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Exactly. An idea is being taken advantage of. To "take advantage of" an inanimate object doesn't mean "someone" is being taken advantage of. It's just an artic
by margalabargala 3y ago
Exactly. An idea is being taken advantage of.
To "take advantage of" an inanimate object doesn't mean "someone" is being taken advantage of. It's just an articulation of the concept that makes them money, it's no more nefarious than saying that baby food makers take advantage of people not wanting their children to starve to death (Nestle notwithstanding).
A ship captain can "take advantage of" the tide to leave the harbor, without taking advantage of anyone.
- TeMPOraL 3y agoYes, except here I meant that people are being taken advantage of too. Perhaps a better way of putting this is: they found a way to take an important and good principle, and use it against the very people it should be benefiting. Individually, all trades seem to be fair, even advantageous to the seller. However, taken together, they end up screwing the sellers and everyone around them, while massively benefiting the buyer. And the insidious part is, there is no single transaction you can point at to tell the seller they're doing the Wrong Thing. Individually, they're all exemplary cases of benefits from voluntary trade. It's only when you group a bunch of them together, that things suddenly go south.
- margalabargala 3y ago> they end up screwing the sellers This is where I disagree. How are the sellers being screwed? I completely agree that the wider community is being screwed by the string of sales, but I don't see how an individual seller gets screwed, except inasmuch as they are part of the wider community.