How does a liquor store take advantage of the poor? Because it sells an addictive product cheaper than a bar does?
Take advantage not in the sense that it doesn't provide them with the product, or sells it more expensively to them, but in the sense that it feeds on their problems.
We spent so much time on marketing to "Millennial postgrads" but that wasn't the consumer..
From [slate](http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_exa...), 11-drinks-per-week is the national average, but it's so top-loaded that hitting that average means you're in the top 20%.
And given the top 10% is more-than-10-per-day, given it's also on the sharp end of the curve, I kinda don't even want to know what the numbers are for the top 5% or 1%...
If they raised their prices, they'd be critisised; If they lowered their prices, they'd be critisised.
Is the medical/insurance industry bad too? Don't all industries solve some problem?
That's how I view the selling of a lot of unhealthy products - corporations creating a hostile environment, where you are more likely to succumb to your vices, for their profit. E.g. candy and chocolate placed at the checkout line.
It's up to government to regulate this stuff - a business is supposed to maximise profit.
In an amoralistic, profit driven dystopia, yes.
In actual human societies, businesses are also supposed (whether they are or not is another story) to be ethical and improve society.
And most of them pay lip service to that all the time, in their ads, promotional copy, motivational speeches to employees, etc.
Why? As stated, the government is supposed to regulate this stuff - that is partly why government exists.
And this is by design. When regulation is proposed, it can them be publicly debated - rather than leave those decisions to whoever runs a particular business.
> In actual human societies, businesses are also supposed (whether they are or not is another story) to be ethical and improve society.
Says who?
> And most of them pay lip service to that all the time, in their ads, promotional copy, motivational speeches to employees, etc.
Which is apparently what the consumer wants..
Notice how politicians tell the public what they want to hear? Well, the public too rarely take them to task. You get what you vote for..
In numerous ways, yes.
>Don't all industries solve some problem?
No, some create one.