Quote:
Originally Posted by Wasillaguy
The other side of the coin is that our freedom of mobility gives us choice. If the grocery at the end of the block is overpriced or has inferior product, you can easily patronize another store as long as you have affordable transportation. If we lose the cheap transport, neighborhood businesses of all stripes are given a sort of geographic monopoly. Those at the bottom financially are, of course, effected the most.
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Oranges are oranges.
Charmin toilet paper is Charmin toilet paper.
Budweiser is Budweiser.
etc. etc.
It doesn't matter where we buy those commodities. Also allowing a store to have a neighborhood monopoly guarantees its viability. If the owner tries to gouge the customers then they will beat his ass. As a practical matter though gouging does not happen because the store owner lives in the same neighborhood as his customers. They are his friends and neighbors.
How many grocery stores does Wasilla have? I've only been there once but from what I recall it probably only has one.
The Detroit area is littered with abandoned grocery stores. The weaker ones lost out as the suburbs grew and customer density decreased. Where we used to have strip malls with a grocery store as an anchor we now have several strip malls with cheap shops and Salvation Army centers occupying the old grocery stores. Just the other day I took a ride up to new and ritzy area where Kid Rock lives. Even they have a Salvation Army in a not-so-old grocery store.
I realize that not many people understand where my brain comes from and my anger. It is a manifestation of living under the extremes of so************************m in Germany and the extremes of capitalism in Detroit. After those experiences I've leaned towards a lesser evil and it's not laissez-faire capitalism. That stuff is Satan incarnate.