I disagree on it mattering, and there are plenty of correlations including executives with histories across the auto industry. These companies aren’t as nimble or efficient as their branding suggests - they’ve operated with the same tactics for decades and the holocaust was not that long ago. Id argue the only thing that’s changed is corporate rebranding & propaganda because a new image was profitable, not because they magically became altruistic. Companies that escaped their problematic moments should not have escaped them - the fact that they did is itself problematic. ‘I’m sorry’ is not payment enough for profiteering off of genocide in my opinion. Well aware of how many companies are problematic, I just think we can do better.
Focusing on Elon for his actions right now is a great step and focus area tho!
So, if the Volkswagen Group car brands all dissolved and the people in charge created a new company that’d be just fine? Why would we boycott a company for what happened 80 years ago? We can just build a wall around Germany then.
What exactly is problematic? The past has happened and it cannot be changed; how you deal with it is the only question, and the Germans in particular have dealt with it admirably. It only matters what they do with they’re given. Nothing is static, especially not a company which is just a reflection of their owners and employees.
Would it make you or anyone happier if we drove in Skodas rather than Volkswagens?
I agree with some of your points and the only thing I’d add is brands are symbols, and if a brand is left intact after an atrocity what does that say? I don’t think the brands should exist any more than keeping the same people in charge.
In that case I’d argue you can look at it from a different perspective: nothing bad is forever. Even brands - and people - directly complicit in genocide can change for the better, and before that; seemingly regular people can be driven to commit mad atrocities. This is a very important lesson today especially, as we are repeating history
I disagree on it mattering, and there are plenty of correlations including executives with histories across the auto industry. These companies aren’t as nimble or efficient as their branding suggests - they’ve operated with the same tactics for decades and the holocaust was not that long ago. Id argue the only thing that’s changed is corporate rebranding & propaganda because a new image was profitable, not because they magically became altruistic. Companies that escaped their problematic moments should not have escaped them - the fact that they did is itself problematic. ‘I’m sorry’ is not payment enough for profiteering off of genocide in my opinion. Well aware of how many companies are problematic, I just think we can do better.
Focusing on Elon for his actions right now is a great step and focus area tho!
So, if the Volkswagen Group car brands all dissolved and the people in charge created a new company that’d be just fine? Why would we boycott a company for what happened 80 years ago? We can just build a wall around Germany then.
What exactly is problematic? The past has happened and it cannot be changed; how you deal with it is the only question, and the Germans in particular have dealt with it admirably. It only matters what they do with they’re given. Nothing is static, especially not a company which is just a reflection of their owners and employees.
Would it make you or anyone happier if we drove in Skodas rather than Volkswagens?
I agree with some of your points and the only thing I’d add is brands are symbols, and if a brand is left intact after an atrocity what does that say? I don’t think the brands should exist any more than keeping the same people in charge.
In that case I’d argue you can look at it from a different perspective: nothing bad is forever. Even brands - and people - directly complicit in genocide can change for the better, and before that; seemingly regular people can be driven to commit mad atrocities. This is a very important lesson today especially, as we are repeating history