
Silicon Valley Struggles to Add Conservatives to Its Ranks - rayuela
https://www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-valley-struggles-to-add-conservatives-to-its-ranks-1512136801
======
kyleblarson
Tim Ferris summed it up well: Silicon Valley also has an insidious infection
that is spreading -- a peculiar form of McCarthyism
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism))
masquerading as liberal open-mindedness. I'm as socially liberal as you get,
and I find it nauseating how many topics or dissenting opinions are simply
out-of-bounds in Silicon Valley. These days, people with real jobs (unlike me)
are risking their careers to even challenge collective delusions in SF. Isn't
this supposed to be where people change the world by challenging the consensus
reality? By seeing the hidden realities behind the facades? That's the whole
reason I traveled west and started over in the Bay Area. Now, more and more, I
feel like it's a Russian nesting doll of facades -- Washington DC with fewer
neck ties, where people openly lie to one another out of fear of losing their
jobs or being publicly crucified. It's weird, unsettling, and, frankly, really
dangerous. There's way too much power here for politeness to be sustainable.
If no one feels they can say "Hey, I know it makes everyone uncomfortable, but
I think there's a leak in the fuel rods in this nuclear submarine..." we're
headed for big trouble

~~~
ganoushoreilly
I moved to the bay from D.C. and while the exterior packaging was different,
the commonality of positioning amongst the two cities was actually quite
similar. In fact, I found more tolerance to alternative viewpoints in D.C.
than I ever did in SV. This notion that SV is an easy going place of
acceptance is a bit of a facade. You're accepted, if you accept their
viewpoints on topics. If you don't, you either keep your mouth shut, or leave.

~~~
formerdcthrwy
Damn, SV must be hell then. I fled DC this spring because the political group-
think was so oppressive. If you didn't walk around and make a point of being
depressed about Trump winning, you were an asshole. The suggestion that Trump
is anything but an orange-haired Hitler would make you enemies, even if paired
with solid criticism of Trump and his bunch. A lack of fanatical opposition to
Trump made me enemies at work, not exaggerating. All Hands Slack chats were
filled with anti-Trump news, jokes, and thoughts on a daily basis. It would be
no understatement to say that this dominated the office culture. Our CEO (at a
tech startup, not a Democrat-aligned non-profit) sent out a pouting email the
morning after the election. Every morning I was bombarded with strident
political opinions from my deskmates, and you can bet that had I complained to
HR, I'd be seen as the problem. I am so, so happy to be out of that place. I
am in another city now that is renowned for its liberal politics, and there's
none of the stuff I just mentioned. DC is a whole 'nother beast these days.

------
elandybarr
I have a network of conservative tech friends in Seattle and coordinate with
various pro-Trump tech individuals around the country.

I think from the comments on here (many done under unattributable usernames)
it is clear to see why most stay far under the radar. There is a very real
fear of negative career consequences in the tech industry for having views
that are mainstream in broad swathes of the country that so enables the tech
industry's success.

While some blowback may be manageable for someone with demonstrable skills and
few longterm commitments, it has a chilling effect for those with families and
mortgages.

And for those who think that none of their peers voted for the US president, I
can tell you that you are likely mistaken. For those that think that
conservatives can't innovate or fit into the tech industry, I counter that
there are very successful people all over the industry, but given that there
is little upside and high risk to mentioning it publicly, it is understandable
that one would have a different perception.

------
carlosdp
Oh please, there's a difference between "conservative" and "batshit crazy". If
you get up and say you don't think medicine can/should be socialized in
America, I don't think you're going to get ostracized at most companies,
that's a serious debate and there are many sides. If you say gays shouldn't
marry or that CNN is fake news media, yea you're going to get ostracized.

Not because you're conservative, but because you're an idiot and are making
your coworkers super uncomfortable. The same would happen if you went around
saying "people who wear red jackets are inferior" when one of your team
members wears their favorite red jacket to work everyday.

~~~
RickJWag
The same argument could be made about liberals and BSC.

For instance, all the sex-and-ethnicity choosing going on. Totally without
scientific merit, yet the left behaves as if it's science.

The pendulum swings both ways. Trump's election is a direct result of left-
side hysteria and over-reach.

~~~
hsod
> ethnicity choosing going on. Totally without scientific merit, yet the left
> behaves as if it's science.

Are you suggesting that "transracialism" is treated as science or supported by
anything approaching the mainstream left?

~~~
RickJWag
Yes. I haven't seen _anyone_ on the left disputing or disparaging it.

~~~
SauciestGNU
And that could be an attitudinal thing. Why should I care about how someone
else personally identifies? Why should I be disparaging about something that
will have minimal or no effect on me?

I think this is part of why some conservatives find themselves unwelcome.
Being outwardly disparaging toward people does not make you friends.

~~~
RickJWag
I'm offering an alternative view of "bat shit crazy".

It may be harmless (as you correctly point out), but it is not tethered to
reality.

------
incogitomode
From the article:

"In interviews, many tech employees and executives said they believed
conservative views on issues like tax policy and regulation are welcome in
Silicon Valley. But conservative views on social issues like gay marriage,
civil rights and immigration meet more resistance ..."

While many of those issues seem like fair game in a (presumed) secular
business environment, I don't see how an expressed conservative viewpoint that
actively opposes civil or equal rights can be tolerated in a workplace. It is
a necessary basis for any sort of collegiality and cooperation.

At the same time, I can imagine people freely saying disparaging things about
conservatives (it's hard for me to resist sometimes) that would make for a
hostile environment. I'd hope large SV companies could occasionally remind
employees of that fact.

~~~
lolwutf
The problem, like most in life, is not in the expression of the conservative
viewpoints but in the definition and application of 'actively opposing civil
or equal rights'.

Some people feel The Wall 'actively opposes civil or equal rights'. Or
transgenders in the military. Or etc, etc etc...

Many conservatives feel that conservative viewpoints on hot topic issues are
rational decisions. They're often not out to 'actively oppose civil or equal
rights'.

------
dmitrygr
"unwelcome" would be a significant improvement. Try "ostracized and worried
about getting fired for not visibly toeing the party line"

~~~
caiob
Sorry, but I beg to differ. I can say with confidence that I would get fired
if I openly exposed my political views at my job, whereas my Liberal
counterparts freely discourse their ideas and opinions on a daily-basis
without any consequence. The Tech industry is wildly leftist, with zero
tolerance for the conservative ideology.

~~~
s17n
If you are talking about your views on tax policy, healthcare, etc, all I can
say is that I've never worked anywhere that somebody would be fired or
ostracized or anything for their position.

If you are talking about race or gender than yeah, the "conservative" position
is terrible and you would rightly face consequences for your awful beliefs.

If you're talking about telling your coworkers that you voted for Trump, well,
I don't think that's something that ought to be taboo but he did explicitly
embrace the terrible beliefs I mentioned so I think that explicitly renouncing
them wouldn't be a bad idea.

~~~
RestlessMind
If conservatives talk about illegal immigration, they would get ostracized and
harassed at tech companies even if their position is not "terrible". Its
mainly because liberals/democrats/leftists are very vocal about that issue and
drown out sensible discussions which do not toe their ideology.

~~~
s17n
Yeah, there's definitely a spectrum there.

"We should change the immigration process to favor skilled workers" \- you're
fine.

"We should deport anybody who immigrated illegally" \- you're in the danger
zone.

"We need a ban on immigration from Muslim countries" \- you are horrible and
you deserve whatever consequences you suffer.

"Build the wall" \- you're an idiot.

------
erics32
This reminds me of when the James Damore news first broke out and multiple
Google hiring managers were openly bragging on G+ about maintaining blacklists
of everyone who didn't denounce the diversity memo.

------
dublinben
Is "ideological diversity" really a kind of diversity that companies should
care about? Party membership isn't a protected class, and Republicans are
hardly a persecuted minority during a time when they control all 3 branches of
government. Should we be making efforts to be more inclusive of other
underrepresented ideologies like creationism, flat-earthism, or geocentrism?

~~~
creaghpatr
>Party membership isn't a protected class

In California it is:

[https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/california-
employmen...](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/california-employment-
discrimination-31690.html)

------
aphextron
This is entirely the fault of conservatives. There is no such thing as
legitimate conservative thought in the US any longer. The entire movement has
been hijacked by fundamentalist Christians and racist rich people. Aligning
yourself with such an ideology rightfully has a serious social cost now.

As a brown person, do you know what my first thoughts of someone who describes
themselves as "conservative" are? I'll give you a hint: it has nothing to do
with fiscal policy. You can't blame people for not wanting to be made
uncomfortable in that way.

~~~
jitl
I think there’s a wide difference between “classical” conservatism of the
likes of George H. W.; and the tea party/trump/nazi ideology soup. I think the
first kind is fine and welcome to an extent. It’s racism that’s not.

~~~
aphextron
>I think there’s a wide difference between “classical” conservatism of the
likes of George H. W.; and the tea party/trump/nazi ideology soup. I think the
first kind is fine and welcome to an extent.

Precisely. We need conservatism. We need that part of our conscience which
says "well, hold on a minute", or "hey we can't afford that" in order to
function properly as a democracy. It's loss is a tragedy, and the corruption
of those ideals over the past 30 years into what it has become is breaking our
country.

~~~
irhd
> We need conservatism

I disagree at this point honestly.

course all I've ever seen of american conservatism is the current republican
party.

~~~
pwinnski
This seems like an instance of SV's bias toward the young biting SV in the
collective butt.

People who remember the 70s and 80s remember a different political
environment.

~~~
RickJWag
Yes, true.

When things seem overwhelming, I like to remind myself that in the 60s things
seemed worse. (To me, the 80s and 90s were very good.)

------
neuralFatigue
I don't disagree with there being a liberal bias in SV companies, I think
that's pretty damn obvious.

I'm curious though why such observations are made for SV only, why don't
publicly social conservative organizations e.g Hobby Lobby, Chic-fil-a etc get
asked similar questions? It would be safe to assume that things like same sex
marriage, contraception would be considered out of bounds there.

Is it just because of the size/reach of the tech industry ?

~~~
arprocter
I guess the argument would be that you can buy craft supplies/chicken
sandwiches from alternate sellers

~~~
neuralFatigue
Well no one is forced used SV services, people are free not to use them. Also
my point was not from a consumer standpoint but more from an employee/media
standpoint.

------
k__
Isn't this a good thing?

I mean if there aren't any conservatives now, it means it got big without
them. Why should it add such people? This would only lead to its demise.

~~~
Bladyblah
While you (and others) may believe conservatives are fundamentally 'bad'
people and Silicon Valley (and the world) would simply be a better place
without them, this is short-sighted (amongst other things). Conservatives and
liberals obviously see the world differently. One ways that manifests itself
is that conservatives are typically more detail oriented and liberals are
typically more creative. As Dr. Jordan B Peterson phrases it: "Each of those
different temperamental types needs the other type so economically speaking,
for example, we need liberals to start businesses, and we need conservatives
to run them." [https://vid.me/3Dik](https://vid.me/3Dik)

Seems like Silicon Valley would very much suffer in the long term from a lack
of multiple viewpoints. Is this not what the call for diversity aims to
achieve?

We should be careful not to dehumanize our political opponents. That way lies
violence.

~~~
k__
Yes, I see it that way.

The world was run long enough by conservative people.

------
matt4077
Not being in the US, I have a variety of friends including communists,
feminists, social democrats, libertarians, free-market opportunists, and
conservative catholics.

But under no circumstances would I legitimise what currently passes as a
"conservative" in the US by associating with them.

Just take the current Trump vs all of Britain disagreement as an example: I
think Brexit is among the worst ideas, ever. Yet I would never turn down the
opportunity for a tea with Theresa May, because we share a fundamental
understanding that it's probably a bad idea to endorse xenophobic hate groups
by retweeting their fake propaganda.

~~~
RickJWag
I'd like to point out that Trump was a Democrat for nearly his entire life,
just up until the point when he hijacked the Republican party (against great
efforts from the Bush family, Mitt Romney, etc.)

Confusing Donald Trump with a conservative is a mistake.

As for Evangelical conservatives, I'd suggest you have a few conversations
with some and then form an opinion. So long as you are respectful and make
reasonable assertions, I am sure you'll come away with a different point of
view.

------
Apreche
Good

------
anthmcc
I'm working on a memo about how conservatives are just less interested in
tech. /s

Is this a tech problem or a Californian city problem?

~~~
zwerdlds
Plenty of conservatives in the central valley. Maybe it's a Bay Area
phenomenon.

~~~
vorotato
I haven't observed it so it's probably a Bay Area/California thing. I'm in the
south east and while it's slightly more liberal than the norm for the area
most the people are still very capitalist, moderate right wing, and usually
traditional social norms.

So yeah if you live in a super liberal place people are going to have a
liberal bias. I was born and raised in the south, it has a conservative bias,
and I don't pretend that it's magically going to go away. I think if you're
aware that your political positions are a far deviation from the norm for your
area it's probably wise to not be loud about it. Especially if your position
is somewhere along the lines of "My coworker shouldn't be here for reasons
that are a protected class". They'll fire you just to CYA, independent of
whether they agree with you or not.

------
kapauldo
I don't see why this is a struggle

