Should Business Ethics Factor into What AV Companies You Purchase From?

[gene]

Should consumers make an ethical or political choice in their purchasing? There are all real-world examples of products that you could vote on with your economic ballot, but they all require consideration. Read Jerry Del Colliano's editorial to see if you agree with his thoughts.

• Would you buy ungodly expensive audiophile cables from somebody that goes full Trump package to publicly make fun of people with autism and COVID-19 on Facebook?
• Would you support an audiophile company that took PPP loans the same COVID-19 month that the CEO bought a new 6-figure sports car?
• Would you buy an amp from a beloved AV company that might have “borrowed” some intellectual property about said amps from a major, multi-billion-dollar, well-known industry leader?
• Would you buy audiophile speakers from a company that publicly takes a high moral position, but has high-up executives who are adulterers on staff?
• Is it OK for an audiophile company to paint speakers in a conservative state of the country in ways that would never meet state standards for environmental protection in your state?
• Would you buy a subwoofer from someone who owned a loosely defined patent that was well-protected by a local judge friend?
• Would you buy a pair of wireless headphones or an all-in-one speaker from a company that sues over trademark infringement at every possible chance, because they know that they can win because they have more billions of dollars?
• Would you buy AV cables from a company that encourages the specialty AV media to drive their fleet of exotic cars before going to a fully hosted sporting event?
• Would you buy a pair of speakers or a top-performing AV receiver from a big electronics conglomerate that supports giving instruments and lessons to kids in schools in the United States who can’t afford a music program, because their schools are so poorly funded?

Read: Should Ethics of AV Companies Affect your Purchasing Decisions?

 

[shadyJ]

LOL, this ought to make for a calm and level-headed discussion for such a sharply divided country! Speaking for myself, I absolutely factor in a company's ethics when I make a purchase. An unavoidable aspect of capitalism is that a purchase decision is tantamount to a vote. When you buy a product or service, you support that business's agenda or practices whether you like it or not. You can not claim neutrality. You can't say that you stay out of politics when you participate in a capitalistic society. When you buy from a company that supports some nasty political figures, part of your dollar ends up in their campaign coffers. You inevitably support those nasty political figures, and any dispute of that is disingenuous. When you willingly patronize a business that has shady ethics, their ethics become your ethics.

 

[Dude#1279435]

Aw c'mon don't stop with AV. Lets try.....

Would you buy your next pillow from a Trump supporting, Qanon hallucinogen?

 

[Trell]

LOL, this ought to make for a calm and level-headed discussion for such a sharply divided country! Speaking for myself, I absolutely factor in a company's ethics when I make a purchase. An unavoidable aspect of capitalism is that a purchase decision is tantamount to a vote. When you buy a product or service, you support that business's agenda or practices whether you like it or not. You can not claim neutrality. You can't say that you stay out of politics when you participate in a capitalistic society. When you buy from a company that supports some nasty political figures, part of your dollar ends up in their campaign coffers. You inevitably support those nasty political figures, and any dispute of that is disingenuous. When you willingly patronize a business that has shady ethics, their ethics become your ethics.

I agree, up to a point, but it's not black and white, but a greyness one has to navigate.

 

[Hetfield]

I agree when it's blatant like the absolute wacko with his crappy pillows but you can't dig into each and every purchase and just avoid. I'm sure Walmart was pro trump but because of taxes. I'm sure most large corporations were on board with trump because of taxes. They didn't care less about destroying the country, it was about money. Can't avoid all these blood sucking non caring corporations.

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[highfigh]

IMO, buying from unethical/immoral people and companies is a way of condoning their behavior. However, it's not always possible to avoid this when someone has a real or near monopoly. Like Amazon and China. Some companies lose business when their practice of using sweat shops is exposed, but soon enough, people forget and go on with their little lives.

WRT expensive cables without proof of performance- the cost to manufacturer/procure is nowhere near dealer cost, dealer cost is nowhere near the selling price and there's no connection between the company and the idea 'The price is too high" or "Would I pay that much?". They're mainlining the Law of Supply & Demand.

Money and ethics are strange bedfellows. At some point, someone is getting rogered, but good.

I doubt the saying 'Money has no conscience' has ever been more true than now, but there have been so many examples that it would be difficult to prove.

 

[highfigh]

I agree when it's blatant like the absolute wacko with his crappy pillows but you can't dig into each and every purchase and just avoid. I'm sure Walmart was pro trump but because of taxes. I'm sure most large corporations were on board with trump because of taxes. They didn't care less about destroying the country, it was about money. Can't avoid all these blood sucking non caring corporations.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

The guy was in office for one term and that only ended this year- how could Walmart have possibly grown to their level because of Trump?

Your hatred of Trump has obviously blocked your ability to see reality- the corporate tax rate was decreased long before he became POTUS. Also, if desire for unbelievable wealth and avoiding taxes are so bad, why don't you look into the Democrats at the top of the money list?

 

[Hetfield]

The guy was in office for one term and that only ended this year- how could Walmart have possibly grown to their level because of Trump?

Your hatred of Trump has obviously blocked your ability to see reality- the corporate tax rate was decreased long before he became POTUS. Also, if desire for unbelievable wealth and avoiding taxes are so bad, why don't you look into the Democrats at the top of the money list?

Are you dense? No, seriously? Trump had nothing to do with the size of the corporation. Trump cut corporate tax from 30+% to 20% or it might be 18%. It's shame that you don't remember that. That was his big accomplishment in his only term,a giant tax cut for the rich and corporate taxes.

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[Hetfield]

The guy was in office for one term and that only ended this year- how could Walmart have possibly grown to their level because of Trump?

Your hatred of Trump has obviously blocked your ability to see reality- the corporate tax rate was decreased long before he became POTUS. Also, if desire for unbelievable wealth and avoiding taxes are so bad, why don't you look into the Democrats at the top of the money list?

Read all about it, it was cut to 21%. And yes it was your fatso trump that did that and it's why corporations loved his fat un-American anti democracy ass.

What Is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)?

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a major tax code overhaul that cut taxes for individuals and businesses. Many of its reforms expire in 2025.

www.investopedia.com

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[highfigh]

Are you dense? No, seriously? Trump had nothing to do with the size of the corporation. Trump cut corporate tax from 30+% to 20% or it might be 18%. It's shame that you don't remember that. That was his big accomplishment in his only term,a giant tax cut for the rich and corporate taxes.

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Walmart was huge for decades before that Act in 2017- yes, they definitely benefited from it, but it was less than four years ago.

It's 21%, BTW.

I'm still pissed that corporations off-shored so many jobs over the decades- throwing employees under the bus in order to make a pile of money is one of my pet peeves. I want US corporations to be able to compete without other countries dumping their goods in the markets but there are many reasons they can't- even if the CEO pay was in line with the other employees, it wouldn't matter to the corporate bottom line unless the company isn't operating at a profit and at that point, the pay should reflect the performance- zero profit=no pay for the top execs and I don't mean zero profit through accounting.

That said, low prices for imported goods and higher US wages made it impossible for US companies to compete, especially when Americans want four things:

Get what they want
Get it when they want it
All of the time
At the lowest price

If you hate WalMart, does that mean you're willing to pay a higher price, just on principle? That's great, but more than half of US adults don't make enough to have to pay Federal income tax, which means they don't have so much money that they don't care about the prices of the things they need and, sadly, this is one of the reasons WallyWorld has been so successful.

 

[highfigh]

Read all about it, it was cut to 21%. And yes it was your fatso trump that did that and it's why corporations loved his fat un-American anti democracy ass.

What Is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)?

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a major tax code overhaul that cut taxes for individuals and businesses. Many of its reforms expire in 2025.

www.investopedia.com

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

You're writing as if you're in grade school. You can stop, now.

 

[Hetfield]

You're writing as if you're in grade school. You can stop, now.

You support a piece of poop that does not believe in democracy so you can stop now.

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[Hetfield]

Walmart was huge for decades before that Act in 2017- yes, they definitely benefited from it, but it was less than four years ago.

It's 21%, BTW.

I'm still pissed that corporations off-shored so many jobs over the decades- throwing employees under the bus in order to make a pile of money is one of my pet peeves. I want US corporations to be able to compete without other countries dumping their goods in the markets but there are many reasons they can't- even if the CEO pay was in line with the other employees, it wouldn't matter to the corporate bottom line unless the company isn't operating at a profit and at that point, the pay should reflect the performance- zero profit=no pay for the top execs and I don't mean zero profit through accounting.

That said, low prices for imported goods and higher US wages made it impossible for US companies to compete, especially when Americans want four things:

Get what they want
Get it when they want it
All of the time
At the lowest price

If you hate WalMart, does that mean you're willing to pay a higher price, just on principle? That's great, but more than half of US adults don't make enough to have to pay Federal income tax, which means they don't have so much money that they don't care about the prices of the things they need and, sadly, this is one of the reasons WallyWorld has been so successful.

You're a jackass, where did I say I hate Walmart? Show me where I said I hate Walmart? We shop at Walmart every so often. I just went last week to get high reflective shirts for work, 8.82 each. All I said was they, like other corporations loved trump because they knew they were getting lower taxes everything else be damned.

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[cpp]

The guy in that article talks about "Popeye’s is better.", over Chikie Fillet, what for the dirty, nasty over breaded greasy food you get, hell no. Free Speech is free Speech and if a business and a person that actually owns that business wants to make a statement, so be it. Hell we have already lost MR Potato Head and some of DR Seuss books all due to some people getting offended,. Well it now appears the US of A has become the land of the Offended. Well how come people are offended by the name Schiit, well its audio so its ok. Just saying.

One thing that is never noted in this post and the article is AV enthusiast, so how many AV enthusiast are there ?. I would think the small number wouldn't have a ticks impact on any AV manufacture or business for that matter should they chose to support or act like gutless goons.

 

[highfigh]

You're a jackass, where did I say I hate Walmart? Show me where I said I hate Walmart? We shop at Walmart every so often. I just went last week to get high reflective shirts for work, 8.82 each. All I said was they, like other corporations loved trump because they knew they were getting lower taxes everything else be damned.

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WalMart is a common punching bag for people who hate big business.

Again, writing like a child who can't stop insulting others. Really?

Would you pay higher income tax if your rate was lowered, or would you just complain and keep the money?

 

[highfigh]

You support a piece of poop that does not believe in democracy so you can stop now.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

I'm not supporting anyone, I'm arguing that it's not all Trump's fault and if you would pull your head out of your ass, you might remember that Congress writes the Acts, Bills and tax code. Yes, he could have vetoed them, but you don't see the real problem- corporations were able to avoid paying billions in taxes, but Congress is spending trillions upon trillions of dollars on BS that shouldn't be spent. The economy didn't need to shut down to the degree that it did- plenty of businesses don't require close contact, but even if they had remained in operation, they would need a demand for their products and now, Help Wanted signs are seen everywhere, without enough people who want to go back to work because they were paid to stay at home. That's not far from "We'll pretend to pay you, if you'll pretend to work".

 

[highfigh]

The guy in that article talks about "Popeye’s is better.", over Chikie Fillet, what for the dirty, nasty over breaded greasy food you get, hell no. Free Speech is free Speech and if a business and a person that actually owns that business wants to make a statement, so be it. Hell we have already lost MR Potato Head and some of DR Seuss books all due to some people getting offended,. Well it now appears the US of A has become the land of the Offended. Well how come people are offended by the name Schiit, well its audio so its ok. Just saying.

One thing that is never noted in this post and the article is AV enthusiast, so how many AV enthusiast are there ?. I would think the small number wouldn't have a ticks impact on any AV manufacture or business for that matter should they chose to support or act like gutless goons.

I saw a clip with Eugene Levy, explaining that he took the show to the US networks and they liked it, but had a problem with the name. He went to CBC and they also liked it & had a problem with the name until he said that if someone looks in a phone book anywhere in the US, 'Schitt' would be found as a surname- that's what got them to give it the go-ahead.

 

[Pogre]

Would you buy audiophile speakers from a company that publicly takes a high moral position, but has high-up executives who are adulterers on staff?

What a strange question..? Aldulterers?? What's that have to do with audio?

 

[Hetfield]

I'm not supporting anyone, I'm arguing that it's not all Trump's fault and if you would pull your head out of your ass, you might remember that Congress writes the Acts, Bills and tax code. Yes, he could have vetoed them, but you don't see the real problem- corporations were able to avoid paying billions in taxes, but Congress is spending trillions upon trillions of dollars on BS that shouldn't be spent. The economy didn't need to shut down to the degree that it did- plenty of businesses don't require close contact, but even if they had remained in operation, they would need a demand for their products and now, Help Wanted signs are seen everywhere, without enough people who want to go back to work because they were paid to stay at home. That's not far from "We'll pretend to pay you, if you'll pretend to work".

And I am not blaming that piece of garbage only. The republicans wrote that bill. It's a bill and tax cut they wanted forever. It was Paul Ryans dream for years, they finally had a boob who would sign it in trump.
Corporations not paying taxes, awful. People not going back to work, awful but that is going to end soon.

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[Trell]

I'm not supporting anyone, I'm arguing that it's not all Trump's fault and if you would pull your head out of your ass, you might remember that Congress writes the Acts, Bills and tax code. Yes, he could have vetoed them, but you don't see the real problem- corporations were able to avoid paying billions in taxes, but Congress is spending trillions upon trillions of dollars on BS that shouldn't be spent. The economy didn't need to shut down to the degree that it did- plenty of businesses don't require close contact, but even if they had remained in operation, they would need a demand for their products and now, Help Wanted signs are seen everywhere, without enough people who want to go back to work because they were paid to stay at home. That's not far from "We'll pretend to pay you, if you'll pretend to work".

But you do come across as a Trump apologist, though, and have so for years. Eventually people come to think you do support Trump despite your protests that you do not.