3 ms·

On one hand I want to be outraged, but on the other I realize that corporate lobbying does this every day in other industries to try to lock out potential compe

On one hand I want to be outraged, but on the other I realize that corporate lobbying does this every day in other industries to try to lock out potential competitors and protect their territory. I don’t like it, but it’s pretty standard.

bombcar 3y ago
It also happens the other way (but less attention is paid to it) - government bureaucrats will throw roadblocks ahead of attempts to build companies that they feel threaten their jobs. It's usually low-key and less obvious. You can blame the public, as you always can do in a democracy, but the reality is that there's only a limited amount of attention and outrage available, so if people "don't care" about something, it's easy enough to postpone it indefinitely. Usually some sort of disaster eventually brings it to the forefront and then the issues are solved. Many major infrastructure projects are this way - it's held up in court and other areas for decades, until a nearby bridge collapses, and then suddenly it's greenlit and moves forward.
latexr 3y ago
Why does it being standard prevent you from being outraged? On the contrary, it should make you more furious that it’s normalised. Plenty of bad things used to be standard: slavery¹, doctors not washing hands between handling cadavers and assisting in births², radioactive children’s toys³, throwing feces out the window⁴. As a society we should aim to discontinue or change those standards to something better, but we can’t do it if we shrug our shoulders because something is already commonplace. That only makes the situation worse, as the industries which take advantage of that complacency and lack of information continue to thrive. ¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery ² https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis ³ https://www.energy.gov/lm/articles/holiday-toy-shopping-during-1950s-looked-bit-different-during-2020s https://www.energy.gov/lm/articles/holiday-toy-shopping-duri... ³ Alright, not that one: https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/12/did-people-in-the-middle-ages-throw-excrement-out-windows.html https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/12/did-people-in-the-m...
- brightball 3y ago
  Oh, don't get me wrong I am bothered that it's normalized. I'm also exhausted because it's so much. I'm just so used to it at this point that this particular instance doesn't seem like a big deal compared to everything else.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    And that's how they win... These are all big deals and we should collectively and individually never allow ourselves to be pushed into apathy because it has become normalized.
    - brightball 3y ago
      To clarify, I really don’t see this one as a big deal at all. Not even on the radar for me.
jacquesm 3y ago
> I don’t like it, but it’s pretty standard. Whether something is 'standard' or not has no bearing on whether it is ethical, productive, makes economic sense and in general improves society or not.

bombcar 3y ago

It also happens the other way (but less attention is paid to it) - government bureaucrats will throw roadblocks ahead of attempts to build companies that they feel threaten their jobs. It's usually low-key and less obvious. You can blame the public, as you always can do in a democracy, but the reality is that there's only a limited amount of attention and outrage available, so if people "don't care" about something, it's easy enough to postpone it indefinitely. Usually some sort of disaster eventually brings it to the forefront and then the issues are solved. Many major infrastructure projects are this way - it's held up in court and other areas for decades, until a nearby bridge collapses, and then suddenly it's greenlit and moves forward.

latexr 3y ago

Why does it being standard prevent you from being outraged? On the contrary, it should make you more furious that it’s normalised. Plenty of bad things used to be standard: slavery¹, doctors not washing hands between handling cadavers and assisting in births², radioactive children’s toys³, throwing feces out the window⁴. As a society we should aim to discontinue or change those standards to something better, but we can’t do it if we shrug our shoulders because something is already commonplace. That only makes the situation worse, as the industries which take advantage of that complacency and lack of information continue to thrive. ¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery ² https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis ³ https://www.energy.gov/lm/articles/holiday-toy-shopping-during-1950s-looked-bit-different-during-2020s https://www.energy.gov/lm/articles/holiday-toy-shopping-duri... ³ Alright, not that one: https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/12/did-people-in-the-middle-ages-throw-excrement-out-windows.html https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/12/did-people-in-the-m...

brightball 3y ago
Oh, don't get me wrong I am bothered that it's normalized. I'm also exhausted because it's so much. I'm just so used to it at this point that this particular instance doesn't seem like a big deal compared to everything else.
- jacquesm 3y ago
  And that's how they win... These are all big deals and we should collectively and individually never allow ourselves to be pushed into apathy because it has become normalized.
  - brightball 3y ago
    To clarify, I really don’t see this one as a big deal at all. Not even on the radar for me.

jacquesm 3y ago

> I don’t like it, but it’s pretty standard. Whether something is 'standard' or not has no bearing on whether it is ethical, productive, makes economic sense and in general improves society or not.