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I know it's unpopular to talk about limiting Amazon because America is a "free-market" but that's the argument of the dumbest kind, it's short-sighted. You can'

I know it's unpopular to talk about limiting Amazon because America is a "free-market" but that's the argument of the dumbest kind, it's short-sighted. You can't compete with them unless you have an advantage they can't replicate, they have all the money and can buy any company they need, they can pay the best salaries for the same reason, they own a lot of relevant data in every industry, they can buy all the patents and license them to third-parties so they sue you, etc... I am an Amazon fan, but looking into the future, these companies will rule every aspect of our society.

hyperpape 7y ago
Amazon currently does just above one quarter the retail sales of Wal-Mart. They’re growing faster, but not enough to overtake them within a decade.
- somatic 7y ago
  Wal-Mart and Amazon are not really in the same industry. Wal-Mart is an old retailer with a lot of physical stores and a well-established business model. Amazon is a young software company with the world’s biggest Internet store, the world’s biggest computer apparatus, and a bunch of other things I probably don’t even know about. But it’s the software thing that’s the important bit. Software is intelligence, intelligence is efficiency, and Amazon is software first. In any “old” industry it wants to enter, it becomes, by default, the smartest competitor therein. It will start out with better logistics than the incumbent industry experts with decades of experience. It’s like Amazon has a 20-point IQ advantage in anything it wants to do. Or more. A scary competitor. Scarier than anything from the Robber Baron era.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
stale2002 7y ago
Ok, but what about consumers? If everyone else sucks so much that they can't provide a better service, then why is it a bad thing for them to fail? The best thing for consumers is to have quality products for low prices.
- twoandfifteen 7y ago
  consumers have to have a job and an income in order for them to actually be consumers. people who work for the wages amazon pays in fulfillment centers cannot afford to live in amazon's own home town, which has now become a massive homeless camp. all of this "inefficiency" in the market, when eliminated, is not going to become money in consumers pockets. its going to become money in Amazons pockets, especially as Amazon becomes a bigger and bigger monopoly. most people do not own any kind of stock, so the benefit to the stock market will not help them. it also obliterates the tax base of every single town in the united states, rendering basic services like education and road maintenance completely un-funded -> this is essentially a lowering in the general standard of living for the entire country, for the theoretical fulfillment of a 19th century economics model where supposedly the pinnacle of human life is buying cheap products.
  - NotSammyHagar 7y ago
    Seattle is so expensive most people in all works of life can't afford to live here, like police, firemen, teachers can barely afford it. I agree though that amazon fulfillment workers won't make enough to have a great life in many places, but most places are far more affordable than amazon. Walmart was the company that first did the destruction of cities because it wiped out the downtown core of little towns with their big box on the corner. Now amazon is doing is again to broad swatches of countries.

hyperpape 7y ago

Amazon currently does just above one quarter the retail sales of Wal-Mart. They’re growing faster, but not enough to overtake them within a decade.

somatic 7y ago
Wal-Mart and Amazon are not really in the same industry. Wal-Mart is an old retailer with a lot of physical stores and a well-established business model. Amazon is a young software company with the world’s biggest Internet store, the world’s biggest computer apparatus, and a bunch of other things I probably don’t even know about. But it’s the software thing that’s the important bit. Software is intelligence, intelligence is efficiency, and Amazon is software first. In any “old” industry it wants to enter, it becomes, by default, the smartest competitor therein. It will start out with better logistics than the incumbent industry experts with decades of experience. It’s like Amazon has a 20-point IQ advantage in anything it wants to do. Or more. A scary competitor. Scarier than anything from the Robber Baron era.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

stale2002 7y ago

Ok, but what about consumers? If everyone else sucks so much that they can't provide a better service, then why is it a bad thing for them to fail? The best thing for consumers is to have quality products for low prices.

twoandfifteen 7y ago
consumers have to have a job and an income in order for them to actually be consumers. people who work for the wages amazon pays in fulfillment centers cannot afford to live in amazon's own home town, which has now become a massive homeless camp. all of this "inefficiency" in the market, when eliminated, is not going to become money in consumers pockets. its going to become money in Amazons pockets, especially as Amazon becomes a bigger and bigger monopoly. most people do not own any kind of stock, so the benefit to the stock market will not help them. it also obliterates the tax base of every single town in the united states, rendering basic services like education and road maintenance completely un-funded -> this is essentially a lowering in the general standard of living for the entire country, for the theoretical fulfillment of a 19th century economics model where supposedly the pinnacle of human life is buying cheap products.
- NotSammyHagar 7y ago
  Seattle is so expensive most people in all works of life can't afford to live here, like police, firemen, teachers can barely afford it. I agree though that amazon fulfillment workers won't make enough to have a great life in many places, but most places are far more affordable than amazon. Walmart was the company that first did the destruction of cities because it wiped out the downtown core of little towns with their big box on the corner. Now amazon is doing is again to broad swatches of countries.