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Is personal charity to business owners really an effective way to help prevent a recession? What if you're supporting one of the weaker businesses that could ba

Is personal charity to business owners really an effective way to help prevent a recession? What if you're supporting one of the weaker businesses that could barely survive anyway? Those are usefully killed off in a recession, improving overall efficiency. The more that close down, the better business will be for the survivors.

DoreenMichele 7y ago
It's not charity. I'm dependent on takeout. I'm supporting businesses I've supported a long time. I'm not going to eateries I wouldn't normally go to. I would be very negatively impacted if the eateries I frequent shut down. I have a very deadly medical condition. I've had to somehow make my life work in the face of very hostile conditions, in a world that didn't want to accommodate my need for germ control. I'm supposed to be on boatloads of drugs. I used to be on boatloads of drugs. I gradually got off all of them. Prevention of exposure to germs to begin with played a role in that. Like many people, I am worried about both germ control for everyone and economic survival. Unlike most other people, I've wrestled with such questions for me and my family for about two decades and developed some best practices. Calling ahead or ordering online and getting takeout is one of those best practices. It has worked for me for a long time under extremely difficult circumstances.
randycupertino 7y ago
Calm down, Gene Fama. Nothing wrong with supporting local businesses that you enjoy and would have eaten at anyway were we not sheltering in place.
jlangenauer 7y ago
Why is "overall efficiency" in any way important? As compared to people having stable livelihoods, diverse and wonderful local businesses instead of "efficient" and monotonous chains. The obsession with efficiency at the cost of other, far more worthy virtues is what has brought us to this point, where "efficient" global supply chains cannot now produce urgently needed goods at a time of crisis.
- GarrisonPrime 7y ago
  Being devil's advocate a bit here, but efficiency helps prevent boom and bust cycles, or at least reduces their magnitude. Supporting "worthy virtues" is all well and good, except that it's subjective and not always well thought out, leading to unfortunate consequences. I'm sure plenty of people thought it great to help Sally Struthers feed the 3 million starving African children in the 80's...until the result was 10 million starving African children.
- Chris2048 7y ago
  What guarantees stability? Killing off the competition in favour of business owners who are able to balance the books is one way. > The obsession with efficiency at the cost of other, far more worthy virtues Having many competing businesses does not ensure these other virtues arise. Having a mechanism whereby the better businesses rise make it more likely they have the income to explore.

DoreenMichele 7y ago

It's not charity. I'm dependent on takeout. I'm supporting businesses I've supported a long time. I'm not going to eateries I wouldn't normally go to. I would be very negatively impacted if the eateries I frequent shut down. I have a very deadly medical condition. I've had to somehow make my life work in the face of very hostile conditions, in a world that didn't want to accommodate my need for germ control. I'm supposed to be on boatloads of drugs. I used to be on boatloads of drugs. I gradually got off all of them. Prevention of exposure to germs to begin with played a role in that. Like many people, I am worried about both germ control for everyone and economic survival. Unlike most other people, I've wrestled with such questions for me and my family for about two decades and developed some best practices. Calling ahead or ordering online and getting takeout is one of those best practices. It has worked for me for a long time under extremely difficult circumstances.

randycupertino 7y ago

Calm down, Gene Fama. Nothing wrong with supporting local businesses that you enjoy and would have eaten at anyway were we not sheltering in place.

jlangenauer 7y ago

Why is "overall efficiency" in any way important? As compared to people having stable livelihoods, diverse and wonderful local businesses instead of "efficient" and monotonous chains. The obsession with efficiency at the cost of other, far more worthy virtues is what has brought us to this point, where "efficient" global supply chains cannot now produce urgently needed goods at a time of crisis.

GarrisonPrime 7y ago
Being devil's advocate a bit here, but efficiency helps prevent boom and bust cycles, or at least reduces their magnitude. Supporting "worthy virtues" is all well and good, except that it's subjective and not always well thought out, leading to unfortunate consequences. I'm sure plenty of people thought it great to help Sally Struthers feed the 3 million starving African children in the 80's...until the result was 10 million starving African children.
Chris2048 7y ago
What guarantees stability? Killing off the competition in favour of business owners who are able to balance the books is one way. > The obsession with efficiency at the cost of other, far more worthy virtues Having many competing businesses does not ensure these other virtues arise. Having a mechanism whereby the better businesses rise make it more likely they have the income to explore.