I was thinking about this after listening to Marc Andreassen blather on about how he doesn’t trust government as a repository of trusted keys and other functions. He advocates for private companies to perform critical functions. Standard libertarian stuff in many respects.

The problem of course is that corporations lack accountability. They can shift terms and conditions or corporate purpose and there is little meaningful recourse except to stop using them. I can think of small examples that don’t widely resonate (Mountain Equipment Co-op I’m thinking of you 🤬) but are there big examples that I’m missing?

  • cmbabul@lemmy.world
    773·
    1 year ago

    Off the top of my head it has to be Google, with the “Don’t be evil” bit, although if Amazon still just sold books and DVDs they would be much less of a problem.

    Watch out for Costco in a few years, that place is already culty and the folks in charge ain’t the same ones that want to keep a hotdog $1.50

        • kakes@sh.itjust.works
          101·
          1 year ago

          The nice thing about Costco is that people can more easily protest by canceling memberships. Not to say they won’t take off the mask like every other corporation at some point, but it’s easier to have a direct effect.

          • cmbabul@lemmy.world
            7·
            1 year ago

            You’re right, but I feel like it’s unlikely people will do so considering economic conditions and the cultic milieu around the business

            • kakes@sh.itjust.works
              3·
              1 year ago

              It’s that cultic milieu that can be (at least somewhat) broken with the right boneheaded corporate move, though. Economic conditions and general apathy though, not so much.

        • ChrisLicht@lemm.eeEnglish
          81·
          1 year ago

          Costco is a godsend in San Francisco, and I was always given to understand the employees are treated well. I’m gonna be really bummed if it does take a heel turn.

          • Hazzia@discuss.tchncs.de
            8·
            1 year ago

            Same, Costco can come off as culty because everyone who goes there fucking loves it. As far as I’m aware, they don’t force the employees to do morning “team building”, like what got Walmart banned in Germany, so if the employees are acting like it’s the best job ever, it’s probably because the company’s doing a great job at keeping them happy.

    • qooqie@lemmy.world
      131·
      1 year ago

      I actually got rid of my Costco membership this year and swapped over to BJs. It’s a smaller wholesale chain, but their prices are much better and the inventory they have is also better imo.