U.S. ranked lowest of newborn survival.

[Reynod]

In Australia we are trying to limit corporations swallowing up all of the small businesses ... we are having trouble with Coles and Woolworths gaining a virtual monopoly on retail food sales.

I personally shop at IGA and Spudshed ...

Support small business ... the money is more likely to stay in the LOCAL economy.

 

[Gulli]

At least with corporations we have a choice. I can choose not to shop at Wal-Mart. With government, I have no choice.

There are sectors where choice doesn't really exist: if you live in a small town and UPS is the only company with a post-office in a radius of 50km than you are stuck using UPS. It's the same with hospitals, K-12 education and public transportation. Basically privatization of the public sector ends up with corporations dividing turf in which they have monopolies, except for very large cities where there is room for more than one.

It reminds me of a cartoon in one of our newspapers. Two people in suits talk about privatization of public transportation, the one on the left says something along the lines of "isn't the free market just great", the one on the right says "yes, if people don't like one company they can just take a bus in another town."

Shopping at Wal-Mart increasingly becomes less of a choice as well (unless you live in New York or LA or want to drive two hours for groceries).

 

[Gulli]

In Australia we are trying to limit corporations swallowing up all of the small businesses ... we are having trouble with Coles and Woolworths gaining a virtual monopoly on retail food sales.

I personally shop at IGA and Spudshed ...

Support small business ... the money is more likely to stay in the LOCAL economy.

There should be a law saying that corporations have to maintain the same price levels in the entire country: that way it becomes really hard for them to temporarily lower prices to drive local businesses into the ground. It would also be good to widen the definition of a monopoly (look at smaller areas, limit the maximum share of the market). And the tax system that consistently favor large corporations over smaller ones needs to be rewritten.

Conservatives should be championing these reforms as they encourage entrepeneurship (stifling a large corporation even a tiny bit creates opportunity for a multitude of small entrepeneurs) and competition and protect the America they know from their youths.

 

[Gulli]

I buy my food from a local mom and pop market. I have to drive a little further and pay a little more, but they have the best meats i've ever seen. They also have a real butcher who can custom cut anything you want.

Better take a few pictures of that shop because the way things are going you'll need pictures to tell your grandchildren what a "mom and pop" store is.

 

[Gulli]

I don't think so. This particular food market sprang up as a result of peoples' frustration in the big box stores and lack of customer service.

People are willing to pay a little more for service and quality, and they stepped in to fill the niche.

Just another example of free markets working.

I hope you're right, I really hope so. Still, Wal-Mart consumed a lot of stores, one store doesn't get those jobs back.

 

[turbolover22]

I thought the US had the same mortality rate of infants that every other country in the world has.




100% of newborns die eventually.

 

[Reynod]

This topic has been closed by Reynod