How the computer killed capitalism.

>> climate change

> Yeah, it’s a problem, but you shouldn’t be pointing the finger at Western countries, since CO2 emissions are going down in the US and Europe. And the US doesn’t have severe restrictions on CO2 emissions, this improvement is largely through innovation. I’m hopeful that those innovations will spread to the rest of the world.

As long as western countries are importing so much energy and goods from the rest of the world, western countries are still responsible for the CO2 emissions by association. Sometimes even directly, when western companies have CO2-Emissions in other countries.

>> fed up by corporate friendly governments

> I don’t think that is the reason people are shifting to the right. Here are a few other takes:

There are many studies that suggest that there is a correlation between voting and trust in politics. Mainly it comes down to the majority of people are less likely to vote if they don't trust the system. Only that gives extremist actors more voters because their supporters are inherently more likely to vote (because they're political extremist, politics are important to them, hence is voting).

Furthermore, especially in Germany, but also in the U.S. many people, especially with low political knowledge and low education in general, are prefering political actors who claim to "drain the swamp", that meaning beeing an alternative to regular political actors they don't trust anymore.

The strong focus on economy and capitalism, especially after the fall of the iron curtain, is undenialably a major driving force in shaping our societies. Social security has been a target for these kind of politics, and the result was forcing people to do shit jobs for shit wages while everything else went up in price.

> > Amazon rips off legally protected stuff… China

> Sure, that sort of thing happens, but how much of an impact does it really have on large businesses? We don’t see ripoff iPhones or cracked copies of Windows much here in the West. They’re not ripping off cars, expensive clothing brands, or higher end electronics.

Well, what are other smartphones when not ripoff iphones? Apple has around 20% marketshare in a sector that they invented. Many companies actively copy Apples designs, like Xiaomi, who has around 10% now. And it is not about the impact on the businesses, we, as a species, need a lot less manufacturing and therfore businesses. The drive to make profit carries things like planned obsolence and tiered development (like in electronics, where often times big advances in consumer tech are possible but the companies earn way more if they make small improvements every year for five years).

> They rip off the little guy because they know they can get away with it. And that’s the problem. IP law stopped protecting smaller companies a long time ago. Who do you think benefits more from copyright lasting life + 70 years, the indie author/game studio, or Disney? It doesn’t matter if you have a patent, trademark, or copyright if a larger org can just tie up the case in the courts until you run out of money, and they know that so they abuse the current system.

Yes, but this influence in IP law stuff is only a symptom of companies having enough influence to shape legislation, jursidiction and executive power. Since money rules everything and they got the most, they can do whatever the fuck pleases them. And your IP law changes will not do much there, even if comes through in a non-tampered-with way. Big companies and the super rich are abusing the current system in general.