I gave an two examples. One of internet companies keeping track of their users and selling the data to the highest bidder. The other is how it's easier to make money selling Orwellian central management software vs employee empowerment software.
It seems like it is much easier to succeed by doing evil things instead of doing good. Why is this?
John Deere is still going strong. I imagine a lot of their competitors went under during The Great Depression. It was impossible to sell the repossessed tractors since no one had any money.
I am feeling pretty bitter (about my personal situation) and feeling like, yes, evil wins. But I am not convinced the objective evidence really bears that out.
I honest to god do not care what motivated their decision. I am a bleeding heart idealist, or at least perceived as such. Yet, I think "doing right" is a pragmatic thing, not some abstract ideal measured by some supposed god in some supposed spiritual realm.
(But have an upvote. Good comment.)
Your first one might mean gmail serves me ads for chicken wings (which I want) instead of diapers (which I don't). Is that evil?
As for the second, banks are under Orwellian central management - every penny is recorded going in and coming out. Is that evil, or is that good for everyone who holds a deposit? What's employee empowerment software exactly, anyway?
I've seen things that would be pretty easy to steal and net a criminal something equivalent to a good year's salary, but criminals are generally stupid and blow their ill-gotten gains on stupid things, meaning they then have to steal again to maintain their lifestyle.
There is evil around every corner for sure, but it is outweighed by the good. Sure there are incentives for scummy business practices that add a bit of evil on the margin, but do you really think most companies are a net negative? That that marginal evil isn't outweighed by the vast good and wealth that is created as well?
The question you should have asked is "Why do i think incentives align with evil?", and the answer is "Because you take the good for granted and thereby fail to notice it."
We're on the Internet. Show me some evil that outweighs the awesomeness of that.
It might be more of a case of motivation. Sociopaths don't care what others think so they'll go for it, the consequences be damned. On the other hand, nice people, who are the majority, will only go as far as their conscience allows them. So in business terms "they choke". Of course, the tendencies of greed and ego are in collusion.
To give just one example, bankers gave housing loans even to people who couldn't afford them. Then they foreclosed on those homes. A "nice" banker would have said "Sorry, you can't afford that house. How about a more modest one." The result the nice banker would miss out on the business. The borrower going with the one that made the bigger home attainable.
The counter point to this is that it was (political) public policy that spurred the bankers to lend to 'sub-prime- credits. The policy that led to the housing bubble was a pernicious trade, basically politicians bribing the bankers (for votes) with allures of money, and bribing the lower-middle classes (for votes) with allures of new credit. In the political sense, it was a bout power and social position, not money (although they are undoubtedly interlinked). This special interest legacy was then followed by similar moves (same motives) in to promote the lending to students (promises of easy credit) and promote the expansion of Academia (promises of larger budgets), again for political gain. Similarly, the repeal of Glass-stegall (under the Deomocrats with Clinton) and the foistering of the Universal banking model on Congress (through both its own actions and the WTO treaty), in another nod to secure the support of the Banks (with promises of greater CEO pay) and the lower middle classes (continued expansion of easy credit).
Dear Humans
I hereby reclaim the word "evil". It seems to have worked for "queer" by those San Francisco guys, so I am trying it for evil.
As The Lord of Lies I have put in plenty of effort over the centuries, encouraging wars, rape and torture. it takes quite a lot of effort to persuade someone to hang a pregnant woman extra high and then to slice open her belly to let the foetus dangle too - but I think you will agree that that's pretty evil. The march of technology has helped (guns guns guns!) but real evil still takes the personal touch.
so imagine my horror when people call scummy business practises "evil". I mean ohhh that guy is aggregating my click throughs to sell more toasters. Where is the soul-destroying fear in that? I mean I used to call retargeting what happened when you make a mother choose which child to have shot. now it's marketing
No thank you. you keep your evil empire and your "don't be evil" slogans. I will summon up the deepest devils from the pit and head to Syria, where I can show you all what words like evil really mean. Pleasant dreams.
yours
Belezebub
Some people out there are doing "evil" right now keep you safe warm and cozy.