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Comment by mjolk | Hacker News Reader

You're suggesting a left-wing form of McCarthyism. I don't care if my employees/reports protest as long as they do their job and don't attempt political intimidation, but I am not willing to put my company on a list to satisfy a virtue-signaling busybody.

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Are you kidding? Promoting the recognition of an employee's first amendment rights now falls under "virtue signaling" and "McCarthyism"?

Please re-read the parent comment:

> it should start with a list of companies that publicly state that their employees are allowed to protest, even if the company disagrees with them.

The part that is objectionable is the expectation that my company would need to register on a list stating that I respect the rights of my employees. Doing things within your legal rights is the _default_; I reject the act of playing into someone's political "are you with us?" game.

It's sure a heck not a virtue any company in the defense sector wants to be signaling.

Fellow commentors, please be aware that "virtue signalling" is a buzzword used by the alt-right to discredit activists or socially progressive people. This tactic is meant to dissuade the socially progressive from actively taking a role in enacting change.

If you're trying to accuse me of something, I'd prefer you have the decency to do it directly and unequivocally.

No, signaling in this context is a term referring to conspicuous behavior meant to substitute a difficult to prove characteristic (e.g. being a principled person acting morally) with an easy to perform ritual (e.g. sharing opinions with like-minded followers on Twitter).

Not everyone who dislikes this behavior is alt right, or rightwing at all. Stop focusing on the scape goat that's easy to dislike.

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