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Is starting massively pirating things the right thing to do? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago by StrangeMed@lemmy.world to c/buyfromeu@feddit.org

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I’ve begun discontinuing many US services in favor of EU ones. However, I’ve noticed that some individuals, instead of simply ceasing to use American products, resorted to illegally downloading everything. While it’s true that the money goes to the US when you pay, it can’t justify disrespecting others’ hard work and effort while still consuming or using their products, and it is also illegal. This is especially true considering that they likely don’t have any direct connection to MAGA. This applies to actors, directors, YouTubers, and many others. We should simply cease using their products without giving them any further consideration.

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[–] Libb@jlai.lu 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

My stance on that question is that it's up to anyone to make up their own mind. And act accordingly.

Personally, I don't believe much in resisting USA technological and cultural quasi-monopoly simply by not paying for the US tools and services. Or for the stuff I read, watch, listen to.

One just needs to look how massive piracy ended up not hurting Microsoft or Adobe in the slightest. If you're too young to have experienced those early times it was a quasi norm, at least outside the USA, to not pay for Microsoft Office and for Windows, or for Adobe Photoshop, and that was true for the penniless student up to more than a few enterprises. Adobe and MS are still the undisputed leaders and they earn mountains of money. The same goes for movie studios who, in my opinion, have never produced so many turd content that also has never cost so much to produce).

So, yeah, so much for 'resisting by pirating', imho.

Also, I think any creator (even big ones) deserves to get paid for their work if I'm wanting to enjoy it or to use it. But here again that's just me, and I can afford it.

Instead, I prefer trying to focus my limited time and limited resources on local EU tools or at least Free and Libre tools, and on reading non-US authors whenever I can. I say reading because first and foremost I'm a reader but that stands true for watching and listening to stuff too.

I will simply favor EU or non-US alternatives whenever I can as I also don't want to forbid myself the possibility to enjoy US production. Because why would I want to do such a thing? Despite all their flaws, they have an amazing scientific, intellectual and art production that I can only admire—I don't care how unpopular it has become to appreciate it nowadays.

So, I resist US dominance by using and consuming as much non-us tools and content as I can. And by favoring non-us alternatives when it’s not completely moronic to do so.

To my own surprise, I recently realized it was not just the tools I was using or what I was reading (watching, and so on) that was impacted but also what I was doing and creating myself. After years not worrying at all about my native language, I'm witnessing myself blogging in French more. And it's not just my blog, which is a tiny part of what I write it's all the other stuff I write too.

I see that as a rekindled passion and love for my own culture.