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Hi @BradSmi! I appreciate that Microsoft is being transparent about its involvement in the political system. You are facing a set of hard choices given the large set of stake holders in the MSFT ecosystem. If I may, a couple thoughts for you. 1/n https://twitter.com/fxshaw/status/1353113720923152384
First off, I applaud that you are considering withholding donations to members of Congress who are seditious. I hope that in addition to their direct voting record, you consider those that persist in promoting The Big Lie of election fraud. 2/n
You should make the donation boycott permanent until the member recants. You should also evangelize this stance in the @BizRoundtable and any other business forums where appropriate. 3/n
Second, there is more at stake here than the Microsoft self-interested calculus you articulated at the recent employee event. I understand why Microsoft participates in the current political system. I did it with you when I was a Microsoft executive. 4/n
Since leaving Microsoft I have become deeply involved in the political reform movement. I have worked to pass laws like Seattle's Honest Elections law and the recent Alaska Ballot Measure 2 which creates a top four primary with ranked choice voting. 5/n
You described the system honestly in the employee meeting. Money buys access and favors. One could state it in the negative: If you don't give money, government won't work for you and may work against you. In other words, extortion! 6/n
I recognize extortion is an inflammatory description. I use it to make the point that the USA's current political system is un-ethical and corrupt. I also recognize that Microsoft may legitimately feel it must participate. It can also do more. 7/n
I implore Microsoft to get involved in promoting political reform. A good first step is to use your current involvement in the political system to champion the For the People Act currently before Congress. There is more. 8/n
Microsoft can commit significant resources to the reform political movement. I think it reasonable for employees to demand this kind of effort to counterbalance the negative aspects of participation in the current system. I hope you do. 9/n
I hope you use your influence in the business community to enlist others as well. There are many worthy groups to champion. As one example, I am on the board of https://represent.us . I am glad to discuss this with you. DM or email me. I hope you do. 10/n