Originally Posted By wahooskipper Well, if I am going to stay sane....(or at least my definition of sane) then I do need a little time alone with the spouse. Our marriage can't be exclusively about them. Fortunately, I have a mother in town who loves to spend time with them so every once in a while the wife and I get to be adults for a few hours. Heck, if we didn't have that personal time then we wouldn't have child #2...if you know what I mean. I think there is a difference between a parent who shrugs there responsibilities at every chance they get (and I know couples just like that) and parents who spend ample amounts of time with their kids but do take time for themselves once in a while. I think it is an easily found happy medium. That's all I'm getting at.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <I don't discount the facts you have put forth against Wal-Mart. I just don't see a problem with it. Because eventually when they "wipe" out all other businesses and charge 50 dollars for a 10 dollar item, somebody will create a store with that same item for 20 dollars and the cycle will begin anew. < you have to have the capital or someone willing to put it up for your use to do that.....under a monopolistic state of any industry, no one is going to give you a loan where your business model is: I want to compete and underprice the big Evil Walmart. I will have to may more for the goods I buy from vendors because I cannot buy in bulk like WalMart can. So I will buy 100 widgets for $1 each.... and Walmart can buy 100 Widgets for 50 cents each because they buy millions of them. So I sell for $1.01 to make my one cent profit--- well Walmart can sell them for 75 cents -- make 25 cents on each and be cheaper than me. For me to compete I have to sell for less than htem....so I will sell for 40 cents each and lose 60 cents on every one...thereby going out of business... try selling this business model to a banker or loan officer.... this is why so many smaller stores in all the Walmart locations are gone. What about toys r' us -- 2 years of Walmart selling certain hot toy items at less than cost -- where all the volumes made up the profit and the toy stores are all but gone. Where are those deals now at Walmart with Toys r Us and Kay bee Toys in bakruptcy ? Gone....because they no longer have to do that. They raised the price of other articles in the store to absorb the loss leads on the hot toys-- and ran the toy store companies out of business..now they can also charge anything they want, and do
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <I think there is a difference between a parent who shrugs there responsibilities at every chance they get (and I know couples just like that) and parents who spend ample amounts of time with their kids but do take time for themselves once in a while. I think it is an easily found happy medium. That's all I'm getting at.< I agree with this difference you state, my gripe is with the second group you mention, which by the way seems to be growing larger in size IMHO.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Well, what is the answer vbdad? Do you put the kibatsch on the free market? Same thing happens with book stores but I don't hear anyone yelling at Borders or Books a Million for putting the neighborhood book store out of business. And, the same thing happened in the computer business with Microsoft pushing almost all other software designers to the edge of the cliff.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Well, what is the answer vbdad? Do you put the kibatsch on the free market? Same thing happens with book stores but I don't hear anyone yelling at Borders or Books a Million for putting the neighborhood book store out of business. < I'll give you an example--- our suburb ( 160,000 ) downtown area added a hugr 3 story Borders -- and the fear was tat the local bookseller - Andersen's Books - 70+ years in the area would bee dead meat. Here's what happened - the community mobilizeed and all the local schools ( 2 school districts - 30 elem , 10 middle and 4 high schools ) send their kids to Andersens for book needs -- the local population also made a concerted effort to support Andersens and they are thriving...In return Andersens continues it traditions of having world class authors stop by for autograph sessions ( we have had JK Rowling/ Frank McCourt / and last week Julie Andrews -- ) - well attended - sells lots of books and the authors themselves always talk to the audience about supporting the local bookstores and owners...so the two now co exist. But if the approach suggested here so often was -- go to the store with the most recent best seller for $1 less was the mode followed- Andersens and all the ehlp they provide people in the area - would be gone today. it's the do nothing - I only want to save a $1 today and I don't care how badly they treat employees- or if their business model says run all of competition out of business so then we can charge whatever we want...I want my $1 today - and whatever happens hapeens is the wrong response is what I am saying. So thanks for bringing up the bookstore example -- I have your answer in real ife. Free market when abused is like anything esle when it is abused, an aberration of what it was intended to be.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Also Wahoo -- here is the definition of a free market: A free market is a market where price is determined by the unregulated interchange of supply and demand. This is in contrast to a controlled market where supply, demand, and price are set "artificially" by government.[ WalMarts pricing is not based on supply and demand, it is based upon undercutting the competition to a level where they can no longer compete, then raise the prices back to normal levels and above to control the market. In a definitive 'free market' WalMart becomes the government ( as any company does in a monoploy) - so they do SET the prices. Supply and demand pricing would not be an issue - short term predatory pricing is an issue. Wal Mart cannot hide behind Free Market as an excuse...they are not following the guidelines for that
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey Wow-who knew Pooh had anything to do with Wal-Mart and the free market? I KNEW it was all a conspiracy! ;-)
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Here's what happened - the community mobilizeed and all the local schools ( 2 school districts - 30 elem , 10 middle and 4 high schools ) send their kids to Andersens for book needs -- the local population also made a concerted effort to support Andersens and they are thriving...In return Andersens continues it traditions of having world class authors stop by for autograph sessions ( we have had JK Rowling/ Frank McCourt / and last week Julie Andrews -- ) - well attended - sells lots of books and the authors themselves always talk to the audience about supporting the local bookstores and owners...so the two now co exist.>> And that could be done for ANY business in response to Wal-Mart. The sad fact is for the most part the retailers that Wal-Mart puts out of business aren't special enough that anyone will make an effort to save them. Those who truly offer a unique service that people will pay for will survive. A Morton's doesn't shut down just because an Outback moves in down the block.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Wow-who knew Pooh had anything to do with Wal-Mart and the free market? I KNEW it was all a conspiracy! ;-)< corporate sponsorship for the Poo playground to be provided by Wal mart ( now that would be perfect synergy) speaking of Poo and free market -- I wonder what the latest is with the Slesinger court case and Pooh-- just jogged my memory
