[extropy-chat] Seven cents an hour? (was: Riots in France)

[John K Clark]

"M.B. Baumeister" <mbb386 at main.nc.us>

> When we consider economy of scale, mom and pop were
> likely doing the best they could.

Who cares. Consumers are not interested in excuses and neither am I. Perhaps
the extra money they charged went into mom and pop's pockets or maybe it
just evaporated due to incompetence and other inefficiencies, it doesn't
matter to me. All that matter to me when I  buy an ice cream cone is how
good it tastes and how much it costs. And, judging from Wal-Mart's victory
over mom and pop I am not very unusual in that regard.

>  Now, with fuel prices rising in the USA, mom and pop have more appeal.

I rather doubt you are right but it's the market that decides such things
not me. If you are right and the market puts Wal-Mart out of business and
mom and pop comes back in a big way you will hear no complaint from me. But
remember, Wal-Mart was once a little mom and pop store, they just did things
a little more efficiently than anybody else, and with Wal-Mart  now out of
business there is a big hole in the economic ecosystem that will not stay
empty forever.

  John K Clark