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Anytime someone uses "big" as an adjective like a pejorative, the argument should be obviously weak to anyone with a critical mind. Why should the size of a com

Anytime someone uses "big" as an adjective like a pejorative, the argument should be obviously weak to anyone with a critical mind. Why should the size of a company have any relevance to its unethical or abusive actions? If a company engages in monopolistic, anti-competitive, or abusive behavior, call it that.

jonquark 5y ago
There is an argument that the larger the company, the less human - the more admin and beholdenness to anonymous shareholders after short term profits and therefore it correlates to the type of anti-social behaviour you reference even if it will vary from company to company.
- nerdponx 5y ago
  More practically: larger means more power, which means greater market asymmetry and general power asymmetry in society. Such situations should always IMO be viewed with skepticism at best.
nix0n 5y ago
I agree that small evil companies exist. But, large non-evil companies do not exist.
- beebmam 5y ago
  Do you genuinely believe in the existence of an "evil"? Like as in, Satan, bad spirits, other supernatural phenomena?
  - crabmusket 5y ago
    Why must evil be supernatural?
    - beebmam 5y ago
      The term "evil" came from some of the oldest written languages and was originally used in a religious/supernatural context, and almost always is used in a religious/supernatural context today. If you intend on using it without a supernatural context, you could say "bad". "But, large non-bad companies do not exist." I hope this helps you realize how unbased in reality this statement is. Maybe you could give me some basis as to how you justify this opinion?
  - nix0n 5y ago
    Evil as in > monopolistic, anti-competitive, or abusive behavior
soundnote 5y ago
Easy. Imagine an asshole restauranteur who kicks you out without recourse every time. Annoying, fuck that guy, but not too bad. Say he owns a few places. Still not too bad, the world's full of competition. Now imagine that asshole owning almost all restaurants and enforcing his fuck-beebman-in-particular policy. Or, say, a bookseller delists some book for ideological reasons. If it's one private location, little harm, little foul. Amazon? Uh oh. Size and market share do matter, and some effects depend on that.

jonquark 5y ago

There is an argument that the larger the company, the less human - the more admin and beholdenness to anonymous shareholders after short term profits and therefore it correlates to the type of anti-social behaviour you reference even if it will vary from company to company.

nerdponx 5y ago
More practically: larger means more power, which means greater market asymmetry and general power asymmetry in society. Such situations should always IMO be viewed with skepticism at best.

nix0n 5y ago

I agree that small evil companies exist. But, large non-evil companies do not exist.

beebmam 5y ago
Do you genuinely believe in the existence of an "evil"? Like as in, Satan, bad spirits, other supernatural phenomena?
- crabmusket 5y ago
  Why must evil be supernatural?
  - beebmam 5y ago
    The term "evil" came from some of the oldest written languages and was originally used in a religious/supernatural context, and almost always is used in a religious/supernatural context today. If you intend on using it without a supernatural context, you could say "bad". "But, large non-bad companies do not exist." I hope this helps you realize how unbased in reality this statement is. Maybe you could give me some basis as to how you justify this opinion?
- nix0n 5y ago
  Evil as in > monopolistic, anti-competitive, or abusive behavior

soundnote 5y ago

Easy. Imagine an asshole restauranteur who kicks you out without recourse every time. Annoying, fuck that guy, but not too bad. Say he owns a few places. Still not too bad, the world's full of competition. Now imagine that asshole owning almost all restaurants and enforcing his fuck-beebman-in-particular policy. Or, say, a bookseller delists some book for ideological reasons. If it's one private location, little harm, little foul. Amazon? Uh oh. Size and market share do matter, and some effects depend on that.