If I borrow from a person, I'll bleed to death in the snow to make sure they get paid back. But from a corporation? Their losses are priced into their interest rate. I'll still pay them back of course, but if I lose my job, have no income, I'm not crying over it.
That sounds exactly like my justification for stealing! Businesses usually have insurance to cover losses from theft. (And if they don't, that's on them.) And who's paying for that insurance? Right: Their customers. So it's kind of like: Unless you steal from them, they're stealing from you!
You're entitled to your opinion. Perhaps you'll understand the other side when your small business pops, you've got no income, and you exhaust any savings you have.
Now... imagine your small business popped, you had no income, and you exhausted all your savings... because too many of your customers didn't pay for the goods/services they obtained from your small business. That is quite the moral pickle to be in, if you ask me.
(Forgive me if I misunderstood... but your reply to my comment leads me to believe your business went under due to people skipping out on their debt to you.)
I'm sorry for your loss. But this is why we should all strive to repay our debts... even to corporations[1]. I would imagine that some of your customers that stiffed you may have had the very attitude you described when you said "But from a corporation? Their losses are priced into their interest rate." They, too, may have assumed that your loss was priced into your rates. It must not have been. Perhaps other businesses don't either. It makes you wonder just how many people/business get totally screwed by people defaulting on debt to them. You suggested that chasing might understand differently if s/he had lost a business. Of course you are also entitled to your opinion. But, honestly, I'm a little sad that you don't see the other side of it, having been shattered by people not making good on their debt to you.
[1] I understand that Corporation ("big C") is generally directed at the big, huge things like Walmart and Chevron. But corporation ("little c") is just a legal term and can still be the small business down the street.
I agree! Paying for things you've taken from corporations only helps perpetuate the Global Corporate Hegemony. Racking up a bunch of debts and then making excuses about why you aren't obligated to pay them is probably actually more morally correct than paying for the things you take.
Unless you take things from people. People are different. Then you should pay for those things by bleeding all over the snow or whatever. (I don't know how money works in your country. In the US we usually just use dollars. There's not much snow right now and having everyone's blood everywhere can lead to public health problems. See also: Ebola.)
Anyway. Thank god there are no people at corporations. And thank god all corporations are the size of Walmart and can easily withstand financial losses due to non-payment.
Let me get this straight, you don't feel bad about owing Walmart $10, because they factor that loss into their business model, and expect it to occur?
Well, you should care, because they factor it in by increasing prices for consumers. You're just getting everyone else that shops at Walmart to cover your debt. That's irresponsible, and I see no difference between owing Walmart $10 and owing your friend $10.
