![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Lies we're told
Apr. 22nd, 2019 12:02 amLie: "Capitalism is about competition, and freedom of choice."
Truth: Capitalism is about collusion, monopolies, and making sure small businesses get stomped on or assimilated by larger companies. Almost all of the "competing" brands you see on shelves are owned by the same handful of companies, through a dozen different shell companies to disguise the fact. And even massive competing companies like Coca Cola and Pepsico are secretly really friendly with one another.
Lie: "It's possible to consume ethically in a capitalist society."
Truth: "Green," "organic," and "free trade" are meaningless buzzwords. There's no laws enforcing any kind of standards on these labels. Hell, those labels don't even have any real agreed-upon meaning! Every single corporation in existence is out to get money at any cost. Every single corporation does their utmost to fuck over their employees, their customers, their suppliers, the environment, and anyone else they can screw over in order to turn the highest amount of profit. I guarantee you that that organic, free trade food you bought at Trader Joe's was secretly sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, and that they paid the farmer 10 cents and sold it for $5. How would you know the difference? It's impossible for you to know if they're lying or telling the truth. It's not like pesticides and herbicides have a taste, once they wash it off like they do with regular produce.
Truth: Capitalism is about collusion, monopolies, and making sure small businesses get stomped on or assimilated by larger companies. Almost all of the "competing" brands you see on shelves are owned by the same handful of companies, through a dozen different shell companies to disguise the fact. And even massive competing companies like Coca Cola and Pepsico are secretly really friendly with one another.
Lie: "It's possible to consume ethically in a capitalist society."
Truth: "Green," "organic," and "free trade" are meaningless buzzwords. There's no laws enforcing any kind of standards on these labels. Hell, those labels don't even have any real agreed-upon meaning! Every single corporation in existence is out to get money at any cost. Every single corporation does their utmost to fuck over their employees, their customers, their suppliers, the environment, and anyone else they can screw over in order to turn the highest amount of profit. I guarantee you that that organic, free trade food you bought at Trader Joe's was secretly sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, and that they paid the farmer 10 cents and sold it for $5. How would you know the difference? It's impossible for you to know if they're lying or telling the truth. It's not like pesticides and herbicides have a taste, once they wash it off like they do with regular produce.