Biden's "I Will Fire You On the Spot"

Everyone's talking about Biden's speech to his staff yesterday:  

"I'm not joking when I say this: If you're ever working with me and I hear you treat another with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot.  On the spot. No if, ands, or buts."

Hallelujah, amen.  

Sorry, free-speech extremists - of course you have the right to be rude, unpleasant, and even bully others and tell lies/spread dysinformation- but we do not have to tolerate your doing so.

Thus, I applaud his speech, wholeheartedly - because though we like to blame Trumpism, the truth is, we all built this city - when we initially lauded Trumpism-type behaviors on competitive-style reality TV shows - on both sides of politics - with social media fanning those flames. 

In last decade or so, Reality TV-ism has become commonplace in the workplace.  It's become cool to act like the workplace is a reality show; bully the new person, take credit for their work, backstab, smear campaign - being an unethical a-hole began to be viewed as "ambitious" - especially in the lower-ranking staff, as if there was anywhere to go from there anyway lol.  (I don't know if people don't have enough to do or what lol.)  

I noticed competitive-style reality TV was changing our culture way back in the mid-to-late 2000s, and not in a good way - but people pooh-poohed me, saying it was harmless fun, nobody was glorifying it, trynna act like I was crazy for saying it.

Then we elected a president who exemplified every bit of those behaviors and then act like we don't know how that happened? lol.  

Oh, I don't think so. 

So ... still think our glorifying competive-style reality TV didn't negatively influence our culture and that I'm crazy for saying so? ;)

Thankfully, I began working at home again in 2011, long before COVID -  but I can tell you first hand, it's actually worse, if you use a group work forum to communicate on or group email threads.  

People can't see each other so they say things to each other they'd never say in person, just like on social media, and management did nothing, sometimes joining in on group bullying.

The group-bullying of the person du-jour was out of control, I'd never seen anything like it -  and if you stand up for someone being bullied, then you become the target.  

And I've just never been a fan of tearing somebody else down, just to make myself feel better or superior, since I was,  I don't know ... maybe 13? lol

However, I will say, that after several attempts at diplomacy, and allowing several missteps and giving the benefit of the doubt - if someone continues being an ass towards myself or someone else, or plays unnecessary social games, I can and will chew them up and spit them out like nobody's business - very succinctly, articulately, and accurately - until the bully (ies) run crying to their mama.


I said that in my very first profile on Blogger, in fact, in 2005 - and a few people just had to test me ;)

This is how I've made a few enemies  -  in the workplace, online, and even a few family members -  who then like to then run and try to play the innocent false victim, but know they aren't,  in that somewhere inside, they know that they either were being cruel or bullying or playing unnecessary games with someone else or myself, or enabled someone that was being cruel or bullying and playing unnecessary social games, sucking everybody into the drama.  

I'm very lucky that now, I have honest-to-God, the world's best boss - she even gave me a Christmas bonus and is very complimentary and appreciative, as I am with her.   I've literally not had a Christmas bonus in 30 years - never in my current field,  until now -  so I about did cartwheels when she sent it, especially after this sh*t show of a year lol!

We've discussed how unprofessional and reality-TV crazy so many other home-based contracting tech-related organizations are.   

And it's not like she never tells me if I make a mistake, she's just kind about it, giving the benefit of the doubt, because we all make little stress mistakes; she even acknowledges her own mistakes.  We laugh about the stupid ones, but still take them seriously learn from them regardless, and move on. 

Thus, I wholeheartedly support Biden in this - it's part of the restoration of the soul of America - treat others as you would like to be treated and with dignity - Amen!