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$60B of the $100B number is from countries (Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi) where human rights issues are still a big thing these days. Maybe we can think about that
by chinathrow 9y ago
$60B of the $100B number is from countries (Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi) where human rights issues are still a big thing these days.
Maybe we can think about that whenever we see where SoftBanks new fund is invested in - it's 60% money from folks which do not care much about some basic human rights.
- sschueller 9y agoSame goes for Uber [1]. Something to think about next time one orders one. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/02/technology/uber-investment-saudi-arabia.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/02/technology/uber-investmen...
- zajd 9y agoGotta love hn where human rights concerns get downvoted, top voted comment? look how rich this guy is
- pmorici 9y agoThe comment implies that investment encourages the abuse. I don't think you can take that at face value. There is an argument that foreign investment tends to liberalize those sorts of countries.
- brepl 9y ago> There is an argument that foreign investment tends to liberalize those sorts of countries. The way I read, it's investment _from_ those countries, not _to_ them.
- chinathrow 9y agoIf you know that your purchase/use of product X, funded by fund Y with money from country Z will in the end benefit the chiefs of country Z - then no, there is no way that this "liberalizes" those countries. It supports the status quo (rich families/dynasties on top). It cements the status quo.
- csomar 9y agoSo? You are aware that these are "issues" from your "point of reference". Someone else consider that the US has a bad human rights record. Does that mean that he should boycott US companies/fund?
- EGreg 9y agoUSA has a bad human rights record Compared to which other huge countries?
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- RodericDay 9y agoclassic american exceptionalism sure we do slavery, drop nukes, drone children and weddings across the globe, torture prisoners, participate in apartheid, perpetuate poverty, and whatnot but we're so unique/big/diverse! can't compare to anyone else!
- csomar 9y agoDon't cut the phrase. That's not what I said.
- chinathrow 9y agoNo no, that is not my point of reference only. https://www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa/saudi-arabia https://www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa/saudi-arabia https://www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa/united-arab-emirates https://www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa/united-arab-emirate... Also, the US isn't part of this discussion right now. And I am not from the US.
- csomar 9y agoOr yours and that of hrw. I'm pretty sure lots of other people think SA/UAE have bad human rights records too.
- module0000 9y ago
- module0000 9y agoWhen I invest in something, it's to reap (fast) profits. As the time I have been investing increases, my concern with the relationship between funds/instruments and human rights has inversely decreased. When I talk to other traders/investors, they have the same sentiment. When you step back and analyze that, it comes out to "the trend is not to care about <whatever>-rights at all". Don't fight the trend. Seriously, don't fight the trend. You're investing to make money. You are not investing to change the world(eg charitable giving). Ethics and investing/trading should not be married together. If they are, you close many doors that may be profitable, and open 0 new doors. Think about that for a second... by upholding personal values in your investment strategy, you eliminate good investments, and create zero new(good or bad) investments. Why would you do this? tldr; retail investors make decisions based on all the wrong data points, and are resultantly unprofitable.
- Strom 9y agoThis is a narrow view that only looks at the amount of money. It's perfectly valid to choose investment opportunities based on other factors. One can choose to invest in a local enterprise because it'll help the local community. You might have somewhat less money on your bank account, but you'll raise the wellbeing of the people around you. The same goes for any other non-monetary gain. If it makes you sleep better knowing that your money is used to teach kids how to sing instead of building rifle ammunition, then this shouldn't be ignored when choosing where to invest. There's more to life than money. A lot more. Investment choices can have profound effects on plenty of other things besides your bank account. So, think about that instead -- make sure that you aren't missing out on wonderful non-monetary gains when choosing your investment.
- ryanwaggoner 9y agoEthics and investing/trading should not be married together. I don't say this lightly: this is a disgusting worldview. What keeps you from funding human trafficking, assuming a great rate of return? Or funding terrorism while shorting the stocks of companies affected? You also realize that there's no real difference between funding the organizations who do bad things, and starting / running those organizations, right? Honestly, it sounds like maybe you just don't have ethics, period.