3 ms·

> Personally I will never work in e.g. finance or "defence" Finance: Get people enough capital so they can do what they want Defense: Keep people safe enough

by RhysU 4y ago

> Personally I will never work in e.g. finance or "defence" Finance: Get people enough capital so they can do what they want Defense: Keep people safe enough so they can do what they want I don't see the basic premise of these two industries as being evil. Of course, participants can go off the rails but so can any company.

mathieuh 4y ago
I'm an anarchist (think left-wing libertarian) so I see those two industries as particular offenders in furthering the aims of capital. It's a pretty easy decision to exclude those industries with that perspective, which I'm aware not everyone shares. I just couldn't justify working in those areas myself.
- RhysU 4y ago
  Sincere question: What industries aren't evil from your perspective? Or is it just that these particular industries are particularly distasteful?
  - mathieuh 4y ago
    I find these industries particularly distasteful. It's a blacklist rather than a whitelist.
Planktonne 4y ago
Your 'basic' premises are quite loaded, with an emphasis on personal freedom that's not actually inherent to either industry. Here's another (equally biased) framing: Finance: increase abstract 'value' no matter the practical cost. Defence: invent more efficient ways to cause harm.
- RhysU 4y ago
  Any industry permits an uncharitable reading: Medicine: Keep them alive long enough to take all their money. Search: Sell them things they don't need Self-driving cars: Delay societal investment in sustainable transportation Retail: Pointless fashion for the masses Agriculture: Make as many as fat as possible We should look at the best that any industry can provide and then strive for that instead of assuming evil is inherent.
  - Planktonne 4y ago
    Any industry permits both charitable and uncharitable readings. We shouldn't focus only on the best possible interpretation, nor the worst, but the most accurate one.

by RhysU 4y ago

mathieuh 4y ago

I'm an anarchist (think left-wing libertarian) so I see those two industries as particular offenders in furthering the aims of capital. It's a pretty easy decision to exclude those industries with that perspective, which I'm aware not everyone shares. I just couldn't justify working in those areas myself.

RhysU 4y ago
Sincere question: What industries aren't evil from your perspective? Or is it just that these particular industries are particularly distasteful?
- mathieuh 4y ago
  I find these industries particularly distasteful. It's a blacklist rather than a whitelist.

Planktonne 4y ago

Your 'basic' premises are quite loaded, with an emphasis on personal freedom that's not actually inherent to either industry. Here's another (equally biased) framing: Finance: increase abstract 'value' no matter the practical cost. Defence: invent more efficient ways to cause harm.

RhysU 4y ago
Any industry permits an uncharitable reading: Medicine: Keep them alive long enough to take all their money. Search: Sell them things they don't need Self-driving cars: Delay societal investment in sustainable transportation Retail: Pointless fashion for the masses Agriculture: Make as many as fat as possible We should look at the best that any industry can provide and then strive for that instead of assuming evil is inherent.
- Planktonne 4y ago
  Any industry permits both charitable and uncharitable readings. We shouldn't focus only on the best possible interpretation, nor the worst, but the most accurate one.