• umbrella@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism.

    we have to use a decentralized open alternative (like lemmy) to take back control, switching to a proprietary solution by yet another company will only delay the problem further.

    • wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      Or we could just… host our own wikis. There’s plenty of open source software for them. It’s not hard. Not everything needs to be federated.

    • tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      decentralized open alternative (like lemmy) to take back control

      which unfortunately still require capital to run

      • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        of course it does.

        and better if that capital comes from a network of companies/volunteers instead of one monolithic corporation that can just bully everyone into their will.

    • Cosmic Cleric@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism.

      There was a time, long ago, where companies actually cared about their customers, and wanted to sell them good products while making a profit, and they strived for the win - win, and the “customer is always right” philosophy. They took their fair share, and they didn’t triy to squeeze every last dime out of their customers with crappy products.

      Not that that they were saints by any stretch of the imagination (there were definitely bad players back then too) but there used to be a sense of ethics with Capitalism, in America at least, a sense of products being warrantied to work the way they should be and advertised as how they would actually work.

      I have no effing idea how to get back to that state, as it seems like the “lunch for wimps” crowd are running the c-suites these days.

      • Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Regulation. Take the money out of governing, both national government and private directors. If someone makes decisions that affect many people, make that person accountable, either through a competitive market or a functioning justice system.

        The problem is that the fantastically efficient tool that is capitalism will try to increase it reach as much as possible. Killing competition and undermining laws will always be the end goal, so long as they are in anyway allowed.

        The reason companies used to care is because not caring drove customers to the competition. But then there was no competition, and the care evaporated. As long as they are allowed, they will take. Civility can only be guaranteed if profits are on the line.

      • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        No way of going back to that state unless we start from scratch, power is too consolidated as it is. And capitalism would soon evolve back to something like this eventually anyway.

        We are on late stage capitalism now, as predicted by Marx.

        e: also those better times werent that good either if you werent white/from somewhere rich, not long ago kids were working in coal mines.

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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        1 year ago

        We can’t just get out of capitalism, but you can work to improve your situation. If you have a yard, grow a garden.

        Also, see if there’s a mutual aid group in your area, and if not consider talking with your neighbors about what you can do to help each other out. One person might be good with car Maintanance. Another might be a good gardener. Everyone can contribute something.

        • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          Gardening will not solve the climate crisis because it won’t offset the millions of tons of co2 being emitted.

          It would help, sure, but we have to radically change production to stop it. Currently the rich own those, so the best we can do short of removing them is plead.

          Also yes, you can’t just get rid of capitalism, history shows it takes years/decades of planning and organizing. Start as soon as possible because I don’t think we have all that much time.

          • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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            1 year ago

            Where did I say it would solve the climate crisis? I was just having an alternative to capitalism to provide some of your food. Of course it won’t dismantle capitalism or save the world. People have been gardening forever, yet here we are. It’s just a step you can take to take some control over your situation back.

            • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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              1 year ago

              Never said I would’nt do it either. I’d love to grow my own food over pesticide garbage we have in supermarkets here. I just don’t have any land at all, and there isnt any in a pretty big radius around me.

              • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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                1 year ago

                That’s fair. Most people don’t. You can probably still grow some food if you have access to a balcony even. It won’t be much, but it can offset some of your reliance on purchasing it.

                Also, again, look into mutual aid groups around you. There may be someone who does have space for a garden and produces more than they can consume. Maybe you have some skill or ability that could help them and get some food in return.