I knew we were in fucking clown world when the governor decided marijuana stores were essential enough to remain open.
I'm hopeful that we as a country return to more localized production and distribution. The supply chain is entirely too vulnerable to both international and national events.
The internet showed the power of being able to do business anywhere. The pandemic showed that the system doesn't have enough resiliance.
1. Amazon needs to be broken up into at least 5 or 6 smaller companies with unrelated owners and boards.
2. This year might be one of those rare situations where Chapter 11 bankruptcy actually means something, and isn't just a trial separation on the way to Chapter 7. Since the economy is merely switched off rather than broken right now, bankrupt companies who had strong positive revenue before we shut it down, are likely to have it again. Bankruptcy protection could actually do something useful here.
3. Yes, the supply chain needs to be moved onshore, bigly. 100% tariffs on everything from China. If asked why, point out the massive and punitive tariffs that China is now leveraging upon Australia as an example to the world of what they're willing to do when someone dares investigate their dishonesty and corruption.
Market power becoming more and more concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer companies is what socialists mockingly refer to as "late stage capitalism." This will sound odd coming from me, but there *is* some merit to this argument. I'd prefer to see it fixed with a non-Keynesian solution, though.
Yes Amazon and JCPenny are in talks.... maybe.
Pier One is closing ALL their stores.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pier-1-seeks-to-wind-down-operations-11589886805
I ordered two things from Amazon. The manufacture of one item was "out of stock" and linked to the Amazon page. The other item I would have had to order on-line from somewhere so I did it at Amazon because....
The first item was $24.95.... free shipping starts at $25.
I could get FREE FREE TWO DAY SHIPPING with a Prime membership.... but I took the standard free shipping, my order won't arrive until June.
I can't find the first item anywhere except Amazon.
It's been two years since I put Amazon on my list of companies I wouldn't have anything to do with if you put a gun to my head. Don't miss them a bit. Found alternate sources to get all but one product, and I'm living without that one.
Nowadays I do a lot of my online shopping at Walmart. This is ironic because I hate going into their stores. But they are the underdog here (about 6% of the online retail market vs. almost 50% for Amazonopoly, if memory serves) and y'all know how much I want to avoid doing business with "too big" companies.
Back in 2018 there was an announcement that the United States intended to withdraw from the Universal Postal Union. Did that ever happen?