4 ms·
This is like a Rorschach test. There is truly something for everyone. What caused all the supply chains bottlenecks? Hard Left: "It's the fault of
by rsj_hn 5y ago
This is like a Rorschach test. There is truly something for everyone.
What caused all the supply chains bottlenecks?
Hard Left: "It's the fault of *capitalism*!"
Hard Right: "It's the fault of *unions*!"
Soft Left: "Truckers don't have a living wage!"
Soft Right: "We stopped producing because of lockdowns!"
Greens: "It's *climate change* disrupting the economy!"
Libertarians: "*Government mismanagement of ports!*"
YIMBYs: "*Zoning laws don't allow stacking!*"
De-regulators: "*AB 5 bans independent operator trucks!*"
Taleb: "Globalization JIT is *too fragile*!"
Krugman: "Republicans destroyed our infrastructure!"
Montana: "Workers are staying home, collecting unemployment!" (h/t tamaharbor)
Did I miss any explanation? I need to start collecting these.
Full Disclosure: I have no idea what the causes of the port bottlenecks are, but it's a great launching pad for talking about all of these issues.
- tamaharbor 5y agoStaying at home and collecting unemployment.
- rsj_hn 5y agoYes! I have definitely heard that one, too. I will update the list.
- Aloha 5y agoSo real answers - It's not just the port mind you - the whole logistics system is straining. Broadly, too few workers to move too many things and a heavy reliance on "just in time" manufacturing techniques. Like the ports are just one component of the issue, so are labor shortages at domestic manufacturers, overseas manufacturers, disruptions from COVID, and all of these things interplaying with one another. We went from a self optimizing system, that had some risk of someone having too much of something, to a highly optimized system where there was no slack in the system - largely in the name of saving money - if there is less inventory on the shelf, there is less sitting on the balance book, and less that needs financing. Furthermore moving the kind of manufacturing overseas that we have, has increased fragility, both because because it adds obvious choke points - and because it's components that we've moved, so now the ports break down, and it takes 4 months to get a new car.
- shubb 5y agoIn the UK, we like to say it's due to Brexit. Not saying it is or it isn't by the way.
- rsj_hn 5y agoI can't believe I forgot that one.
- tonyedgecombe 5y agoOr the evil EU.