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Comment by JohnFen | Hacker News Reader

Business has always been about the greater benefit. Not solely (or primarily, from the business owner's perspective) about that, of course, but that aspect is the entire reason why government puts so much time, effort, and money into supporting business activities.

If business is not at least in part about the greater benefit, then we need to stop wasting so many resources supporting it.

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So when was this? When European businesses were exploiting the “new world”? When plantation owners were employing slaves? When robber barons were exploiting people and polluting the environment? The “greed is good” 80s? VCs throwing money at startups that they know will never be profitable waiting for the “greater fool”?

I mean didn't the greater European community as a whole benefit greatly by access to the materials found in the "new world" (and also Asia)?

Plantations is a bit vague but to assume Cotton; people benefited tremendously from cheaper clothes. A lot of the early industrial revolution was weaving machines which wouldn't be possible without a lot of cotton.

Robber barons is a bit vague but to assume railroads; people benefited tremendously from trade. Our cities are built with a lot of materials that aren't locally sourced.

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Things have trade-offs but to say there were nothing positive about something that has negatives is very dishonest.

> mean didn't the greater European community as a whole benefit greatly by access to the materials found in the "new world" (and also Asia)?

At the expense of killing millions?

< Plantations is a bit vague but to assume Cotton; people benefited tremendously from cheaper clothes. A lot of the early industrial revolution was weaving machines which wouldn't be possible without a lot of cotton.

At the expense of killing and enslaving millions?

It would really help if you could identify a specific business to talk about.

Columbus wasn't a business but if you take a look at why he got funding [1] you'll see its very clearly for the greater good (of the crown). Of course, the inhabitants of the land being colonized are not taken into consideration but they're also not the one giving Columbus his funding.

I think you need to think a bit longer about this. If slavery wasn't useful economically why did so many civilizations engage in it?

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbu...

It didn’t help the slaves or the people being colonized…

Before globalization, even before the industrial revolution.

The agriculture revolution has been a disaster for the human race. Or at least the individuals within it.

You mean when there was mass starvation, low life expectancy and mostly on the backs of people colonized by Europeans?

No, that was after globalization, not before. Exploiting the backs of other workers is at the core of globalism, and the core of evil (imo).

Yes, there was starvation, but if we're all starving, who cares, really? Better we all starve than to have a despot in power starving me while he eats fat. Eat his fat instead.

The government tolerates business because the alternative is so much worse.

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