Winners Take All | Anand Giridharadas | Talks at Google 

To those at Google watching this who don't know the story: Google initially decided, for the first time in its history, to not publish this video to its Talks at Google site here on RU-vid after it was recorded. This presentation was given on the second week of September, note the publishing time lag. Giridharadas contacted Google to ask why, and his contact said "I'm not on that team anymore" and was blown off. He then leaked the story to a leading tech journalist, who started calling Google for comment because she was working on a story about why, for the first time ever, a Talks at Google video was not published. They published it the same week -- obviously reluctantly and under pressure. The only reason you're seeing this guys is because power is doing damage control. Wake the fuck up.

This is what speaking truth to power looks like.

There's something about this talk that reminds me of basic morality being explained to small children: "What's good for you isn't always what's good for others." Sadly unsurprising that corporations need it explained it to them this way.

This is a really special talk - it's exactly the right person talking to the right people about the right things in the right way - something you so rarely see. And notice how you can taste the discomfort, you can feel what the google people are feeling - it's such a beautiful demonstration of how we do not seek challenge - this talk is beautiful because it's an anomaly, it's the exception, when what needs to be said gets said to those who need to hear it.

"There is a great danger to have a King who thinks he's an insurgent."

i just discovered this man and i love his lucidity and eloquence and fairness and magnificent silver hair.

This guy made me cry. Such beautifully articulated remedies to a sick society that is beyond greed and beyond indifference

Single payer health care certainly would be expensive for the elites who are getting rich on the present health care mess. That's why we don't have it here in the US and why therefore, great numbers of people risk bankruptcy for a serious health problem.

We are already a 3rd world country and have been moving this way a very long time. I'm 74. I've been watching.

This guy has big brass ones. Good for him. And good for Google for even allowing these ideas within their walls to be heard.

Anand is one of the most important thinkers of our generation. Takes a large serious problem and unpacks it like a boss.

This is certainly an excellent presentation that deserves to be discussed around the family table and everywhere else where honest discernment is valued.

One of the most profound and important speakers I've ever heard.

There is another issue when it comes to journalism and local news. We have that issue in my town and the demise of the local "newspaper" has created a serious problem for the "commons". Local governments have caught on to the fact that they can keep people in the dark because no one is minding the store. So, suddenly our residents are finding out that high-rise condos are breaking ground literally next door to them. Trouble is, the shovels are in the ground and it is too late to make your voice heard. This single issue, combined with the fact that there is no investigative reporting has created a vipers nest of corruption that pretty much goes unchecked. Now, Google has nothing to do with local news. And Google certainly didn't intentionally damage local news organizations. However, this is the collateral damage as smaller businesses are crushed by monopolies.

This guy has absolutely nailed the issues of our society. They are easy to see but not always easy to elucidate. He is a brilliant speaker.

What a breath of fresh air! As a Social Social Studies major from Seattle who has immigrated to Vancouver BC Canada, the last decade, I LOVE YOU, Anand Giridharadas and Family! You are always welcome to come and speak to us in Vancouver BC!

Google does not pay any tax at all in Turkey although it earns huge amount of revenue from the advertisers located in Turkey. Google resists and reject to set up a branch in Turkey and force all the advertisers in Turkey to make the transactions over Google Ireland branch where it pays 2-3% tax. If Google would have a branch office in Turkey, it would pay 18% VAT and 20% income tax at the end of the fiscal year. But it pays NOTHING. The Silicon Valley companies who claims that "we are making the world better place to live" and at the same time do everything to avoid paying taxes, then name themselves as philanthropists are trying to deceive the community. First fulfill your duty to the community, PAY YOUR TAX FROM EARNINGS, DO NOT FIND WAYS TO AVOID TAXES and then we will believe that these companies are sincere as Giridharadas emphasizes.

That was an excellent talk. I observed how he uses "we" in most of the talk, and when he gets to the crux of the matter close to the conclusion, he switches to "you". I think that dynamic was well played. Also, his replies to the somewhat-tech-related questions (money and the internet, competition among tech companies) were great, though he's not a tech guy.

Very good talk Mr. Giridhardas

Faith in Humanity: 10% closer to being restored...

This feels like in the Russian Revolution the last time the peasants asked the monarchy for fairness and the monarchy laughed....we all know how that ended. I foresee a real revolution.

Inviting that guy to give that speech at Google was the equivalent to when Will Smith docked with the mothership and uploaded the trojan horse in Independence Day. BOOM

Google probably stopped reading after the first part of the title: "Winners take all"

Why do people who have more than a billion dollars need more money?

Anand's last name is pronounced Gear Da Das. Speaking Truth to the MOST Powerful. Got guts.

"In the belly of the beast". Anand makes so much sense.

Excellent talk! Excellent talk! Excellent talk! In many ways Anand's book reminded me of Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States." Zinn's book exposed us to the "real" history of our country vs the cartoonish version we were taught in school. Anand's book and this talk exposed the high tech winners at Google to the real truth of what their company and their industry has become in stark contrast to where it began and what its original intent may have been. The issue of what's good for the Company vs what's good for the "Country" is an important one and we are today on the threshold of yet another paradigm shift in which Companies benefit and Citizens suffer. To whit in a country where well paying jobs are limited to a handful of industries and endeavors, where folk's without a Master's degree in something are relegated to minimum wage jobs if lucky, and to homelessness if not, the last thing in the world we need, or should allow, is Artificial Intelligence replacement of workers. When I was in high school in the 1960s I was invited into an AP course entitled Government & Economics. The course was taught by an ex Macy's executive who had decided to stop wasting his life making money and switched careers in mid life to that of becoming a high school history teacher. One of the first lectures he gave pertained to the blessings produced by industrialization, automation, and high tech inroads into American life. He assured us that as a result of these efficient shifts in producing and distributing goods we were all going to be paid more money, and required to work fewer hours. Our main challenge, he assured us, was going to be coming up with things to do in our leisure time. When the lecture ended I raised my hand and when called upon said, "Let me guess Mr. ....... you believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy. Because if you think for one moment that the owners of these companies are going to share the profits engendered by technological innovations with their workers you must!" The entire history of the industrial revolution can be summarized by saying that it has ended up concentrating wealth and power in the hands of the Winners, and everyone else be damned! When it comes to America today George Carlin said it best some years ago: "They call it the American Dream because you need to be asleep to believe it." Google employees, and other high tech workers better understand that they too are "replaceable" by the devices and technologies they mindlessly produce for their company. "Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee!" has never been truer than today! Finally the real question we should be asking is not whether government is good or bad. The question we should be asking is if our government is bad what do we need to do to make it good? As Anand rightfully points out a good government is all we have to rely upon in the age old battle between the haves and the have nots!

"The employees have the right to know what the company is doing at lobbying policy. " It is a suggestion that brings democracy into the companies, institutes. After all, people spend more than half of their time in the company business. If a company is allowed to attend political activities. The employees and employers have to carry out those activities in a democratic way.

13:46 "I applaud whoever it was who invited me or who didn't read my book carefully when they invited me"

Amazing talk! Thanks to Anand and the audience/participants! 1. That joke shortly after 39:58 😆 2. Towards the end he speaks about the industries with the highest potential for improvement, health and education, yet according to Gardner/L2 (Scott Galloway) these are the next to be disrupted and disruption as we know by know comes at a high price... 3. Imho: The financial sector is a MASSIVE problem, far more than actually pointed out here.

this guy has the most magnificent silver hair+stubble combo ever.

Re: the gentleman who posed the last question: I've got a slight gripe with the tale of "businesses grow big and old and inefficient and then they die". Take a company like Uber disrupting taxi businesses that are in a regulated space, pay social benefits and maybe have a little too inefficient an administration. When Uber comes in and puts the taxi company out of business, they don't do so because they have a slightly smaller overhead, but because they don't adhere to rules which might be there for a reason. Similarly with Google: Efficiency is not always king. Many design decisions in government value fairness over efficiency. To then come in and claim "well, but we are more efficient" doesn't work. Trouble is, you have to work hard to find out whether a disruption stems from that pseudo-efficiency or "efficiency all things considered".

"When the rebel in the pickup truck ends up in the palace, you know you're in trouble if they keep wearing that beret... they never cross that threshold of understanding that they are now the establishment they were once fighting against." He nailed it.

Never seen a more subdued audience. Must be tough to look at yourself with honesty and introspection when you're a bro making photo sharing apps. great talk and hats off to you Anand

Excellent talk!

Tough crowd. 40:00 was a legit funny joke.

Thank you for this video. He is not only brilliant but also fiercely courageous to deliver this what could have been very ineffective speech due to its circumstance still powerfully. We need more intellects like him!

Great message! I walked out of a safe position in a solid government job because I was tired of being a whistleblower. Anand, you are right! I fought until I lost my health and visits to see my child. The sacrifice to fight for justice was taxing but worth it. The government is a miracle but we must reform government.

google, more of *these* please...

Thank you so much for speaking truth. Humanity over reputation. The greatest good!

Wow, these google employees have amazing perspective and thoughtful questions. We know that you have the power and *capacity* to drive change in a way that top executives cant. With respect and solidarity for tech workers around the world.

Bezos gives money away, does he get to claim a lot of that on tax. Is philanthropy just another way for the rich to decide who gets the tax dollars?

As a single mom in a red state, I can't afford healthcare and don't qualify for Medicaid because my state is one of the 17 that rejects the Medicaid expansion of the ACA. I do work (nonstop) and it's still not enough to prevent all shutoffs and catastrophes of all sorts, but my state deems any more income than $179 a month to be "too much" to qualify for Medicaid from the ultra-low state taxes. That's right, after paying my total housing cost there should be plenty leftover out of 179 for a monthly healthcare premium, copays and deductibles, right? So, long story short, if I get cancer I WILL die and leave my daughter orphaned. And it's not out of the question; my Mama just died of it a few years ago. And poor people just die around me all the time. I've decided that if I did get cancer I would make a national spectacle of how I'm dying, in a way that erases any doubt about it being true but without identifying myself. Because even though I'd want to live, I wouldn't want some rich person making a spectacle of being the hero who pays for my chemotherapy, while thousands of other poor people die quietly of treatable illnesses. I am SICK of everything that is happening to Americans, quietly.

His "hoarding" point got misunderstood by Trevor Noah when he was on the show. Trevor took it to mean merely not wanting to let go of excess wealth, and implied this was natural, that anyone in the audience would do the same thing. Not only did he miss the point that the amount of wealth the ultra-rich possess is SO excessive no average person could even imagine it; he also failed to consider the other half of what hoarding is, the compulsion to keep obtaining MORE of something, no matter how much excess is already accumulated, just because it's out there to be gotten and they cannot stand the idea of not getting it. So not only will some people refuse to give up any empty margarine containers from a house full of them; they will climb into a public dumpster to get another one, and it's the same thing with neurotic greed. ANYTHING for the slightest increase in profits, ANYTHING not to let go of the slightest bit of profits. Children going hungry, people dying of treatable illnesses, people turning to depraved or even violent acts out of desperation, people committing suicide suddenly or slowly......these are all things that the ultra-rich can accept, in fact, like a mountain of margarine containers, obscene wealth can obscure what's underneath. The person doesn't have to look at it; they can take a private jet over it, and any time it does demand attention, it can be treated like rats and roaches. Just build more prisons and warehouse all humanity that dares to get uppity. Oh and be sure the prisons are profitable too.

Fantastic talk.

Extraordinary generosity!!!!!! I find that hard to see. Minimum wage can't be raised. Can't provide real affordable health care, affordable quality education for our children, no pensions, no paid sick leave, no paid maternnity leave, no paid vacation, no job security, no affordable housing - extraordinary generosity, indeed.!!!

Wow! Man is this an eye opener or what. I am only here because this week (OCT 2019) Trever Noah did an interview with this gentleman.

Excellent talk. I would love to see an annual report of what positions my country has taken on my behalf this year, as well as making a look at how prior actions on my behalf have worked out. At a minimum.

The most important talk of our time. Thank you for sharing, Google, Anand.

Thank you for speaking the truth, we on the bottom never reap the benefit of our labor. Actually, I said that I get tired of talking about wealth in this country when knowing some of us will never achieve it. Also, this is an intelligent man and his hair is beautiful.

Thank you for this talk. I insist that these ideas go forward. Blessings to you and yours.

So glad, Anand, that you are going into Google with these thoughts.

Here from the RSA interview. This man gives me hope.

We Collectively Accept our fascist Neoliberal status quo. The superwealthy are the biggest freeloaders in our society. We need to Collectively force our currency issuing federal government to Balance our economy up front with dollars, targeting the federal budget to the bottom with a FEDERALLY GUARANTEED LIVING WAGE JOB PROGRAM to rebuild AMERICA and meet needs with essential public goods and services. The Parasites at the top come off as philanthropic when they are actually nothing of the sort. Great video

I laughed out loud when i saw this was a Google talk How does that even happen

In Finland, education is equally funded in the poorest neighborhoods as the richest.

Break up google, at google 😂

So thoroughly enjoyed the probing questions and positions put forward by Anand that I've bought the book! Firm believer that we should always question things, challenge norms.

Just read this guys book. One of the few that have really challenged my perspective and Ill aways be grateful for that

I'm very proud of Google for supporting self reflection, speaking truth to power, and free speech which is not in it's favour.

"The solutions we have don't really fit the realities we have created." @ 54:17

apparently google actually didn't want to put this talk up until anand intervened. says alot. (he reveals this in his world's affairs talk)

💪🏽very noble n courageous effort by Anand. The rank n file/proletariat have to rise up

This guy knows what's up. He's like Noam Chomsky.

I was lucky enough to see Anand's RSA Talk first, then his Aspen Institute "wilting world" speech. I came here to hear his anti-trust comment about Google being re-formed into 2 companies: Goo & Gle. I guess it must've been edited out before google relinquished and FINALLY posted it for "public consumption".

That was really great. Such an important discussion to have at Google.

Thank you for articulating so well what desperately needs to be acknowledged.

Just wow. Did not expect it to be SO GOOD. This guy is talking about the real stuff. But, it's only the starting. It's not easy to get people to give up the comforts they are used to so that other humans can get the necessities. At least everyone can realise that Win Win is a selfish choice we all make everyday. It's funny to see how we make these stories up to feel good.

this guy is pure gold. Glad I discovered him.

Thank you very much for speaking truth. Humanity over reputation. Doing the greatest good.

Very good talk Mr. Giridhardass

Thank you Anand, and God bless you!

The Power of Truth is immense. Anand talks about things that no one dares to talk about. In private most of us do, but rhetorically bring this out in the open is a welcome change.

'The piss down my back effect' has been working really well for 40 years.

58:15 "I don't mind getting yelled at" "That's an important asset in making change."

Brilliant, compassionate, courageous, responsible, humane, and the conscience of what is left of civilized society

Kudos to Larry & Sergey for having this guy speak. Self-reflection is good.

Great info. This needs to be talked about more in the mainstream.

Anand is one of my heroes. He says the uncomfortable things we're not supposed to notice as neoliberalism steps to its expiration date.

Great talk and ideas

I could see him running for office some day

"There's a great danger in being a Goliath who thinks they are a David." beautifully said!

Brilliant. This guy is going to get the Pullitzer and the Nobel one of these days

13:25 Elites be like: What if we helped 4 minority kids get into Yale?

I wonder why more people are not talking about this stuff.

Genius!!! Lord where has this man been all my life?!

i’m blown away

Now all you need a podcast.

Great work to all.

You are SO good!

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST you made sense man!!!!!!!!!!!!! more power to you, I generally hate equality yelling people but your points are dead right and I'm gonna read your book.

Thank you

"It does it, and you do you" - I really loved this speech, and I can't stand Google's obvious political manipulation and laughable self-indulgent moralising, but IT should do YOU, because democracy doesn't just extend to whether you should have smoking in bars and minimally important areas, it should extend to EVERYTHING, including DEMOCRATISING THE WORKPLACE!

Love this brother

The one single problem with the Google win-win is that I can't eat the transformative benefit of Google Search. And pardon me for saying so, but that matters.

ok, i might wanna comment on something substantial but, "yes". great opener anand.

I wonder why Anand was not invited to speak at Facebook?

I’m really surprised they let him in at Google. I bet it was pretty uncomfortable for a lot of the audience.

Hey, Jordan Peterson incel fanboys! This is what a substantive talk actually sounds like!

In a society where one is "an employee at will" who can be let go in a wink, some of the suggestions that employees can demand transparency in areas like corporate lobbying etc are plainly unrealistic. The right place to make that pitch is the legislature which should bring these about with laws, but then the legislating bodies work on the basis of their own "win-win" rules changing change to suit itself right?