There was a very long discussion on a website I read about whether or not “Pay what you want” for music included “nothing.” It was an interesting back and forth, but there was this one little gem that popped out in the discussion.
God I hate modern consumers like you. “I’m going to take this apple, vendor. IF I like it, and I have some extra money, and I don’t have anything else I want to spend it on, and I’m feeling generous, I might pay you some amount that may or may not meet or exceed your asking price. But only if I feel like you’re making exactly what it cost to produce that apple, and not a cent more, because then you’re a greedy 1% asshole.”
It’s more like “You’re a convenient apple cart and I like you so I’ll buy an apple for $1 from you on the way to work even though apples are theoretically freely available from trees.”
The corollary being “And boy I’m glad you’re not a dick who goes around through the countryside chopping down and burning every wild apple tree you see to ‘protect your livelihood’ and ordering every kid you see picking free apples shot.”