I won’t let it get to me. I insist on trying to get people to question themselves and the world around them.

And to the point of the insult: I’m not on a high horse, as there is no perfectly ethical consumption under our current situation. I give money to companies who I can’t say are operating ethically. But we need to approach that and discuss that to develop our consciousness as a class. The “it was a good deal and I’m completely removed from it” is a thought-terminating sentiment that barricades us from developing our understanding of the world around us.

To their credit: there are a lot of people insulting them. Their brain views this entire thread as adversarial now. I forgive them, as they are me and I am you. Solidarity always.

Are you here for discussion or just to make quips?

That’s needlessly insulting after I’ve been nothing but cordial with you. Me bringing up things that bring you discomfort to think about doesn’t mean I’m the bad guy here. Have a nice day, and enjoy your TV.

I don’t think I’m expressing myself clearly. I understand the fixed income part and what 50 bucks can do to a person’s living situation. No issue there.

On the front end of your decision, you’re starting with “I need X with Y and Z”. None of these variables are negotiable? The “need” isn’t negotiable? Or are they not as negotiable as the care for the company’s awful business practices?

The systemic issues are the primary concern, but it is worth thinking about and examining within ourselves. We are ill-equipped to make informed decisions prior to every purchase. However, once we know how a particular purchase supports degrading the world around us, where is the line we won’t cross for a good deal?

You’re not alone in that. A lot of people’s care for ethics ends where a good deal begins.

What you should know is that these companies offer these good deals for a variety of reasons, but usually involving shady or borderline illegal business practices in one way or another.

I understand you’re on a fixed income - I sympathize with that and I don’t want to be rude to a stranger - but is the deal on a particular item you want worth the cost of endorsing what these companies do and stand for?

Just wait until they get BLASTED in a strongly worded email.

You’ve never worked construction, at least not on the GC level. You’d be flabbergasted by how much human input and decision-making there is in any building. Constant discussions about constructibility, safety, value, coordination, and on an on. A lot of these discussion lean on experience of the construction team. Robots can’t replace experience of construction workers period. There’s far too many variables that robots or people who have never been “in the field” can’t account for.

Some parts of construction have been helped by automation (see layout robots, CNC cabinetry fabricators, etc.) but that’s drop in the bucket of a massive industry. The human element will not be removed from construction.