As colorful as its logo, the 'dont' be evil' Google is starting to confuse a lot of people. While it has been aiming to go green and have its data centers powered fully by renewable energy, it has also aligned itself with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) when many businesses have started distancing themselves from the alliance. ALEC is a group known for its reactionary efforts seen by many as regressive to the society.
The powerful right wing group ALEC opposes renewable energy and wants to privatize educational institutions in favor of for-profit companies. It clearly does not point to the north where Google wants to go in the future and this is further put on spotlight by more than 230,000 Americans that have petitioned Google to cut its ties with ALEC. A "Don't Fund Evil" campaign, launched by Forecast the Facts have collected signatures to appeal to Google. Other groups such as Sierra Club, SumOfUS, Center for Media and Democracy, and RootsAcion also support the cause.
"Google should Google ALEC's agenda. Funding right-wing extremists at ALEC is a guaranteed way for Google to undermine its own admirable clean energy goals. It's like building a new house only to set it on fire after defunding the fire department," said executive director of the Sierra Club Michael Brune in a statement. "For a company celebrated for its leadership in imagination and innovation, Google is showing a remarkable lack of foresight. Tens of thousands of Americans are taking note, and it's time Google did the right thing by leaving ALEC behind," he added.
Brad Johnson of Forecast the Facts agrees.
"Google's support for ALEC is part of a disturbing embrace of the climate denial machine by a company that professes to fight global warming, It may be time to pronounce Google's famous 'Don't Be Evil' motto dead," Johnson said.
Forbes contributor Tim Worstall sees the affiliation of Google with ALEC from another perspective.
"So, why be a part of something like ALEC? FOr the same reason that they're both part of any lobbying organization at all. Sadly, the way that the modern economy works is that government, at all levels, has a great deal of influence over how business works," Worstall wrote.
"So, it is necessary for a large business to flash the cash around to both sides, to join lobby groups from all sides of the political compass. Simply because they have to be there to influence officials: no, not so much to get them to do what the corporation desires but to stop them doing something stupid which will screw over the corporation," he added.
With Google being known as among the most innovative companies in the planet, can't it paddle against the tide of a rotten system where business and politics come inevitably mixed?
