Deciding How to Respond [Original Post, ~March 2024]
For those considering how to personally respond to the events in Gaza, I would like to point out that these events are necessarily time-limited, and there will at some point be a resolution. Regardless of how things appear at the current moment, in the future people will have a more objective view not influenced by fear. This is important if you are trying to predict the future.
For those who are living their lives as if nothing is happening, are dismissing concerns, and posting normal work posts on LinkedIn, I honestly believe you are making a mistake. After these events pass, those who were viewed as meaningfully trying to help the people in Gaza will be viewed positively and more trustworthy than those who did not. Even if you lose your job as a consequence, in the future it will be viewed as a selfless act and as a result people are likely to want to hire you again, because they perceive you as trustworthy.
This is how I perceive the situation at least, and is the basis of my decision-making. You may disagree with my prediction but I think it is a safe bet.
Shane, you honestly have no clue what is going on there. In this ignorance, you and other people may actually find themselves on the wrong side of the history. Not because you want to help people in Gaza, but because you do this in a very wrong way.
[LinkedIn Connection #4], I am honestly grateful to see a reply from somebody I know. I would actually be very interested in debating the issue with you or anyone else if they have a differing view from mine, and have some good points.
And I am sincere in that I am grateful for your reply. It is difficult to express a political opinion on LinkedIn. I have not spoken to you in a while and I wish we were in a situation where we could also be doing normal non-political socializing.
I do think that LinkedIn is not the place for political debates. I just had to respond since I miss our work related debates ;) Next time you are in Bay Area we should have a debate over a beer 🍻
[LinkedIn Connection #4] Yeah I understand. I am totally up for a beer sometime with you or the others at Intel that I worked with.
I would visit the Bay Area if not for the fact that I am not making any income and therefore cannot afford the tickets. Just want to put that hint out there for anyone who might be reading this message.