Teresa Hanafin wrote this morning in Fast Foreard for the Boston Hlobe.
“Just spotted this disturbing story: Another major US company caved to the demands of an autocrat in the name of profit. Apple changed its map and weather apps for users in Russia, redrawing the borders of Crimea to show it as part of Russia instead of Ukraine, capitulating to Russian President Vladimir Putin. As you know, Russia annexed Crimea five years ago after a popular uprising in Ukraine deposed the pro-Russian president. It’s not the first time: Both Apple and Google have caved to China’s demands related to lending legitimacy to Hong Kong’s and Taiwan’s efforts at independence.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
. . . and there lives the conflict between democratic and capitalist-oligarchic/kleptocratic/dictator totalitarian states. The latter is zero-sum game (hierarchical, I’m on top and you’re not, my way or the highway, the leader’s view is the standard and ONLY view), while the former gets its power from a flexible Constitution (and the law) and takes its general guideline as what is good of all concerned (live and let live–well). CBK
Corporations are not patriots. They are profit seekers. In a global economy corporations will capitulate to those that help them make their profit. Remind me again why we keep giving them outrageous subsidies and tax breaks?
Amen, retired teacher.
I’m disturbed by this caving in by Apple and Google to both China and Russia but then I wonder what incentive do they have to not do otherwise because our country has a leader whose foreign policy seems to fluctuate based on the last person he’s talked to last. In other words would he support companies from the United States or would he bash them because of their actions, whatever they’d be. So we have companies that realize that we have a global world and need to act globally with their business decisions and a president whose views border on isolationism and shift with any political wind blowing in his face.
These moves reflect an interest in profit and pleasing strong-man rulers, just like Trump on both counts.
It’s all about the money. That is THE problem today.
But there’s this disturbing truth also. Like so often, many – including myself – will continue to use Apple products and therefore embolden such immoral actions. Similarly, how many of us own stocks or have 401Ks that invest in companies we know are eroding our rights? Kinda like driving a gas guzzler home from a climate instability conference. In many ways how we spend our capital has a much more profound influence in the world than how we vote.
It’s not the little guy that is the problem.
That’s what the big boys want you to believe. Feel guilty, fear everything, look over there, there is the boogeyman.
Yep.
We can continue to use products, but we must resist the temptation to purchase often and we must resist the urge to buy everything new and techie to make our lives “easier and safer” ( data gathering). Everything in moderation. Thank you very much, but I will turn the lights on in my house when I get home….or with an old fashioned timer….no way will I sign onto being able to do that from my phone from miles away. As for investments….many can’t make a choice about how their workplace invests it’s retirement/savings dollars and if we had to make that choice ourselves based on companies eroding our rights?….well, we wouldn’t be investing at all since most companies are eroding our rights in some way. Everything in moderation.
In this case I can’t agree with you regarding Russia.