The bigotry of tolerance

One of the more amusing tropes on the right is of course that Barack Obama is a Muslim. You see it all the time on various right wing websites  (which I spend way too much time on alas but that’s a diff blog post )

The left typically responds in two ways on their website either by loudly going on and on about “no way is he  Muslim he is as Christian as they they come “ or they will just link to a  piece of video\audio where a right winger calls Obama a Muslim and then let the viewer draw their conclusions about how awful the right is ( to be fair the right is pretty awful but my bias is showing )

I have always found both responses outstandingly offensive and pointless, the only correct response to “Obama is a Muslim” is of course “And So?”

and now we have something similar in the Garland Geller draw Muhammad shooting case

 

Leaving aside all the stuff about the first amendment and freedom and ISIS etc one common theme I am seeing from the so called tolerant left is the notion that “Pam Gellar has every right to do what she did but why would any decent person do this and why PROVOKE the Muslims”

As an example see this

 

This is someone who works for the NEW YORK TIMES . I honestly don’t even know where to begin when someone starts with “Free speech aside..” How would the NYT respond to the right saying stuff like

• “Rape aside ….”
• “Burglary aside redistribution feels good”
• “Global warming aside petrol is rather awesome”

This whole meme of provocation might sound like all tolerance and hugs but  is actually IMO incredibly bigoted , like very, very  insidious bigotry.

The real question “decent people” should ask is why is it assumed that Muslims will react violently to something some of them might find offensive , while it is assumed that Jews, Christians, Mormons, Hindus,  [insert your non-Muslim group here] will react to outrage by, well, acting civilized about it?

 From what I can tell just about every Muslim group here in the USA has condemned the shooting supported Ms. Gellar’s right to hold such an even and pointed out that  the cuntent ( not a typo) of f  Ms. Gellar's works and events speak for themselves

DO NOT go on and on about how it is wrong to provoke Muslims. You are not being tolerant but being deeply bigoted when you assume that Muslims have no way to react to provocation but with violence. Rejoice instead  in the ability of people to be civilized in the face of provocation .

Einstein , and the annual review

AT MSFT , like most other corporations , they have what they call a level for all employees . It is numerical thing that basically completely defines you and establishes your worth  ( yes sad I know ). Some levels however are quite special viz levels 62 64 and 67.
These are what I call the “Nope no lubricant for you today either” levels . You see 63 is a senior level 65 Principal and 68 be partner laddie.

Clearly these levels must be insanely desirable I can think of no other reason why the ( 62,64,67) folks put up with the insane BS that they have to , to get to the blessed levels .

However what is often lost in all this, is the incredible hardships the managers of the lube free levels have to put up with .
Imagine if you will,  you have a level 64 working for you . You know that   (s)he hates you for no other reason than that fact that nominally at least you are depriving him of getting to blissvana and you have to constantly keep coming with creative reasons why you are not promoting them.( you will find this story works just as well if you have a level 62/67 working for you )
Well be of good cheer manager people I will now tell you an inspirational story , that you may use as you see fit to deal with the employees who are constantly clamouring for recognition and promotions ( sometimes at the same time )

In 1905 Albert Einstein  worked as a technical assistant, level III in the patent office in Berne.
It is not very clear what exactly Einstein achieved at work during that year however in what can be only considered a remarkable achievement by Google’s 20% self improvement principle and Steve Jobs  ( what ! he is responsible for all awesomeness don’t you know ) he did manage to do some useful work outside of his immediate scope and visibility . Amongst other things Einstein authored in that one year( bolding mine )

1. Concerning an Heuristic Point of View Toward the Emission and Transformation of Light
       Explanation of the photoelectric effect with use of the quantum hypothesis of Planck. Light is a flow of corpuscular objects with definite energies - Planck's quanta of energy.
2. On the Movement of Small Particles Suspended in Stationary Liquids Required by the Molecular-Kinetic Theory of Heat.
   explained Brownian motion, the unpredictable movement of tiny particles, as a result of the molecular action hypothesized by atomic theory
3. On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies.
      Invention of the theory of special relativity. Beginnings of the relativistic era in physics.
4. Does the Inertia of a Body Depend upon its Energy Content?     Invention of the theory of special relativity, E = mc2. Beginnings of the relativistic era in physics

This story has a happy ending for you see in 1906 after some sort of review process, Albert Einstein was promoted to  technical assistant, level II in the  patent office . ( In later years of course he was a complete failure at the patent office never reaching level 1 and eventually quitting but why go into all that now )

So when your annoying report keeps pestering you about what they need to do , to get promoted, always remember what Einstein had to do ! ( and and remind them as well otherwise…. )