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Corporations Have American Consumers Wrapped Around Their Little Finger.

Peacenik

We Live In Societies
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Political Leaning
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Corporate America has most of America wrapped around it's little finger. This includes the corporate media. Corporations are a big problem for our society. It's not just capitalism any more, offering a product or a service for a competitive price. They use all kinds of dirty tricks; and you, the consumer, are being analyzed. They want to know everything about you. More information than they should be entitled to.

People don't stand up for themselves. They just bend over and give corporations everything. It's disgusting. Consumers accept crap products, poor quality, planned obsolescence, shrinkflation, impossible to read user agreements and corruption of government using the money the consumers paid to get ripped off. We make the rich richer, let workers and the environment get treated badly, generate tons of waste, use up needless amounts of energy, create trashy looking and dangerous litter, and fill our landfills with disposable crap after having used products for a very short period of time.

Most Americans don't seem to have any idea how badly we are bring ripped off and sadly have no gut for using our combined power to put corporations in their place. We've been bought, and the price was nothing short of our character.

The above is precisely what should be taught in schools; but we don't have to nerve to do it.

What percentage of consumers who agree to big corporate user agreements have actually read them, every word, all of it, a legally binding contract, before checking the box that says they have read it? In many cases it is impossible, the consumer will face all caps paragraphs as if they are being shouted at by the corporation, and the agreements are filled with links to more and more pages, often becoming hundreds of pages. Who actually reads those things? Anyone? What is buried in them? The people who agree certainly have no idea.

Why are Americans trained as children to ignore and check those boxes? Why do we put up with the way we get treated? Because corporate America wants us wrapped around their little finger. And they've got it.
 
I try to avoid agreeing to these things but sometimes it means giving up a lot.

Once again, I want something and I am trying to read one of these things. I open it up and the first thing I see is links to more pages. I try to open the links as I do and it's filling the top of my screen with more tabs. This will certainly take hours; possibly even days.

I refuse to agree to things I have not read. What a PITA!
 
Then don't use the applications, webpages, etc. that come with user agreements that you have to sign.

Simple.

Bullshit. Easy to say. Quite another to actually do that. And it could get quite expensive. Some areas of the economy simply have no alternatives. All the service or product offerings have those boxes which must be checked or you can't have the toy. Avoiding these user agreements is definitely giving up a lot of modern conveniences.

I would be really surprised to hear anyone giving such advice who has not agreed to a legally binding contract they have not read and do not understand the terms.

"Then don't use them." - really sounds like guilt talking. Sounds like: 'I use all kinds of modern things from corporations which have required me to check those boxes, and I never read them. I know I am being legally bound to certain agreements but I don't care and I'm not going to give up my toys and that's just they way it is. I do feel guilty about it and I don't like that you have reminded me that I am being foolishly taken advantage of.'
 
It’s not just economics, it’s all facets of life.
True.

There really isn't a forum for consumer concerns, so I put it in economics.
 
Oh, here's a goodie from the one I'm trying to read:

"You must follow these rules and must not help or induce others to break or circumvent these rules."
 
I try to avoid agreeing to these things but sometimes it means giving up a lot.

Once again, I want something and I am trying to read one of these things. I open it up and the first thing I see is links to more pages. I try to open the links as I do and it's filling the top of my screen with more tabs. This will certainly take hours; possibly even days.

I refuse to agree to things I have not read. What a PITA!
Sounds like some evil corporations are out to get you. Should we outlaw corporations?
 
Think bigger…..
If everyone shared my concerns corporate America would never get away with this.

They should not be training children to ignore reading legally binding contracts. It is as bad as what big tobacco used to do until we cracked down on them.

Sure would be nice to see someone like Elizabeth Warren lead the charge on these absurd agreements.
 
Another problem is how they treat labor in in right wing states.
 
Sounds like some evil corporations are out to get you. Should we outlaw corporations?

Corporate America needs to be far more heavily regulated by big government. Consumers, workers and the environment need to be prioritized over raw capitalism.
 
People don't stand up for themselves.

That's because 85% of the people are weak.

They'd embrace dictatorship for free Disney channel.

I try to avoid agreeing to these things but sometimes it means giving up a lot.

Thanks for proving my point.

There are always alternatives.

There really isn't a forum for consumer concerns, so I put it in economics.

I'm down with a consumer forum.
 
Corporate America has most of America wrapped around it's little finger. This includes the corporate media. Corporations are a big problem for our society. It's not just capitalism any more, offering a product or a service for a competitive price. They use all kinds of dirty tricks; and you, the consumer, are being analyzed. They want to know everything about you. More information than they should be entitled to.

People don't stand up for themselves. They just bend over and give corporations everything. It's disgusting. Consumers accept crap products, poor quality, planned obsolescence, shrinkflation, impossible to read user agreements and corruption of government using the money the consumers paid to get ripped off. We make the rich richer, let workers and the environment get treated badly, generate tons of waste, use up needless amounts of energy, create trashy looking and dangerous litter, and fill our landfills with disposable crap after having used products for a very short period of time.

Most Americans don't seem to have any idea how badly we are bring ripped off and sadly have no gut for using our combined power to put corporations in their place. We've been bought, and the price was nothing short of our character.

The above is precisely what should be taught in schools; but we don't have to nerve to do it.

What percentage of consumers who agree to big corporate user agreements have actually read them, every word, all of it, a legally binding contract, before checking the box that says they have read it? In many cases it is impossible, the consumer will face all caps paragraphs as if they are being shouted at by the corporation, and the agreements are filled with links to more and more pages, often becoming hundreds of pages. Who actually reads those things? Anyone? What is buried in them? The people who agree certainly have no idea.

Why are Americans trained as children to ignore and check those boxes? Why do we put up with the way we get treated? Because corporate America wants us wrapped around their little finger. And they've got it.


I'm not sure what your issue is....

If a corporation is making demands of me pre-sale and I don't like those demands I can demand an alternative or not buy the product. In the 90's, leasing a car became corrupt, you ended up paying for the depreciation. So, I started buying second hand expired leases. I saved 30 to 35%. "New" only smells new for a few weeks anyway.

If a service provider ups my fee, I change service providers. I've changed telephone companies four times in five years and saved a total of five weeks free! And there is always a bootleg version of whatever you want and I still have enough 60's in me to enjoy ripping off the "man".

In Canada we have experienced single-source products and services and discovered you need the heavy hand of government sooner or later or the consumer gets screwed. Americans think that's communism. So live with it.

No one is forcing you to have the latest, greatest, sexiest. "Last year" is always better...remember ipod? "New" has sucked every since
 
Corporate America needs to be far more heavily regulated by big government. Consumers, workers and the environment need to be prioritized over raw capitalism.
Highly unusual. A MAGA demanding more regulations from a bigger Government? I must be dreaming. Would the President have immunity in your world?
 
Corporate America needs to be far more heavily regulated by big government. Consumers, workers and the environment need to be prioritized over raw capitalism.


I suggest you need to be far more heavily educated to make such sweeping statements.

Look north and see Canada's battles with 'over' regulation.
 
Oops! Already broke the agreement, and I have not even agreed to it yet.

"Do not use, copy, display, mirror or frame the XXXXXXXX Platform, any Content, any XXXXXXX branding, or any page layout or design without our consent.

I presume that has already been broken simply by posting here about it. Ahhh, but at the current time, I have not agreed to it. So if I subsequently do, it can't cover something I did before agreeing.
 
Bullshit. Easy to say. Quite another to actually do that. And it could get quite expensive. Some areas of the economy simply have no alternatives. All the service or product offerings have those boxes which must be checked or you can't have the toy. Avoiding these user agreements is definitely giving up a lot of modern conveniences.
You aren't entitled to convenience. If you want to use a platform, application, etc. developed and maintained by someone else - abide by their rules.


. I do feel guilty about it and I don't like that you have reminded me that I am being foolishly taken advantage of.'
How am I being 'taken advantage of'?


Your entire rant and post sounds like you want companies to simply allow you to use their products and services - with no rules, regulations, terms of service, etc.

Sorry, but that isn't how the world works.
 
Oops! Already broke the agreement, and I have not even agreed to it yet.

"Do not use, copy, display, mirror or frame the XXXXXXXX Platform, any Content, any XXXXXXX branding, or any page layout or design without our consent.

I presume that has already been broken simply by posting here about it. Ahhh, but at the current time, I have not agreed to it. So if I subsequently do, it can't cover something I did before agreeing.



Then don't use the ****ing product!

I think you just want free shit.
 
I'm not sure what your issue is....

If a corporation is making demands of me pre-sale and I don't like those demands I can demand an alternative or not buy the product. In the 90's, leasing a car became corrupt, you ended up paying for the depreciation. So, I started buying second hand expired leases. I saved 30 to 35%. "New" only smells new for a few weeks anyway.

If a service provider ups my fee, I change service providers. I've changed telephone companies four times in five years and saved a total of five weeks free! And there is always a bootleg version of whatever you want and I still have enough 60's in me to enjoy ripping off the "man".

In Canada we have experienced single-source products and services and discovered you need the heavy hand of government sooner or later or the consumer gets screwed. Americans think that's communism. So live with it.

No one is forcing you to have the latest, greatest, sexiest. "Last year" is always better...remember ipod? "New" has sucked every since

My issue is being required to read hundreds of pages before being able to use a product or service. Certainly, there has to be a better way. Perhaps it could be standardized and taught in schools. "OK, Agreement A is what these corporations want. What does it mean? We will cover all of it during this school year. If you wish to use a product or service that uses Agreement A, you will know what you are getting yourself into."

It is absurd that every corporation has their own agreement. If they wanted something specific to their product or service it could be an addendum to a standardized agreement.

Consumer's time is not free. But corporations act like it is. That's BS.
 
Highly unusual. A MAGA demanding more regulations from a bigger Government? I must be dreaming. Would the President have immunity in your world?
If you think I'm maga you have not read much of what I post.
 
Hate to break it to you- but those user agreements that you complain about are BECAUSE of regulations and lawsuits.

More regulations = more pages of agreements.
Bullshit.

User Agreements are designed to rip you off, gather every bit of data they can on you, and prevent lawsuits after they pry into your personal life.

There is no reason for user agreements to be so long. They are repetitive on purpose. They are made so long precisely to entice users to NOT read them and agree anyway. That way, they can bury anything they want in there and you agreed to it. And you can't sue them. You also agree to that, you know. They make themselves above the law. By checking that little box, consumers give them that power.
 
I suggest you need to be far more heavily educated to make such sweeping statements.

Look north and see Canada's battles with 'over' regulation.
I'm too busy reading this stupid user agreement. I wonder if I will even finish today. Who's got time for this crap?
 
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