[Principled]

I think this is where this idea falls apart. I just don't think there's any way in hell a company's going to start charging lower prices because their costs are less. I think retail products will still cost the same as they do now, and the companies who produce these retail products will simply pocket extra profits.

Competition will prevent this. If you don't think competition will force pricecs down and wages up in an amount corresponding to the eliminated costs, then how do you explain today's pricing and wages being competitive?

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Competition will prevent this. If you don't think competition will force pricecs down and wages up in an amount corresponding to the eliminated costs, then how do you explain today's pricing and wages being competitive?

Retail prices always go up. People get used to valuing goods a certain way and don't flinch at slight increases. Retail prices only seem to go down for obsolete products or products on the verge of obsolescence.

I simply can't envision retail prices dropping on the order of 20% across the board due to nothing other than manufacturer or producer benevolence. I simply don't think producers or manufacturers will pass any savings on through to consumers: I think they'll pocket the difference. If I were a businessperson, I sure as hell would. You're not in business to be a great guy; you're in business to make money.