when there is the only place to buy stuff - the amazon problem

[arcturus88]

I was watching the news the other day and they were talking about how payless and foot locker were going out of business. This after hearing about sears, macys and jcpenneys facing a similar route. My son asked, "why are they all going out of business?" I said basically that people are opting to buy online instead of going to brick and mortar stores .

it got me thinking about a dystopian world wherein a company (like amazon) gained control of the world market for buying and selling. This company would obviously become rich and powerful. If the founder became so rich that meaning become more about control they could, with political bent, decode who gets to buy and who is forbidden to buy. If this company could ascertain (through online FB data) that you were of an opposing political party or religion or affiliation or believed a particular way ,...they could just cut you out.

no products for you.

What this could mean is starving you out of existence. No fuel, no clothes , no food, nothing.

This ostracized group would have to go to the edges and survive off the land, and through the black-market.


I feel like the world is moving in this direction.

any thoughts?

 

[PaulSmith69]

Amazon is merely a clearing house for products, just like Ebay and Google Shopping are. They all are not sellers per se. Walmart (and others) online also acts as a 3rd party clearing house on stuff too.

What I do, is shop all of them, find the exact item I want, and then get an even lower price, by doing a more exact search, using the model name & number for a more exact fine tuning search at those same sites, which often reveals the best possible price.

I think there always will be competition to offer the lowest price, which helps the buyers.

 

[arcturus88]

think of FB and twitter in regards to scandal of inhibiting speech. its the same principle.
Once they have "enough" money, the motivation leverages to utilizing obtained power.

 

[PaulSmith69]

think of FB and twitter in regards to scandal of inhibiting speech. its the same principle.
Once they have "enough" money, the motivation leverages to utilizing obtained power.

What is your fear they'd do?

 

[Southern Dad]

Amazon has really become huge in just the past decade. I get deliveries from them several times a week. They have moved into more areas and continue to do so. Some people have groceries delivered by Amazon now.

 

[arcturus88]

This conspiracy theory posits that 50 years from now you will have to go through amazon for EVERYTHING. All other retailers will be out of business.

except the black market of course.

this will give the power to starve out any political enemies or dissenters.

 

[PaulSmith69]

This conspiracy theory posits that 50 years from now you will have to go through amazon for EVERYTHING. All other retailers will be out of business.

except the black market of course.

this will give the power to starve out any political enemies or dissenters.

Baseless speculation.

 

[arcturus88]

Baseless speculation.

Maybe you just lack a creative mind?

 

[PaulSmith69]

Maybe you just lack a creative mind?

Is is not about creativity.

 

[Southern Dad]

Maybe you just lack a creative mind?

As I’m sure you are aware Paul is Ralph.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PaulSmith69]

One does not need to be an artist' to know that the free market prevails, if allowed to. There will always be innovative entrepreneurs providing competition, resulting in multiple sources of products.

 

[arcturus88]

One does not need to be an artist' to know that the free market prevails, if allowed to.

how would the free market be disallowed to prevail?.... that my boy, is the nature of my premise.

 

[arcturus88]

organizations can get so big and rich that their motivation becomes more oriented toward gaining power than gaining money.

this can be seen with organizations like youtube, FB, and twitter wherein they overtly curtail membership of those whose opinions they do not like.

the idea is that by starving out that opinion, it reduces its power, and increases the organizations power.

With my initial supposition, I put forth that this could be done with actual products as well if the consumer has no where else to go.

 

[PaulSmith69]

how would the free market be disallowed to prevail?.... that my boy, is the nature of my premise.

You answered you own question - because it is FREE! Someone offering better products/lower prices/better service will naturally succeed and keep taking more and more market share, whereby the companies doing the opposite will find their business dwindling.

 

[arcturus88]

no I don't think I have. I asked....

how could it be disallowed to prevail?

you have not answered that.

 

[PaulSmith69]

no I don't think I have. I asked....

how could it be disallowed to prevail?

you have not answered that.

If it was disallowed, then it would not prevail in the 1st place. Your question makes no sense.

 

[arcturus88]

One does not need to be an artist' to know that the free market prevails, if allowed to.

Round and round we go.

Read your post in context of my question.

 

[PaulSmith69]

Round and round we go.

Read your post in context of my question.

By "allowed to", I meant the economic system present is free capitalism, rather than socialism/communism. I thought that was clear! Since we are obviously talking about the USA, freedom to thrive in the free market system is not an issue.

 

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