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Jun 18, 2019
ssc

If Kim Jong-Un Opened A KFC, Would You Eat There?

6 min • 756 words • 472 comments • podcast (7 min)
Scott Alexander examines the ethics of supporting formerly 'evil' companies that transition to more ethical practices, ultimately leaning towards supporting their new ventures. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the ethical dilemma of supporting formerly 'evil' companies that pivot to more ethical practices. He uses examples like Philip Morris moving to smoke-free cigarettes and KFC offering meatless options. The post discusses whether companies that profited from harmful practices should be allowed to profit again from ethical alternatives. Scott compares this to offering dictators comfortable retirements to encourage them to relinquish power. He ultimately leans towards supporting these companies' new ethical ventures, citing reasons such as the difficulty of predicting moral progress, the inconsistency of only boycotting visible offenders, and the practical challenges of effective boycotts. Shorter summary
Apr 24, 2013
ssc

Product Recommendation: FB Purity

2 min • 249 words • 9 comments
Scott recommends the FB Purity browser add-on to filter unwanted content on Facebook, but notes that Facebook is trying to ban it. Longer summary
Scott recommends the FB Purity browser add-on as a solution to reduce stress from unwanted political content on Facebook. The add-on allows users to fine-tune their Facebook settings, including options to hide links and image macros, which helps Scott enjoy social media more. However, Facebook is attempting to ban the add-on and sue its creator, leading Scott to criticize Facebook's consistently poor behavior, contrasting it with Google's 'don't be evil' approach. Shorter summary