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The internet is worse than it used to be. How did we get here, and can we go back?
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this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2024
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You are conflating Consumers with Citizens, a classic pitfall of modern neoliberal democracies.
Just because people willingly Consume a Product does not mean they think The Product is good or even that it should exist at all. Neoliberalism is unable to acknowledge that, because Everything is a Market and the Market is Infallible.
In reality, the game theory is such that individuals may not have the means to get out of the local minimum they found themselves stuck in. Prisoner's dilemma and all that. That's what representative democracy is supposed to solve, when it isn't captured by ideology and corporate interests.
I'm actually not, and my word choice was intentional. If you're not consuming these goods then you hold no leverage, and probably don't care.
Do you not consume a single Google/Meta/Microsoft product or do you not care about their abhorrent business practices?
Yes and no.
I don't understand.
Then you're knowingly engaging in the consumption of abusive products? Do you not see how you have literally no leverage whatsoever as a consumer?
Its not that simple. Its not a binary do you/don't you question. Overwhelmingly I do not.
Pretty much the only thing I use is a Google account for work, which I have no choice over.
I use less than probably 99% of Americans.
Congrats. So you think that since you can do it (as a clearly very tech-literate person) the government shouldn't do anything? Do you think it's because they all researched the issues with these companies and decided to actively support them, or is it because their apathy should be considered an encouragement to continue?
You are so haughty you've circled back around to being libertarian. This is genuinely a terrible but unfortunately common take that is honestly entirely indistinguishable from the kind of shit you'd hear coming from a FAANG lobby group.
I didn't say anything that remotely resembles that. You need to read better.