I agree that corporations are motivated by money. Generally, they don’t just take people’s money, they have to give something people want in exchange. Do customers share responsibility for the bad consequences you describe? I’ve seen people criticize Amazon for being cheap to employees, while also saying they shop at Amazon to save money.

Streetcars seems like a good example. Horse-based transportation was dirty, slow, and uncomfortable. Corporations offered streetcars as an alternative and customers preferred the clean, fast, more comfortable ride (despite unsavory behavior by some streetcar operators).

Then corporations offered automobiles, even cleaner, faster and more convenient. “By 1930, most streetcar systems were aging and losing money.” Customers had already made their choice by the time GM started ruthlessly putting nails in the streetcar coffin.

I appreciate having a car instead of relying on animals or streetcars to get around. I don’t like GM cars, so I am pleased that there are so many corporations providing me with alternatives at no cost to me.