tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961006065192244756.post2470414989119658626..comments2023-10-05T07:11:05.917-04:00Comments on Art at the Auction: The Power Of The Dollarpetplutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053307189721906583noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961006065192244756.post-44067540595089367692008-11-14T14:07:00.000-05:002008-11-14T14:07:00.000-05:00Exxon gas is usually VERY high, so I naturally don...Exxon gas is usually VERY high, so I naturally don't support them. <BR/><BR/>I think companies are realizing there are benefits to being an ethical company. In the last twenty years, the idea of corporate social responsibility have really taken root, and so many companies really try to work within an ethical framework and (of course) tout this. <BR/><BR/>I like openness as a general rule, but I was uncomfortable with people's donations availible for everyone to see, and have it exploited like that. I'm with John--it's too easy for these things to be politicized, and I don't like that citizens would have to justify their private donations to their employers, for example. What happened to Eckerd was completely unfair and unnecessary. I was under the impression that he was forced to resign because of his opposition to Prop 8. If his beliefs weren't interfering with his job, then it shouldn't be an issue.MediaMavenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12548519999729515206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961006065192244756.post-60761502833041165702008-11-14T10:56:00.000-05:002008-11-14T10:56:00.000-05:00MM- Sure, I'll shoot you an e-mail after I get hom...MM- Sure, I'll shoot you an e-mail after I get home from work tonight.<BR/><BR/>Mikhailbakunin- The problem with Exxon is not that the oil spilled - at least not entirely. The problem is the way they abdicated responsibility for the spill and still have not paid the settlement to the people whose lives they disrupted and whose businesses and livelihoods they destroyed, along with not paying for the environmental clean up. In that sense, there ARE better oil companies to buy from. John's right - this isn't a zero sum game, and it is wholly dependent upon one's own ethical code. I don't buy from Exxon, Wal-Mart, or Nestle (and I try not to buy too much from Coke) because I fundamentally disagre with their policies and responses to their gross negative impacts, both past and present. It is true that Luke Oil, Target, Hershey's, and Pepsi are guilty of unethical behavior as well. But for me, none of them have contributed as blatantly and unapologetically to things like the destruction of the environment, the deaths of individuals, or the subjegation (and in some extreme cases, deaths) of workers as those mentioned above. And that's the game, not whether or not a company can be wholly and completely blemish free, but if they try to limit the blemishes they inflict and how they respond in order to correct or limit the extent of those blemishes.<BR/><BR/>John - You're right that information, such as donar lists, should not be used as intimidation tactics. I don't know precisesly why Eckerd resigned, and if he was pressured to by those inside and outside his local theatre, then that is indeed an issue.petplutohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01053307189721906583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961006065192244756.post-19580950606536014172008-11-14T09:09:00.000-05:002008-11-14T09:09:00.000-05:00I agree with Mikhailbakunin that it's not easy to ...I agree with Mikhailbakunin that it's not easy to only support companies that act morally (after all, Google can't do EVERYthing) particularly when it comes to the "Big" industries like Big Oil, Big Auto and Big Pharma. At the same time, you shouldn't let the fact that they've got you over a barrel discourage you from choosing the least among various evils. If people start by supporting the least horrible company, eventually companies will realize that there may be a profitable future in ethical business practices. If you just say "f@#$ it, they're all bad" and support whoever offers you the cheapest products (usually those who exploit the most natural and human resources) you're rewarding bad behavior.<BR/><BR/>As for the video, I don't support either side's behavior. Mob intimidation tactics (like those forcing that Eckerd fellow to resign) don't show that you're in the right, just that you're scary. In a world where almost nothing is private, both proponents and opponents of Prop 8 should expect boycotts from members of the opposite side. I'm worried that we'll see harassment, assault and violence if things continue the way they do, though. After all, can you imagine how many more lynchings there would've been if these records were made public in the days of the Civil Rights movement?<BR/><BR/>In other words: Enjoy your right to free speech, but don't treat it as a right to do worse things to those who don't agree with you.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14569180426066178711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961006065192244756.post-47921279787284837022008-11-14T08:21:00.000-05:002008-11-14T08:21:00.000-05:00My problem with the "consumer power" argument is t...My problem with the "consumer power" argument is that almost every corporation is unethical. A corporation's job is to maximize profits for its shareholders and externalize costs - which typically means pushing them off onto society. <BR/><BR/>Exxon may have been particularly irresponsible during the Valdez crisis, but doesn't every oil company act irresponsibly every day? I don't think any of them have a respectable environmental record. Some companies have big disasters that we all remember; other just pollute like it's going out of style. <BR/><BR/>Still, if you draw that argument to its logical conclusion, there are certain items - like gas - that you simply can't purchase. <BR/><BR/>I think that, in the end, there are some necessities that will force you to compromise your principles. And if you're being inconsistent about it, what's the point?mikhailbakuninhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13158822054353654203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961006065192244756.post-23350374277607952442008-11-13T22:44:00.000-05:002008-11-13T22:44:00.000-05:00Could you send me in a private message a list of c...Could you send me in a private message a list of charities you support (and companies you don't)? I'm really interested in giving back, and this could serve as a starting point. Thanks.MediaMavenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12548519999729515206noreply@blogger.com