[ghitma]

Good point. Not only did oil save the whales from extinction but it put the whaling fleets out of business and yet the country prospered anyway. The whalers found other ways of making money. Life wil go on.

[Dysfunctional]

Simply put, Wal-Mart tells you what it wants to pay for its goods and services. If you don't agree, they cut you off 100%.

If you can afford to lose 100% of your business with them, fine. If not, you progressively shrink your margins until you outsource everything or go out of business.

But make no mistake; being able to bully your own cost is not business savvy. There are other names for such activity.

Smirking by the portfolio crowd is expected. But when the timecard, consumption class (working at Wal-Mart), can't fuel enough sales (like the old coalmine company store), then the investment class too, will realize "what they hath wrought."

[Jaysun]

Good point. Not only did oil save the whales from extinction but it put the whaling fleets out of business and yet the country prospered anyway. The whalers found other ways of making money. Life wil go on.

And the light bulb put the lamp makers out of business, and the automobile put the carriage makers out of business, and the refrigerator introduced the shaft to the men that delivered ice and milk....

You're right, progress isn't evil.