I'm good at detecting manipulation now, and the more someone tries to manipulate me the less I will give in.

I just put my money toward people who don't do that crap, and I want the manipulators to see that I'm giving money to their non-manipulating competitors.

I agree with everything before the semicolon. But as an NPR listener, I find it hard to be offended by it.

I bet NPR spends far more of their incoming money on their main product.

They're not your parent, and if you treat them as such, that's a problem you need to work on addressing.

Parental manipulation works because it's completely reasonable given the relationship for it to be effective. It's a betrayal of trust.

If a company tries that tactic and it "works" too well, that's an opportunity to evaluate your psyche, not get mad at them.

Companies do it because it works. You're blaming bad behavior on the people that are being manipulated because, according to you, they have psychological problems. As if the people being manipulated being disabled somehow excuses the company taking advantage of them.

Exactly. Taking advantage of vulnerable people is not a legitimate defense, the fact that they are easily exploitable makes the behavior even less moral.