• @WhatIsThePointAnyway
    link
    English
    2015 months ago

    Can we finally agree capitalism doesn’t give a fuck about anything but profits and therefore CANNOT self regulate?

      • @lanolinoil
        link
        English
        54
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        end citizens united – corporations aren’t people

        end lobbying so shell oil doesn’t have 10000000X time and money to affect the government as a person does.

        Quit assigning good/bad labels to companies that operate within the law and furious pursue laws that make us more equal, richer and safer overall

        ???

        profit

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          135 months ago

          Yeah, but how are you going to realistically do that?

          I’d love to know. Because I hate citizens united. But what do you propose people do about this?

          • @lanolinoil
            link
            English
            75 months ago

            I don’t know – It feels like we should be able to use the internet to make grass roots new and hard to corrupt political movements but I don’t see that happening at all.

            There’s also the 250 year empire rule which we’re at now against stability with the current system.

            I honestly have no answer other than a “vote or die” but we all know that doesn’t work.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              85 months ago

              The answer is you vote or we lose democracy. That’s the simple end-all be-all answer here.

              Biden might not be what every single leftist wants, but I guaranfuckingtee that it won’t just be illegal aliens in his camps. It will be you as well.

              I personally don’t want to live in Gilead. I don’t want to fight in a civil war. I’d rather much prefer we vote in Biden, let the Silent/Boomers die off, so we can fix this shit.

              • @[email protected]
                link
                fedilink
                English
                25 months ago

                I can almost smell the Gen X coming off your grim resignation to boomer die off as a new beginning. We’ve waited impotently for so long.

                • @[email protected]
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  25 months ago

                  Hah, I’m actually a millennial, but it’s happening to the tune of 5,500 boomers a day. Even more for the silent gen.

              • @lanolinoil
                link
                English
                15 months ago

                yeah but that just kicks the can down the road, not that I disagree or anything. I don’t know of any real solution.

                The United States is also a one-party state but, with typical American extravagance, they have two of them.

                • Julius Nyerere
                • @[email protected]
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  45 months ago

                  Okay so what’s your option then?

                  Because sitting out wont do anything, and acting like nothing is happening for people is also not doing any good.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              15 months ago

              I said realistically. That’s not realistic at all. It’d be great to have a post scarcity economy. I’d love it. But that’s not realistic.

              • @[email protected]
                link
                fedilink
                English
                -1
                edit-2
                5 months ago

                african countries are doing this right now. we have a consistent method already.

                all you need is actually wanting it. doing nothing is not gonna fix anything.

      • Refurbished Refurbisher
        link
        fedilink
        English
        135 months ago

        Force all companies to be worker-owned cooperatives, Richard Wolff-style.

        Also the stock market doesn’t really need to exist. It’s just gambling with extra steps, and the people who win at that game end up having control over way more than one person should ever have. Also goes along with the above, which is complete worker ownership over companies.

      • @JimmyChanga
        link
        English
        55 months ago

        We’re ready for suggestions!

    • @Mango
      link
      English
      205 months ago

      Capitalism does not return the shopping cart.

        • @Mango
          link
          English
          25 months ago

          😁

          I just kinda put together recent adages that make sense together. Sometimes I feel like I think the way most people expect AI does.

          I’m the guy who came up with the phrase “if buying isn’t owning, pirating isn’t stealing.”

          I might have a thing for putting 2 and 2 together to get 5.

          • @lolrightythen
            link
            English
            25 months ago

            Simplicity is powerful. I’ve mumbled a few things that turned out to be far more meaningful than I intended.

            Not you, though. A Lazer of human consciousness, that’s you!

            • ASeriesOfPoorChoices
              link
              English
              25 months ago

              it’s not like people would just lie on the internet, is it?

              (Mango has an unpleasant history)

              • @lolrightythen
                link
                English
                15 months ago

                Heard, but my experience was positive.

                Appreciate you looking out.

            • @Mango
              link
              English
              25 months ago

              😁

              I’m pretty super flattered right now!

              I mostly expect people to just not believe me when I claim I coined a viral phrase. I actually keep links to the source and stuff. Credit or none, I’m happy about it every time I see someone say it! I imagine it’s how people feel who make open source software and this mentality is what defeats the capitalist notion that nobody would contribute for free.

              • @lolrightythen
                link
                English
                25 months ago

                Dad once told me that money can’t buy happiness, but poverty can buy misery. Whatever that’s worth.

                Good job, yo. And thanks. We need to share our fresh, creative ideas.

                • @Mango
                  link
                  English
                  15 months ago

                  If we weren’t so fixed on concentrating wealth and hoarding tools and IP, we could pretty well eliminate poverty. More can be made when everyone can access tools to be productive. There’s just always the issue of how people won’t CARE to nicely maintain things they aren’t claiming ownership of. High economy of scale tools like flexographic presses need to be carefully maintained and it’s best done with personal interest at stake it seems.

    • @lanolinoil
      link
      English
      45 months ago

      isn’t that the point? The corruption has tricked us to believing they can regulate themselves or are even not amoral about social issues. Companies make profit – that is their singular goal. The laws and regulations control their behavior, not ‘good will’ or whatever we pretend motivates individuals

      • @WhatIsThePointAnyway
        link
        English
        6
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        Money existed before capitalism. Capitalism started in the 1700s. Money far predates capitalism. Plus, my comment is that capitalism must be regulated by outside regulators like governments. Conservatives have pushed deregulation forever and it’s made things worse. Capitalism worked far better in the heavy regulation days after WW2.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          45 months ago

          Money existed before capitalism. Capitalism started in the 1700s. Money far predates capitalism.

          Yes, thank you explaining what I said. Mucho appreciato

      • @A_Union_of_Kobolds
        link
        English
        45 months ago

        So we’re just supposed to stop coming up with better ideas?

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          15 months ago

          If that’s what you want to do, go for it. I didn’t say anything like that.
          I’m just pointing out it’s not capitalism.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      -2
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      In this case, I can believe that Chiquita didn’t set out to finance the AUC, but was unfortunate in that their banana plantations fell into AUC-controlled territory, and therefore were extorted for protection money.

      It’s like if I owned an Italian restaurant, the mafia comes in and extorts me for protection money, then the feds come and arrest me for financing the mafia. What was I supposed to do?

      edit: I didn’t know about Chiquita. Thanks for the replies and info!

      • @JacksonLamb
        link
        English
        215 months ago

        No, it’s like if you owned a massive chain of Italian restaurants that notoriously exploited people, and you were actively paying the mafia to intimidate your workers and to bust unions.

        The judge saw through Chiquita’s ridiculous fabrication, I’m disappointed to see you parroting it here.

      • goldenbug
        link
        fedilink
        105 months ago

        There is enough proof in the trials to show they were not unhappily contributing to paramilitary groups.

      • @WhatIsThePointAnyway
        link
        English
        105 months ago

        Chiquita / United Fruit have long been involved in oppressing and destabilizing south America for profit.

      • @chiliedogg
        link
        English
        65 months ago

        Chiquita has been bad for a long, long time. Even among the banana companies, they’re famously evil.

      • @Stovetop
        link
        English
        45 months ago

        Not pay the thugs?

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    835 months ago

    The fine? $38 million.

    Chiquita Brands International’s profits in 2023? $3.1 billion.

    That’s a slap on the wrist if anything. Just the cost of doing business I guess.

    • @dornad
      link
      English
      41
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      To put that into context:

      if all you had was a $100 USD Note, the equivalent of that “slap on the wrist” fine would be $1.23

      • @Lost_My_Mind
        link
        English
        105 months ago

        I’ll do the math when I get home, but that serms high. Gut instinct I thought it would be more like $0.10.

  • @grue
    link
    English
    615 months ago

    Again?

    • @Zron
      link
      English
      395 months ago

      Implying they ever stopped.

      You can’t think all of those private military contractors get all of their money from Uncle Sam.

      Corporations have been using mercenaries for hundreds of years, they’ve just refined their PR departments lately.

    • mechoman444
      link
      English
      105 months ago

      We live in a sad world when this kind of thing keeps happening.

      • @Lost_My_Mind
        link
        English
        15 months ago

        …you new here? And be “here” I mean Earth.

  • Phoenixz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    465 months ago

    Again?

    At this point it’s not a surprise, it’s when asked to name paramilitary financers, first name that comes up is chiquita.

    PEOPLE DIED

    PEOPLE NEED TO BE JAILED OVER THIS

  • @Cosmos7349
    link
    English
    355 months ago

    Damn that’s crazy. I’ve never heard of bananas being associated with violence… anytime in the last 120-140 years…

    • @dogslayeggs
      link
      English
      85 months ago

      It’s where the term “banana republic” comes from.

      • @Cosmos7349
        link
        English
        135 months ago

        Okay I’ll come clean; I literally chose the range “120-140 years” by looking up the year that term was coined (1904) 😂

    • @Zehzin
      link
      English
      85 months ago

      That’s bananas

  • @phoneymouse
    link
    English
    23
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    Guess they don’t have friends in the CIA or state department like they used to.

  • @Crackhappy
    link
    English
    215 months ago

    Is this an article from 70 years ago?

    • @dornad
      link
      English
      295 months ago

      For Colombians who suffered at the hand of the guerrilla-paramilitary conflict, it was not 70 years ago.

      The paramilitary group mentioned in the article, AUC, disbanded around 2006-2008.

      • @Crackhappy
        link
        English
        75 months ago

        Thank you for pointing that out.

  • Flying SquidM
    link
    English
    185 months ago

    As someone who hates both bananas and corporations financing death squads, I consider this a win.

    • @SecretSauces
      link
      English
      155 months ago

      You leave the bananas out of this! They’re a victim!

      • Flying SquidM
        link
        English
        35 months ago

        They’re disgusting radioactive fruit that everyone insists on putting in smoothies.

        • @SecretSauces
          link
          English
          25 months ago

          They’re delicious fruit packed with potassium that help make smoothies creamier.

          • Flying SquidM
            link
            English
            15 months ago

            I do not dispute any of that but the ‘delicious’ part.

            • @SecretSauces
              link
              English
              45 months ago

              Then I respect your opinion, no matter how wrong it may be.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    155 months ago

    Eh same old same old… Wait they’re getting “punished” this time? Well that’s new I guess.