You know what we haven’t had in a while? A bona fide Sally Kohn hot take.
Well, we’ve got some good news for you … today, she delivered. Holy moly, did she deliver:
I'm really tired of reading how business owners are "forced" to layoff workers. No one made them do that. They *chose* to do that. Not saying it isn't a hard choice, during a hard time, but to say they were *forced* obscures their agency AND casts owners/CEOs as the victims.
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) April 9, 2020
Hold up, everyone. Before you go and pounce on her, just hear her out:
Oh Lordy, Twitter. Grasp the nuance of what I'm saying. I am NOT saying that it's not a hard, sometimes impossible decision. But it's still a DECISION. A CHOICE. Think about the meaning/implications of the word forced. No one is literally being forced to layoff workers.
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) April 9, 2020
AND that attitude in general, that business owners/CEOs take certain steps because they HAVE TO as opposed to because they CHOOSE TO, helps mask exploitation of workers in general in a million other ways — "have no choice" but to pay low wages, no benefits, etc.
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) April 9, 2020
Sally here is apparently unfamiliar with the old adage “quit while you’re behind.”
We therefore have no choice but to drag her mercilessly.
Let’s do this:
Imagine being this out of touch on how small business owners are going through absolute hell right now?
— Paul Sacca (@Paul_Sacca) April 9, 2020
I can see you have never had to make payroll.
— ok listener (@daveraad) April 9, 2020
When your choice is “layoff some workers” or “bankrupt the company and send everybody into unemployment,” what would you choose?
— Fred the Great (@fredontwittur) April 9, 2020
A business literally not having the money to pay their employees is not a choice.
You could say "It's still a choice to lay them off, even if they can't pay them."
But then that would force employees to quit, potentially making them ineligible for certain unemployment benefits.
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) April 9, 2020
I'm guessing you've never had to deal with payroll, accounting, or unemployment policy if you really don't understand why you're getting a ratio right now.
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) April 9, 2020
I cherish takes from people who have zero experience in business. They think all business owners are secretly Scrooge McDucks, backstroking in a vault of money. Just moronic. Business owners have no money coming in to pay anyone. It isn’t a choice.
— Dillon Freed (@dillonfreed) April 9, 2020
You've never made payroll before in your life and you're an asshole. I think we should quarantine you for at least 25 years because you're a super-spreader of stupid. https://t.co/8XiIzjPbOr
— FilmLadd (@FilmLadd) April 9, 2020
Seriously, how is she even a real person?
Hoo boy. That is quite the take.
— Ozark Finesse Guy Redux (@DTReeves2) April 9, 2020
— ???????? ?? ?????? ???? (@BaconTwo4Actual) April 9, 2020
— Dragon Heist (@ougrad2001) April 9, 2020
You were dropped on your head a lot as a child, weren’t you?
— Mark “Wuhan-free BBQ” C ?? (@UntraceableMC) April 9, 2020
I'm really tired of reading hot takes that second grade math should disabuse one of, but here you are.
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) April 9, 2020
sometimes when you ask the question "can somebody really be that dumb"
the answer is yes https://t.co/WwOnVpkIWr— Dr. Richard Harambe (@Richard_Harambe) April 9, 2020
Worst take ever.
— Jessica Green ??? (@AnarchyToward) April 9, 2020
You're f*cking clueless.
— Kimberly Morin (@Conservativeind) April 9, 2020
***
Update:
Holy moly. There’s actually more stupidity where all that came from:
Holy hell. The same people offended by me criticizing the notion that business owners are *forced* to fire workers are the same people who when regular folks are destitute and resort to looting, call those folks criminals and criticize their "choices" so….
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) April 9, 2020
And this is the damn problem with our country — that we systematically care more about the rich than the poor, that we care more about the economy than people, that we care more about owners than workers. It's not just in this moment. It's always. THAT is also a pandemic.
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) April 9, 2020
I've been an employer. Have family & friends who still run sm biz now. Don't tell me how incredibly hard & stressful, even in best times. But even in best times, we say biz owners *can't* afford to pay workers living wage, benefits, etc when plenty of owners DO make that CHOICE!
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) April 9, 2020
Jeebus. Lay down, Sally. Before you hurt yourself.