 2.0. If I had to bet, he'll take it way down as a private company, turn it into something wild, and take it public again. It could be something big, especially if TikTok gets banned.

[haele]

50. He will do what he always does- leverage existing companies and engineering

to make him look like a wunderkind.
I suspect he's going to replicate WeChat and is probably making deals with the Chinese government to re-skin their platform (with all it's backdoors, worms, and Trojans) and present it as an American Twitter 2.0.
Transparency is a vocabulary word in Musk's world, not a practice.

Which means the governments and big businesses will have to get off Twitter 2.0 if they want to maintain security on their systems.

Just my opinion.

Haele

[DBoon]

51. How many times has this happened before?

Ever since Reagan started the "greed is good" era and smashed organized labor, we've seen the same scenario play out many many times. Musk has just amplified this now normal feature of American capitalism to the point of caricature.

[ProfessorGAC]

57. I Can Certainly Give 1 Name

Icahn.
Demanded managers spend 70 hours a week in the office, directors 75 and VPs 80.
Within 3 years the immense talent drain effectively ruined everything.
And, that's without mentioning the criminality.
Yep, it's happened before.