speaking of internet

[blackjedii]

Conservatives, liberals unite against Silicon ValleyThe days of unqualified praise from Washington are over for the country’s biggest tech companies, whose size and power are increasingly drawing attacks from both the left and the right

Comments

[pairatime]

It will be interesting to see how this all plays about because the tech giants have far more 'control' over our lives then Wall street banks yet seem to be far less regulated. I do hope that changes.

[blackjedii]

Considering Nancy Pelosi represents Silicon Valley

I think they'll be okay

:|

[pairatime]

Well she isn't as powerful as she used to be so maybe? Also the right might do it.

[blackjedii]

Yeah, the right is definitely having hissy fits because YouTube has started demonetizing "conservative" videos and Google and Facebook supposedly have been tweaking their sorting algorithms.

It's crazy to think just how huge and intertwined social media is nowadays. And how many businesses have been destroyed solely because of Amazon / Wal-Mart.

[pairatime]

Then maybe the right will do something if the left won't. Because the whole field is not regulated enough.

I'm okay with companies like Amazon and Wal-Mart driving inefficient companies out of business as long as they do not become monopolies. That's when problems come in and Wal-Mart had never even gotten near monopoly level with all the other chain deportment stores. Amazon as an online retailer makes it a bit more unclear. Especially with their marketplace.

[blackjedii]

Wal-Mart's devastating on local businesses though. Plus they have a LOT of control over wages which works out well since if you're working at or near Wal-Mart, you can only afford Wal-Mart prices. TBF you're right with Target and K-Mart... if there are any left about, but they don't have nearly the penetration that Wal-Mart does.

Amazon I don't have any pity for. They've gotten around having "physical" places entirely by having partnerships where they soak up businesses without ever having to even be there are they're trying out having employee-less stores. Just because they aren't full monopoly now doesn't mean they aren't positioning themselves for the inevitability

[pairatime]

Wal-Mart's devastating on local businesses though.
If the local businesses isn't completive then it needs to either change to become completive or go out of businesses. Being local or small don't matter if you can't give the public the goods or services at the price and quietly they want.

Plus they have a LOT of control over wages which works out well since if you're working at or near Wal-Mart, you can only afford Wal-Mart prices.The lowest they can pay is minimum wage which they don't set and in a very small town they might be a major employer but most people live in cities that have far more non-Walmart employers then Walmarts so if people can only pay Walmarts prices it's not on Walmart, it's on the wider economy which is far bigger then Walmarts

[blackjedii]

That's short term though. Long term Wal Mart hurts small towns - I LIVE in one. It restricts your choices on goods and others can't srat up businesses, period, because they can't get traction. not saying I don't think Wal mart should exist, but business is a hell of a lot healthier and with more diversity (financially, item speaking here) in places that have said no to big box stores than places that only have Wal Mart.

The Federal government needs to revamp how those taxes laws work and maybe that means a national sales tax.
Agreed. Online retail really does need some overhaul to stay healthy.

[pairatime]

in places that have said no to big box stores than places that only have Wal Mart.

If they only have one choice you may have a point but most of the population (about 2/3) live in large urban areas (50,000+). Which means there is more then an single Wal Mart. So while yes some very small areas might be faced with only a single choice but those are the outliners. Even in eastern Washington where most towns are under 10,000 (half are under 5,000) they are rarely more than a hour and a half drive to a larger city that has a number of choices and given all of these places get mail they can all order online in todays world which under cuts Wal Mart and single stores controlling communities even more.