Sure, you could argue that. I’m less concerned about labels- and more concerned with the apparatus used to apply authoritarian measures against people in a “free society”. I concede your point, however, and it’s a good one. Also, there’s the issue of how an institution identifies itself and its actions. Sure, we don’t have to listen and just nod, but there’s something to be considered when the NYT would vehemently deny using social capital as currency or to generate profit in a capitalist system. I think they would say something like the profit is a byproduct of an institution dedicated to blah blah blah or something along those lines. But, to your point, the best way to determine the function of a thing is to examine its output.
Sure, you could argue that. I’m less concerned about labels- and more concerned with the apparatus used to apply authoritarian measures against people in a “free society”. I concede your point, however, and it’s a good one. Also, there’s the issue of how an institution identifies itself and its actions. Sure, we don’t have to listen and just nod, but there’s something to be considered when the NYT would vehemently deny using social capital as currency or to generate profit in a capitalist system. I think they would say something like the profit is a byproduct of an institution dedicated to blah blah blah or something along those lines. But, to your point, the best way to determine the function of a thing is to examine its output.