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Comment by fleitz | Hacker News Reader

Yes, government policy has a huge effect, for one it created the nation of chain smokers.

What Google does is monetize the products of our school system, the school system produces mindless consumers incapable of producing on their own. Google connects these dependents of the state to the people who can produce the goods they need to live.

If you want to change what Google promotes simply transform the school system into an education system predicated upon critical and independent thought. By transforming the school system you'll have solved a whole host of social problems, the least of which will be ads hawking get rich quick schemes.

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I'm in favor of a lot of ways to fix this problem. What I cannot abide is the whole "people are stupid and want stupid things, I'm just fulfilling their stupid demands" excuse.

What hope does this world have when its best and brightest are content with swindling money out of the ill-informed?

None, whatsoever. But what alternative do the "best and the brightest" have? After all, in order to keep being "the best and the brightest" they do need to pay rent (and have an occasional steak dinner).

What value is there in educating if one can simply purchase social capital when one needs it?

Exhibit A: http://www.facebook.com/BPTeamUSA

Exhibit B: http://www.altria.com/en/cms/Responsibility/investing-in-com...

> "After all, in order to keep being "the best and the brightest" they do need to pay rent (and have an occasional steak dinner)."

Plenty of people pay rent and eat well and aren't complicit in scams and get-rich-quick schemes. Plenty of people have jobs that pay well and don't pander to the lowest common denominator and reinforce ignorance...

If you think I'm advocating pandering to the lowest common denominator and reinforcing ignorance, you are mistaken.

I am pointing out the fact that within a system of social organization which allows "material capital" to be easily convertible to "social capital" this type of behavior will always exist. Moreover, in most cases it will be a superior social/business strategy.

Consider a hypothetical example. Evil Company X can do a "socially harmful" thing Y and make Z dollars or a "socially beneficial" thing W and make V dollars. Well, if Z - [the cost of whitewashing] > V, why not do it?

Furthermore, should the CEO of ECX opt to do V and forego greater profits, investors of X would be well-justified to vote for his removal at the subsequent board meeting. After all, the CEO was not representing THEIR best interests...

Interesting question: for younger folks who weren't aware of the Altria name change, does anyone think Altria is not a criminal enterprise?

What does criminal enterprise even mean?

Mostly everyone is a criminal, if you've gotten a city parking ticket you're a criminal.

If you've let your meter run out but didn't get caught it's still criminal. Didn't wear your seatbelt? Criminal.

Were you having a bad day but when you talked to the city clerk you told them it was going well? You're a criminal.

Altria sells a product that is harmful to people's health while providing other benefits, like most other products including car manufactures, coffee shops, etc.

Does Altria break a criminal statute? It's pretty much inevitable that they do.

Would I characterize them as a criminal enterprise? No.

Some people are far more concerned about living life than prolonging death. If you don't like cigarettes don't smoke.

I find this really interesting. The term "ill-informed" is often used as a dramatic simplification for "someone who has different views than I do" or "someone who makes poor choices".

Here: I'm a smoker. Do I know that smoking is terrible for me? Yes, absolutely. Is there any possible way to make a case that I'm "ill-informed" about the effects of tobacco? Not at all. And yet, I live with the fact that, every day, I choose to smoke tobacco. Yes, I'm addicted to it, and yes, I'm going to quit smoking it (because I know it's terrible for me), but... I'm not quitting today :)

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