AZwolfman opines:
@ wrote:
You have my utmost respect for that. I wish more social media posters were so civil.
SBob gets top civility marks from me.
Always polite, while maintaining honesty in opinion as well. Sometimes these discussions can get emotional - especially on fees - and some people avoid these tense topics altogether. SBob shows you can be totally fair, honest, and civil and create a productive conversation even in disagreement.
I agree with SBob on basic capitalist principles of supply and demand setting the fee structure in MS-ing.
I just think (and have said so many times) that we don't live in an entirely free market economy. So, there is a missing piece to this discussion and analysis. I think we live in an oligarchy and so do the top political scientists and many economists. It's not just free market supply and demand at work, but also a
rigged economic system (for the wealthy) that has led to so many people desperate enough to take jobs at base or for only reimbursement.
I could go on for a lengthy discussion on this, but that would inevitably involve some politics, which is frowned upon on the forum (at least in this section). My main point is just to say that we cannot thoroughly and accurately diagnose this problem of low MSC fees with a supply and demand framework without acknowledging that our free market economy is really not so free (due to politics and power dynamics). Some people are "forced" (not by someone putting a gun to their head) to take these jobs at base by societal circumstances somewhat beyond their control.
I am fortunate enough to not have to do this and will fight for those who have it less fortunate. The COVID recession/depression is horrible. I hope my non-shopping gives others in my area, who are forced to do so, a chance at more shops and better fee bargaining power.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2020 04:53AM by shoptastic.