Tell us about a business that does not exist to make money.

First post:

> the pill to swallow is that most employees including managers are grist to the mill

Meaning that employees are disposable, and their only purpose is to produce value for the business.

Your reply:

> Businesses exist to make money. If you want a commune instead, join one!

Agreeing that the sole purpose of a business is to make money above all else.

My reply:

> That's not the only reason why businesses can exist.

Your reply:

> Tell us about a business that does not exist to make money.

This is rhetorical sleight-of-hand to change the counterpoint from "prove me wrong by showing me a business whose purpose is not to maximally exploit employees to maximize the amount of money it makes" to "prove me wrong by showing me a business that does not make money".

I could respond to the latter with an easy "some businesses lose money and exist because the owner finds the process fun", but you could counter with the No True Scotsman of "a business that doesn't make money is a hobby, not a business".

Instead, I will respond to the former, which is the original point, and say that there are plenty of mom-and-pop (or larger) businesses, as well as cooperatives, whose goals are not actually to exploit the worker to maximize the amount of money they make, but is primarily to give the owners a good work/life balance, or to help their community, or to be owned collectively by all workers.

The American-style "walk over anyone to make money" isn't actually the only way to do business, but the kind of person who thinks it is will generally make the tautological argument of "if you aren't maximizing your profits, you aren't a real business".