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In practice it's not likely I'd be reading their blog, but to answer the question, it would depend on the nature of the blog post. I think it's possible to have thoughtful and well-considered arguments against affirmative action. It's also possible to be a dick, and I'd put DHH squarely in that category. If I thought the apple-seller was a dick, then no, I would not buy apples from them.

To move out of hypotheticals, I was a long-time fan of Kanye West. When it turned out he was an antisemite, I decided I would no longer stream his music. I know each stream is worth less than a penny but I'm not comfortable putting any amount of money in his wallet. When I learned that Adidas was fully aware of his antisemitism and tolerated it to make a buck, I decided I'd be buying Nikes instead.

Every time Musk opens his mouth these days, he damages the brand of the companies he owns/is associated with. That's because it's his choice to speak his mind, and it's the choice of consumers to put their dollars elsewhere. This fact is not new. When you sell a business, some amount of the value is attributed to "goodwill". Musk, DHH and West have all damaged their brands and in the process, diminished the goodwill and thus the value of their companies.




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