this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2023
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But these corporations have the power to change what we as consumers buy or use, they have and are still resisting any changes and lie continuesly.
And if these companies don't allow change it will not happen no matter what we do.
They own the media they own the politicians, without them we are doomed.
Some might say we are already doomed and the elite are squeezing the last out of us because they think they will somehow escape the consequences
To what extent are we victims, and to what extent are we part of the system? This isn't a simple thing to answer, and there's not a single answer.
Corporations have too much power, but people fell into consumerism and fanboyism, defending their practices.
People talk about reducing electronic trash, but will buy the next shiny device at launch, before the last one stops working, will say that it's a "needed improvement" when someone criticizes things like phones removing audio jacks, and look at people using older stuff as if they're crazy. People talk about damaging production chains, but won't prioritize local small ones. There are so many examples, but this is enough to get the idea.
Somehow, people love brands and corporations.
Corporations absolutely control the power what are you even talking about? The only time they listen to us is when it benefits them directly. Look at Reddit and Twitter right now, you would think the large user backlash would improve things but it doesn't. We don't live in a market controlled by you and I, the market it controlled by VC funding and what looks good on an earnings sheet.
People hated the headphone jack getting removed but that didn't change anything. I very much did try to keep buying phones with headphone jacks and expandable storage but companies stopped offering them. Sure there are options available but they all have bigger issues for my use case than lacking I/O.
The EU is requiring user replaceable batteries in phones by 2027, lets take a guess as to who apposes it... is it A) the consumers or B) the phone companies? I'll give you a minute.
And oh boy would you look at that, it's the manufacturers who are fighting against it. So if the manufacturers are fighting regulators over this, do you think the free will of the market could achieve it more efficiently?
I understand and partially agree with you. The big players have more power and can pull the strings in so many markets, but their power isn't absolute.
I think it's all part of modern structure of power, to make us think we are powerless and that changes are impossible. It becomes a self proclaimed prophecy, because we stop taking actions because it won't change anything anyway, so everyone does the same, and nothing happens.
We lack organization. Entire revolutions happened in the past. Kings went down and exploited places became independent.
It's not impossible for us to fight back against corporate power, but we need the coordination we lack now. Social network algorithms contribute a lot to keep us fighting over everything, with everyone, preventing our organization.
Perhaps... the fediverse is a first step into some changes. Perhaps, we don't have enough time anymore, perhaps I'm just a naive and foolish dreamer. The future can't be accurately predicted, but onethings is sure: if we don't try to improve things for us, it's much more likely that everyone will get much worse.
Plenty of good used cars sitting around but some people just can't live with a car a few years old. Meanwhile I pride myself on driving things that would likely be in the junkyard if I wasnt
They don't remotely control the public as you might think. Let's imagine at Walmart going full vegan tomorrow. What do you think will happen?
I forecast bankruptcy. You, I guess, imagine half of the dumbfuckistan going vegan?
It is a cyclical thing both consumers and producers are responsible in different ways in most cases the use of plastic in packaging is producers fault for example but eating animal products is a choice for 99% of people on the planet and going vegan is the single biggest way to reduce your carbon footprint (see joseph poore 2018)