It’s the same thing the right does with government. It is a truism that there is all sorts of “inefficiencies” where the money is going to the wrong people for the wrong stuff.

In both cases, it’s sort of correct and sort of wrong. Corporations, governments, and any human institution beyond a certain scale (a few hundred people), will leak wealth into places it shouldn’t. It’s an unavoidable feature of our species as best I can tell.

It’s fine to accept it, it’s fine to be angry about it. It’s silly to blind yourself to it in some places and whinge about it in others.

The real charlatans were the “the technology has promise” people. No, the technology was dumb.

It’s an interesting argument but I think it is stretching things too far. Also isn’t a little anthrocentric to assume that our relationships are unique and different than all other living things here.

A pine tree drops needs that are so acidic few other plants can grow near it. Is it damaging the ecosystem?

Our relationship with bovines is weird right. probably the most successful large mammals on earth. Their success is completely due to being a great machine for turning grass into human food. It’s symbiotic in a lot of ways: we clear pasture and kill predators for them, but also, we eat them. Great for the cows and us, sucks for the trees and wolves.

Ants and aphids have a similar relationship. Great for the ants, and the aphids, not so much for the plants.

If you want to conflate human economics with the natural world, you would have to admit that nature is the domain of the most ruthless of capitalists. Christ, the whole point of a lot of leftist thinking is that we must “rise above” our animalistic nature.

What annoys me about this meme is that it is the same relationship that underpins all business relationships. I understand you are not happy with the state of things but showing a drawing of “capitalism” at work in nature isn’t really making the point you think you are making.

This might as well be a pic of two guys in suits trading on a stock exchange floor with the same caption. Or add this to a caption to a pic of a lion eating a baby gazelle while its mother watches from the tree line. What point are we even trying to make here??

Studying evolutionary biology in my undergrad had a big impact on how I look at systems. Judge them by their effect, and not their parsimony. If the mess inside starts to negatively impact efficacy, it will almost always get replaced and almost never get fixed.

Getting obsessed with “how the sausage is made” is a pointless endeavor. If it’s good, eat it, if not make something that tastes better.

Criticism of Israel and Hamas seems pretty neutral. Praising Israel seems pretty Islamophobic and praising Hamas seems pretty antisemitic.

Repeal the AUMF you fucking cowards! Otherwise, shut your little mouths and be the meek useless branch that you seem determined to be.

Put up or shut up congress.

Why do you care? Seriously, think about it. Shitty products in every possible category come out everyday and it doesn’t bother you. You do need these products. if they don’t meet your standards, don’t buy them and move on with your life.

Like, you don’t need to get on line and act as thought you have been personal insulted when there is a moldy apple at the grocery store. Just leave it and keep shopping.

Granted I don’t exactly run in the conspicuous consumption crowd, so maybe I’m out of the loop. Cope Luwak was a thing I heard about in the late 90s but have never seen in the world, ever.

I suppose this is one of those products that has a reputation for being expensive so rich people buy it to flex and that creates some demand. Like gold pizzas or whatever other dumb shit gaudy nouveau riche assholes are doing to get attention.

I’m sure there are places in the world where you can forage the shits and have something unique, but I highly doubt that what makes its way to fintech bros in manhattan has any real value at all. Just a cruel gimmick.

What is that top image from? Why is he wearing a Michigan State shirt?