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And if you grabbed the knife and went on a violent spree, I'd absolutely expect the knife manufacturer to refuse to sell to you anymore. The knife manufacturer
by dwattttt 8mo ago
And if you grabbed the knife and went on a violent spree, I'd absolutely expect the knife manufacturer to refuse to sell to you anymore.
The knife manufacturer isn't obligated to sell to you in either case, I'd expect them not to cut ties with you in the self defence scenario. But it is their choice.
- zephen 8mo agoThe knife manufacturer would be more than happy to continue to sell to you, except for that minor little detail that you're in jail.
- gpm 8mo agoAny knife vendor who 1. Found out you used their knives to go murdering 2. Sells knives in a fashion where it's possible for them to prevent you from buying their knives (i.e. direct to consumer sales) Would almost certainly not "be more than happy to continue to sell to you". Even if we ignore the fact that most people are simply against assisting in murders (which by itself is a sufficient justification in most companies), the bad PR (see the "found out" and "direct to consumer" part) would make you a hugely unprofitable customer.
- zephen 8mo agoMeh. Not sure why knife dealers would be assumed to be more moral than firearms dealers. See, e.g. Delana v. CED Sales (Missouri) > the bad PR (see the "found out" and "direct to consumer" part) would make you a hugely unprofitable customer. That... Doesn't happen. Boycotts by people who weren't going to buy your product anyway are immaterial to business. The inevitable lawsuits are costly, but are generally thought of as good publicity, because they keep the business name in the news.
- gpm 8mo agoPeople who buy luxury kitchen knives are exactly the type of people who would choose not to buy a product because it is associated with crime. People who buy (and make) firearms are... pretty close to the exact opposite.
- zephen 8mo agoSo now it's "luxury" kitchen knives? Goalposts moved.
- gpm 8mo agoDirect to consumer sales of kitchen knives are entirely luxury products... the goalposts are exactly where they've always been.
- zephen 8mo agoAhhh, direct to consumer. Where either it's a computer program (website) that knows nothing about you, or cutco. If you think you wouldn't find a cutco representative to sell to you, you're on some good reality-altering drugs.
- dwattttt 8mo agosotto voce the knives are a metaphor
- zephen 8mo agoDoesn't matter. There will always be some company willing to sell to even the worst person, in any product category. The response that companies have to boycotts, and the results of the boycotts themselves, are fractally chaotic at best. But even most nominally socially-aware companies are reactive, rather than proactive.
- dwattttt 8mo agoSince the knife vendors were metaphors for AI vendors, is the comparison you want to make "AI vendors & weapons manufacturers"? That's the standard we should judge them by?
- zephen 8mo agoIt's not about the standard we should judge them by, which is equivalent to how we think they should act. It's about how we think they will act. Especially when it comes to sales to the US military, I have no expectations about how companies will act. Hell, just look at how many companies willingly helped China with their Great Firewall.
- dwattttt 8mo ago> Not sure why knife dealers would be assumed to be more moral than firearms dealers What I mean is that you _did_ judge them by a standard used for weapons manufacturers. How you react to their actions _is_ your judgement. But perhaps that is the standard we should use. Weapons manufacturing is a well regulated industry after all. Export controls, dual-use technology restrictions, if it has applications for warfare it should be appropriately restricted.
- zephen 8mo ago