Description

Writer, editor, and critic Autumn Wright joins me to talk about the Boycott, Divest, Sanction Movement and the Microsoft Boycott.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
6:35 - What is BDS?
9:42 - Boycotting Microsoft
12:58 - We can do it
36:05 - Ideology, values, and the material
50:07 - What is to be done?
1:08:15 - No Azure for Apartheid
1:12:02 - External Pressure
1:14:52 - Developer Pressure
1:16:10 - Other Pressure Points
1:19:45 - Change da world
1:29:45 - How does this affect the show?

Works cited:

Autumn's piece for Aftermath:

• Games Media Can't Ignore BDS Xbox Boycott - Aftermath

BDS Movement: 

• BDS Movement - What is BDS?
• Guide to BDS Boycott & Pressure Corporate Priority Targeting
• Microsoft | BDS Movement
• Boycott Microsoft's Xbox | BDS Movement
• The Guardian - Revealed: Microsoft deepened ties with Israeli military to provide tech support during Gaza war
• +972 Magazine - Leaked documents expose deep ties between Israeli army and Microsoft

Other pieces referenced during the episode:

• Microsoft confirm they've supplied AI tech to the Israeli military for use in Gaza, following BDS Xbox boycott | Rock Paper Shotgun
• From economy of occupation to economy of genocide - (A/HRC/59/23) Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 (Advance unedited version) - Question of Palestine
• Xbox has been added to the BDS list. So what now? – No Escape
• Indie Dev Who Pulled Game From Xbox In Solidarity With Palestinian-Led BDS Hopes Others Will Do The Same - Aftermath
• Brian Eno Calls On Microsoft To Cease Partnership With Israel, Will Donate Windows ‘95 Chime Fee To Victims In Gaza
• Microsoft Statement on the Issues Relating to Technology Services in Israel and Gaza

Microsoft’s Retaliation Against Employees:

• Microsoft fire employees who protested the sale of genAI tech to the Israeli military | Rock Paper Shotgun
• Microsoft Bans the Word “Palestine” in Internal Emails
• Microsoft workers fired over Gaza vigil say company ‘crumbled under pressure’ | US news | The Guardian
• Microsoft employee disrupts 50th anniversary and calls AI boss ‘war profiteer’ | The Verge
• Microsoft CEOs interrupted by another employee protestor: ‘shame on all of you’ | The Verge
• Microsoft terminates jobs of engineers who protested use of AI products by Israel's military
• Palestinian developer disrupts Microsoft keynote: ‘my people are suffering’
• Microsoft’s AI security chief accidentally reveals Walmart’s AI plans after protest | The Verge

Microsoft and Gen AI:

• 'AI is no longer optional': Microsoft is allegedly pressuring employees to use AI tools through manager evaluations | PC Gamer
• Xbox exec suffers bout of terminal LinkedIn brain, suggests folks laid off by Microsoft use AI to 'reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss' | PC Gamer
• Fresh from telling laid-off employees to console themselves with AI, Microsoft doubles down by advertising Xbox jobs with pathetic AI image: 'So tone deaf I hope it is satire' | PC Gamer

No Azure for Apartheid:

• No Azure for Apartheid
• Public Petition - Microsoft: End Complicity in Apartheid and Genocide

August’s Recommendations:

• https://aftermath.site/
• https://noescapevg.com/
• https://www.abnormalmapping.com/
• https://skyboxcritics.com/
• https://bulletpointsmonthly.com/
• https://unwinnable.com/
• https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Genocide-Bad/Sim-Kern/9781623716363

Select and Start is a video game podcast where the host, Keifer Lirette, talks with his guests about their most meaningful and memorable video game experiences. It is part of the Moonshot podcast network. 

Follow Autumn Wright:
https://autumnwright.bearblog.dev/

Follow Keifer and support the show:
https://linktr.ee/KeiferL

Artwork provided by Avry Ott:
https://linktr.ee/HotSodaDesigns

Theme Music Provided by Mike Pettry:
https://linktr.ee/mikepettry

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