Let this be warning to you all;
[…] while the NOM donor disclosure scandal isn’t directly related to Eich’s ouster, it’s easier than ever to understand why it was a very big deal that corrupt agents of the Internal Revenue Service handed confidential donor information over to a left-wing activist group. In a better nation with a more universal commitment to free speech and democracy, maybe it wouldn’t matter as much, but Brendan Eich is the face of the ugly reality of American totalitarianism. Intimidation is the order of the day – a major reason for the persecution of Eich was to send a signal to the rest of the population that opposition to the fascists will be punished.
The intimidation factor will be huge with corporations, who don’t want to suffer through boycotts or corporate character assassinations; the path of least resistance will involve quietly checking the politics of high-profile hires, to make sure they haven’t voted or spoken in a way that might touch off the mob. Those who seek such high-profile positions will understand that their political credentials must be kept in good order; the exercise of free speech, or providing financial support to certain issues, will be judged far more trouble than it’s worth.
That’s how fascism works, and while you might be chilled to the bone by reading the previous paragraph, rest assured that Eich’s tormentors are delighted – it describes precisely the environment they wished to create. It will not have occurred to them that some employers will note the way gay-rights activists working for Mozilla played prominent roles in sabotaging their CEO, and conclude that gay employees are more trouble than they’re worth.
Related – a Firefox feedback forum goes horribly wrong. You can have a go at them here.
