I agree with what you said about the first few examples, except:

The tax example does go really far, sure, but it IS IN OUR CONTROL. The tax example is in principle comparable to the baby seal example. The only difference is that in the tax example, it would require A LOT more from us if we really wanted to avoid it. In the baby seal example, you just don’t buy fur clothing. But in the tax example, you’d have to stop paying taxes. And since this is required by law, you’d probably have to get out of the country to really be able to stop paying taxes. This is a lot harder to do than just not buying fur clothing anymore. But it IS in our control! If someone REALLY wanted to stop supporting the war in any way, he would consider this. The question is just: How much are you against the war? How much would you be willing to personally do or sacrifice to stop it?

In the end you can probably conclude that most people wouldn’t be able to do it. And the reason is simply that they aren’t willing to sacrifice that much to stand behind their beliefs. When they have to make too many personal sacrifices, they become a bit selfish. And ofcourse it is quite painful to be this honest and to admit this, but it is the reality. And it makes them hypocrites. Including, so far, me.

And about Microsoft and the vice president example, there can be many good reasons why you can want to keep supporting Microsoft while they do just one bad thing, and in the vice president example, like you say, there can be many good reasons to stay at the company while there are just one or few bad reasons to quit. But you can never assume that the many good reasons to do something always eliminate the one or few bad reasons. For example: There can be good reasons for someone to steal, but those don’t justify stealing. Someone may want to steal to feed her children, but it doesn’t justify stealing. And if I help that person to steal, it doesn’t make me a good person because I want to help, it makes me an accomplice. It’s the same in the Microsoft situation. When I continue to support them, I’m also supporting the crimes in China.
I do agree that you should raise the issue and do everything you can to try to improve the situation, but if that doesn’t work, the only solutions that remain will be the more drastic ones.

Also, I didn’t mean that you should become a monk out of tiredness or frustration, but just that if you really want to avoid being part of this fundamentally evil world, and if you really want to live a more pure life, you just have no choice but to isolate yourself from this world as much as possible. And becoming a monk is an example of a situation where you’d probably be able to do that, among other things.

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Vice president example: If you know if some employees are underpaid compared to their worth and if you believe in equal treatment among employees, then as a vice president, you should raise this issue to your boss at least. But there are many other aspects in the company, and this sole thing should not be a decision point. If there are 10 good things in the company and this one thing that you do not like, I think you should try to fix this problem if you really like this company by raising the issue. This is under your control. But this should not be a reason that you leave the company. You cannot expect everything to be perfect. If, among all other things, this issue is the far most important thing to you, and if this issue is not solved, then you may consider leaving the company.

Terrorist example: If you did not know the use of the money, then what can you do? You did a favor for your friend, and you are totally out of control about this. If you got to know that this money will be used for terrorist act, then you should not lend the money to your friend. It is totally under your control.

Tax example: I think you went really far.. This is purely out of control of us. You cannot stop from paying tax. That’s a must in modern society. But you can protest against the war. Speak out for your belief. You can find the use of taxes, and raise the issues toward the government to cut down the tax use on war. It will be a tiny voice, but still many of the tiny small voices can make a difference.

Now back to Microsoft. It’s same as the vice president example. There are many reasons why you like Microsoft, but you do not like this censorship in China. That should not make you feel bad about Microsoft. Then raise this issue to Microsoft. Let them know that you are not happy about it. Try to gather other people that share the same belief with you. You should act to make the company you like better. There are many many numbers between 0 and 1, not just two. A company can be good in here, but bad in there. They are not always good or always bad. And if you find some bad things about the company, try to fix it. Ask them why they did that. Ask them why they wanted to please Chinese government, while they are so keen on human welfare and donating so much money for it? Ask them and keep raising the issue! But I do not think you should stop supporting a company you like. You can give this information to your friends while you recommend the company to be fair.

Being a monk to be away from all of these is not fair nor right. If you have some belief, then you should speak out. Otherwise, the world or the system will not get better at all. How would anybody know that there is a problem if nobody is complaining about it? I also think being a monk should be out of more noble cause, not out of tiredness or frustration.