The Behringer era

The Lounge General Discussion
#353

And that’s the great thing about the free market. You can express your displeasure by choosing to not purchase the product and if enough people agree with you, they will follow your lead which will cause Behringer to change their manufacturing methods and price accordingly. Otherwise, Behringer will continue to develop and manufacture synths at commodity prices. Either way, consumer behavior will save the day for either the social activist or the budding synth player.

Regardless, the fact we’re even discussing this just goes to show that many of us come from a position of financial privilege, something a few seem to have alluded to further up the thread.

I’ve never owned a Behringer product before but I feel some pleasure in seeing the democratization of technology. In this case, allowing some to enjoy sounds from the synths they’ve never previously had personal experience with. I can see why they are excited. :wink:

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#354

Tried to find some info on all the shock horror. Found these (admittedly didn’t watch all of it).

Looks like any other shitty factory job? I’ve worked in some myself over the years…Probably a ton of workers complaining like there are in all shitty mass production factory work?

But notions like boycotting based on ethics is just encouraging the idea of taking away the option for these people to even be able to decide to apply for these jobs… unless there’s a better solution in place to replace these jobs then it’s not helping anyone.

#355

There will be if the consumer demands better behavior.

#356

No, you’re right. Probably not a very comparable situation in terms of wages. Although, I certainly have no idea what Behringer’s employees make, or Ford’s, in today’s dollars, and the cost of living and purchasing power in each area. Might be interesting to find out?

Really I was just quickly replying to konputa and thinking along the lines of factory workers buying the products they were making. Thought it was an interesting mental picture, that’s all.

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#357

In an ideal world yeah. But it’s insanely complicated and I’ll believe it when I see it…

It’s China’s job to make a situation where people dont need to apply for shitty jobs, not behringers…the conditions in the behringer factory seem no worse than shitty factory work in uk? Maybe I’m being ignorant to some of the info out there though?

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#358

You’re absolutely right. That’s why I stressed imo. If people think it’s worth encouraging this behavior so they can have a 101 that is absolutely their right.

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#359

Yeah i need to learn seperate replies from general posts. I was only replying to you visavis ford. Nothing else was directed at you.

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#360

Its absolutely complicated. But that doesn’t mean impossible.

Tbh pretty easy actually if everyone tomorrow refused to consume anything made through human / environmental exploitation. Bigcats would pull their political puppets strings so frickin quick…

#361

I think that’s a little naive to be fair. Your suggestion, while admirable, relies on an ideal set of circumstances.

I agree with your sentiment, but without a totalitarian rule set, it would be highly improbable that anyone could maintain an ideal scenario for long.

And (I should add), a totalitarian rule would be a nightmare

#362

Or maybe not. And then no one has a job. Not really our lives to make those kind of decisions/gambles with. I, for one, know jack shit about what it’s like to be working class in China in that entire social/economic landscape…Ask some behringer workers if they want us to boycott Behringer and to just hope for the best… If they all say yes then fine, I’m in :wink: otherwise, without a solid and thorough plan for change it’s just idealism. Which is hard to knock, but sometimes in reality isn’t very helpful :frowning:

#363

Why totalitarian?

The consumers expectation that it come cheap is all that matters. If instead it was it came decently we’d see different corporate behavior.

#364

Totalitarian in the sense that it requires people to constantly hold the same values.

Having a system in place that values quality (or in this case decency) over quantity would be better ethically. But I think if people were completely transparent about how they felt, we’d find that most people don’t think too deeply about it. Especially since they may feel they have little influence over it.

Plus, as long as the capacity for maximisation exists, there will be the chance that someone or some company would figure out a means to exploit the system in some manner.

Obviously all of this is somewhat speculation when talking about synths and business practices at Behringer, but there have been economies and societies that have been said to be free of capitalist infrastructure, that still show signs of a capacity for profit in some means, which can often be connected with exploitation of a predefined set of social rules or laws.

#365

Unethical business practices
Cheap overseas labor
Totalitarian Rule
Consumerism
Boycotts
Trump
giphy

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#366

Wake me up when we reach brexit :wink:

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#367

I totally agree with everything you say. That doesn’t mean I have to support it.

#368

I think you mean Behrexit. :wink:

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#369

With regards to “cheap” and how it scales with “decent”, this point is always interesting to me when you observe how many people buy on price 1st and foremost. This is the primary reason that so much manufacturing has moved to Asia.

Just the other day we saw people complaining about how the new Elektron is too expensive at $400. And I’m quite sure we’ll see the same comments if they come out with a stripped out $200 unit next year or the year after.

P&G uses child labor as well as animal testing and their products can be found in many homes around the globe. Are Berhinger using slave labor or are they providing jobs to locals that are joining the global economy as new consumers? So far at least, I haven’t seen claims that these two companies are terribly comparable.

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#370

Not mine :wink:

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#371

Nor mine, amigo. :wink:

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#372

Yeah, if the Model:Samples was made in Vietnam, many Elektron fans would be happy at the new $250 price point.

All while telling men how to be better human beings, as if they had some moral high ground to stand on, hah! The irony. (Gillette Commercial for those that don’t know)

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