Re:Facebook chooses profits over people
by rglullis on Friday October 22, 2021 @10:02AM
(#28957290)
Read again the conversation and please understand that my main issue with your comment is in using "private, profit-seeking companies" as a shortcut for "unethical".
> There is certainly an incentive for companies to make their ethics secondary to profit.
Replace "companies" for "dentists", "engineers", "plumbers" and "cooks", and this statement is still valid. The temptation to cheat and cut corners to favor short-term gains will always exist.
Yes, larger corporations give the ability for individuals to distance themselves from the consequences of their actions, and therefore it is more likely to see unethical behavior from large, faceless corporations. Still, this is not about "profit-seeking" or "profit-maximizing".
Your issue (and mine) is with Corporatism, not Capitalism. It is an important distinction to make.
> There is certainly an incentive for companies to make their ethics secondary to profit.
Replace "companies" for "dentists", "engineers", "plumbers" and "cooks", and this statement is still valid. The temptation to cheat and cut corners to favor short-term gains will always exist.
Yes, larger corporations give the ability for individuals to distance themselves from the consequences of their actions, and therefore it is more likely to see unethical behavior from large, faceless corporations. Still, this is not about "profit-seeking" or "profit-maximizing".
Your issue (and mine) is with Corporatism, not Capitalism. It is an important distinction to make.