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0 pointsbasementcat1y ago0 comments

I think part of the complication is that perhaps different people have different definitions for "better". For example, I posted about an organization that is working to eradicate a hideous disease that harms poor people in developing parts of the world and it was downvoted. (It’s ok, I take no offense) Perhaps it is easier to agree that any company that helps make you wealthier is helping to make the world "better"?

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aristofun1y ago

Increasing wealth in general (!) is always better for the world even if only because it makes more humanitarian missions possible (you need money to help others).

badpun1y ago

Not every company increases wealth though. Selling addictive poison (cigarettes) for example does not increase wealth.

aristofun1y ago

I agree this is a good example.

Another one is weapons selling companies.

But even then a strong case can be made that without those companies people would still satisfy the demand via black market causing same harm bit without money benefits to society.

So still it is better with companies than without.

basementcatOP1y ago

It does increase wealth for shareholders. This is why there is so much capital allocated for opioids as well as other extralegal pharmaceuticals.

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0 pointsbasementcat1y ago0 comments

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aristofun1y ago

Increasing wealth in general (!) is always better for the world even if only because it makes more humanitarian missions possible (you need money to help others).

badpun1y ago

Not every company increases wealth though. Selling addictive poison (cigarettes) for example does not increase wealth.

aristofun1y ago

I agree this is a good example.

Another one is weapons selling companies.

But even then a strong case can be made that without those companies people would still satisfy the demand via black market causing same harm bit without money benefits to society.

So still it is better with companies than without.

basementcatOP1y ago

It does increase wealth for shareholders. This is why there is so much capital allocated for opioids as well as other extralegal pharmaceuticals.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse