this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2023
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Online piracy is about getting free stuff while not having to face any consequences or look any "victim" in the eye. Getting free stuff is pretty rational at an individual level, even if it requires a certain level of willful moral blindness.
Same with vegetarianism. Meat is delicious and satisfying, even though we know eating a high-meat diet is bad for the Earth. It is perfectly rational for an individual to want to eat meat, but most of us don't want to kill the cow or think about the environmental costs, so we put that part aside so we can continue to eat succulent steaks.
Few things in life are 100% free of any potentially negative consequence. The ability to compartmentalize and hold disparate views is a necessary evolutionary adaptation to having a large brain. Otherwise, you would be paralyzed by indecision over the short- and long-term consequences of our actions.
If you pirate I Love Lucy, there's no victim.
Probably true. And as soon as I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, and MASH become the most popular downloads, you'll have a great point.
Also, to be clear, I'm not against piracy. I subscribe to Gaben's view that piracy is largely caused by poor service. Its one of the few ways that average consumers can fight back against corporate greed.