I've recently used the Graal VM <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GraalVM> for its inclusion of FastR <https://github.com/oracle/fastr>. As always, this provoked a lot of churning amongst my Homunculi. I keep my Stay-Liberated Homunculi at bay by pointing out the GPL of the community edition. But they launched a mild riot this morning when I read this:
Oracle employees plan to walk off the job after boss holds pro-Trump fundraiser https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/2/13/21136577/larry-ellison-fundraiser-donald-trump-oracle-employees Ordinarily (pre-Citizens United <https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/citizens-united-v-federal-election-commission/>), I give corporate charters the benefit of the doubt that their officers and owners are somewhat separated from the company. But with the continuing trend toward the Unitary Executive <https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/01/william-barr-donald-trump-mueller-report-1295273> and Celebrity-King <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/opinion/beyonce-coachella-blackness.html> (or Queen, but gender is fluid), it seems naive of me to *continue* giving them that benefit of the doubt. Just as Trump has rerouted all pardoning/commutation from "the deep state" to his personal Celebrity-Self, corporate smoky-back-room players like Ellison (or Thiel, or Musk, or whichever celebrity executive/advisor/loan-shark/Great-Man you may want to cite) are flexing their unitary executive muscles in a variety of ways. I doubt that this is anything new. But with our [dis]information-freeflow culture, along with the surge of conspiracy theories, we also have a bit more visibility on their exercising of their powers ... there are more windows into the smoky back rooms. If your officers/owners do something, then your employees are also *doing* that thing. The question is whether the employees are unaware of their complicity. So, some of my Homunculi are arguing: See! The contributers to Graal are *not* useful idiots! It doesn't matter whether they like Trump or not. What matters is they *know* Oracle supports Trump. -- glen ep ropella 971-599-3737 ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com archives back to 2003: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
