4 ms·

I’m sure sarcasm will fix the irreparable damage corporations are doing to society and the planet.

bpt3 7y ago
It will do just as much good as the suggestion to hold individuals responsible for decisions they didn't make and in some cases have absolutely no control over (including the decision to invest in the company).
- luckydata 7y ago
  What if investing in a company was in fact an act that bears consequences? Would it make people invest more wisely in things that are less damaging? Would we hold corporations to a higher standard of responsibility? A faceless corporation won't keep you warm at night, no matter how much love you profess to them.
  - vorpalhex 7y ago
    When you bought your shoes - regardless of which shoes you bought - you also contributed to 3M corporation, which makes the adhesive which holds almost every modern shoe together. When your paycheck is deposited, you used the ACH clearing houses propping up your bank's ability to make transfers. When you applied to buy a mortgage, or for renters insurance on your apartment, you supported credit check companies like Experian. Did you do this because you love Experian and 3M? Did you make a critical evaluation of each of their offerings, investments, subsidiaries, owners, share holders and stated outlooks? Did you factor the environmental impact of the aerosol which powers Super 77 glue when you decided to buy shoes? Since you're a major supporter of 3M and Experian, I assume you also attend their quarterly briefings by phone. Do you feel they will continue to act in an appropriate and moral way for the foreseeable future? If not, do you intend to return your shoes and find a new dwelling?
    - bpt3 7y ago
      Well said.
  - bpt3 7y ago
    > What if investing in a company was in fact an act that bears consequences? The investing market would shrink. > Would it make people invest more wisely in things that are less damaging? People are incapable of investing "wisely" enough in a company where they don't have any meaningful access to data or control over employee behavior, so I would say the answer to this is no. > Would we hold corporations to a higher standard of responsibility? Probably not, as holding corporations to a higher standard isn't really the job of individual, passive investors. Institutional investors might try, since they do so already, but you can see how successful that has been. > A faceless corporation won't keep you warm at night, no matter how much love you profess to them. I don't expect them to do so, so I'm think I'm fine here, but thanks so much for your concern.
  - perl4ever 7y ago
    People rant and rave about government and corporations; about capitalism and socialism, but it's weird to me that people almost universally take sides. They are symbiotic, and their flaws are pretty much shared. You have any large organization and nobody has much influence over it; it mainly acts to preserve itself, and can cause all sorts of bad consequences. Criticizing government or capitalism makes it sound like there is some alternative, but it never quite comes into focus for me. Maybe it's because I can imagine going back to pre-modern times? Or, I should say, being left behind as one of the vast majority not suited to them.

bpt3 7y ago

It will do just as much good as the suggestion to hold individuals responsible for decisions they didn't make and in some cases have absolutely no control over (including the decision to invest in the company).

luckydata 7y ago
What if investing in a company was in fact an act that bears consequences? Would it make people invest more wisely in things that are less damaging? Would we hold corporations to a higher standard of responsibility? A faceless corporation won't keep you warm at night, no matter how much love you profess to them.
- vorpalhex 7y ago
  When you bought your shoes - regardless of which shoes you bought - you also contributed to 3M corporation, which makes the adhesive which holds almost every modern shoe together. When your paycheck is deposited, you used the ACH clearing houses propping up your bank's ability to make transfers. When you applied to buy a mortgage, or for renters insurance on your apartment, you supported credit check companies like Experian. Did you do this because you love Experian and 3M? Did you make a critical evaluation of each of their offerings, investments, subsidiaries, owners, share holders and stated outlooks? Did you factor the environmental impact of the aerosol which powers Super 77 glue when you decided to buy shoes? Since you're a major supporter of 3M and Experian, I assume you also attend their quarterly briefings by phone. Do you feel they will continue to act in an appropriate and moral way for the foreseeable future? If not, do you intend to return your shoes and find a new dwelling?
  - bpt3 7y ago
    Well said.
- bpt3 7y ago
  > What if investing in a company was in fact an act that bears consequences? The investing market would shrink. > Would it make people invest more wisely in things that are less damaging? People are incapable of investing "wisely" enough in a company where they don't have any meaningful access to data or control over employee behavior, so I would say the answer to this is no. > Would we hold corporations to a higher standard of responsibility? Probably not, as holding corporations to a higher standard isn't really the job of individual, passive investors. Institutional investors might try, since they do so already, but you can see how successful that has been. > A faceless corporation won't keep you warm at night, no matter how much love you profess to them. I don't expect them to do so, so I'm think I'm fine here, but thanks so much for your concern.
- perl4ever 7y ago
  People rant and rave about government and corporations; about capitalism and socialism, but it's weird to me that people almost universally take sides. They are symbiotic, and their flaws are pretty much shared. You have any large organization and nobody has much influence over it; it mainly acts to preserve itself, and can cause all sorts of bad consequences. Criticizing government or capitalism makes it sound like there is some alternative, but it never quite comes into focus for me. Maybe it's because I can imagine going back to pre-modern times? Or, I should say, being left behind as one of the vast majority not suited to them.