Hacker News Reader

Comment by nautilus12 | Hacker News Reader

I disagree with this whole heartedly. Laws like this are not deterministic procedures, they are more like best practices. Can you seriously argue that Apple is not a functioning member of society? For many its a daily companion.

It should be held accountable to behave like a good citizen within society like everyone else and not find ways to sidestep the law.

If society can oust an individual like Weinstein and hold them accountable for their actions why not a company? A company consists simply of a group of individuals making decisions with moral implications no different than an individual. Demoralizing companies is the most irrational proposal I've ever heard. Capitalism is not a computer program, it is a set of guiding principles meant to operate within a society of well intentioned and reasonable individuals that are held accountable for their actions.

View on HN

But they are doing what's best for them without breaking the law. You cannot reasonably expect anything more from any actor in a society. In personal relationships we expect more (lying is legal but frowned upon), or else we break off that relationship, but the functioning of a business in society does not amount to a personal relationship.

This is why we have laws. Expecting people to be 'nice' is naive. They must be coerced.

If you choose not to buy apple products as a result of their behavior, fine. If you want to convince your friends to do the same, fine. But legal repercussions are reserved for law breaking entities. Loophole exploitation is not law breaking.

The entire and only purpose of laws and regulations is to dictate behaviors and punishments in a theoretically fair manner.

If a law is not broken, then any punishment would very likely be unfair as it would not be evenhanded in application.

I feel American political problems are rooted in having a professional political class, and a system in which politicians can enrich themselves by legislating.

If I were king, I would enact short term limits and regulation preventing any politician from increasing their networth while in office and for a period thereafter. Not applicable to myself of course.

> If I were king, I would enact short term limits and regulation preventing any politician from increasing their networth while in office and for a period thereafter

As an aside... I can't see this ever working, it wouldn't prevent monetary bribery, it would just arbitrarily defer it. I suppose it would at least make it less attractive, but that is subjective.

Would you accept that everyone in a community be sent a speeding ticket for prior behavior if a road's speed limit was reduced from 45MPH to 35MPH? In spirit, the first speed limit was set for a safety reason right? Clearly everyone disobeyed the spirit of that limit by going faster than 35MPH and necessitating the limit be reduced. Pay up.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com