> But the main reason for its decline, paradoxically, was its strength. Glass retailers who play by the rules of the market live off the fact that their product

> But the main reason for its decline, paradoxically, was its strength. Glass retailers who play by the rules of the market live off the fact that their products break, so they can sell more. A glass that didn’t break was a threat to profits. It would be interesting to have some supporting evidence for this conspiracy theory. Perhaps the Guardian expects us to buy it because it plays into our preconceptions about evil capitalists vs. morally pure socialists.