So last night I was driving home and Layla by Derek and the Dominos began to play. Naturally, I turned it up, and then I began to think about Eric Clapton and how diverse his career has been. When, I wondered, was he in Derek and the Dominos? Was it before or after Cream? And what was the name of that other band he was in? Oh yeah, the Yardbirds! For the record, Derek and the Dominos was a brief project, lasting only from '70 to '71.
Anyway, as I pulled into my driveway, I decided I should probably buy a biography about Eric Clapton, so I quickly pulled out my phone, googled "Amazon...books about Eric Clapton," and ordered his autobiography. Ain't technology amazing!
As I was checking out (on Amazon...not from life or reality or anything like that), I realized that the shipping options were all free! I backed out of the checkout to make sure that I hadn't accidentally signed up for Amazon Prime (I a) am not ready for that type of commitment, and b) fear that I would buy way too many things from Amazon) and realized that they were giving me free shipping as part of a free trial of Amazon Prime. Score! No, thank you, I would not like to sign up, but, yes, I will take the free shipping this time around!
This is where the story gets interesting. When I checked my email this morning, I had an advertisement from Wal-Mart. That advertisement boasted the fact that they offer free shipping. This, I thought to myself, is no coincidence. Wal-Mart is a lot of things, but they ain't stupid! They know that, if they want to survive, they're going to have to cater to the lazy, socially-retarded Millennials of my generation (for the record, I try to order books and music from Amazon only when I can't find them locally), so you can buy all their products online and have them shipped to your house for free. That's ridiculous! That, my friends, is the power of competition. That is the power, dare I say, of capitalism.
Capitalism, true capitalism, increases productivity and quality, while simultaneously lowering costs. When businesses compete for your hard-earned dollars, you benefit. You're the boss. That means companies have to figure out new, better ways to provide you with products and services, all for less dough than their competitors.
You wanna know why healthcare, education, and energy all cost so much? Blame Uncle Sam! Government involvement eliminates competition. Does anyone really think that the public school system is an example of government effectiveness and efficiency? Yeah, that's what I thought. Not only will things cost more when the government meddles, but it will also diminish quality and stunt creativity and technological advancement. You guys remember the whole "Net Neutrality" thing? That's a perfect example. When companies are free to personalize their services to their audience, you win. I think the next 10 years will bring a complete overhaul in how we "Internet," and the result will be cheaper, better service.
Don't get me wrong, greed is evil. Wanting to make a profit, however, is not greed, and when someone wants to and is free to make a profit based on the value of their products and services, the consumer wins. Even greedy corporations, which probably includes most of your Fortune 500, still benefit the consumer. In fact, capitalism is what allows the consumer to benefit from the greed of multinational corporations. When competition is removed, the consumer is helpless. If I only have one company from which to buy a product, I have no way of controlling what I get and how much I pay for it as their is no incentive for that company to keep prices down and quality up. They know I have to buy their product, and they know I have to buy it from them! Competition is the consumer's natural defense against being abused.
Well, Amazon says my book should be arriving between March 7th and March 13th (apparently the free trial did not guarantee free two-day shipping), so I'll be eagerly awaiting my package. Is there anything as exciting as seeing that Amazon package sticking out of your mailbox?
Anyway, as I pulled into my driveway, I decided I should probably buy a biography about Eric Clapton, so I quickly pulled out my phone, googled "Amazon...books about Eric Clapton," and ordered his autobiography. Ain't technology amazing!
As I was checking out (on Amazon...not from life or reality or anything like that), I realized that the shipping options were all free! I backed out of the checkout to make sure that I hadn't accidentally signed up for Amazon Prime (I a) am not ready for that type of commitment, and b) fear that I would buy way too many things from Amazon) and realized that they were giving me free shipping as part of a free trial of Amazon Prime. Score! No, thank you, I would not like to sign up, but, yes, I will take the free shipping this time around!
This is where the story gets interesting. When I checked my email this morning, I had an advertisement from Wal-Mart. That advertisement boasted the fact that they offer free shipping. This, I thought to myself, is no coincidence. Wal-Mart is a lot of things, but they ain't stupid! They know that, if they want to survive, they're going to have to cater to the lazy, socially-retarded Millennials of my generation (for the record, I try to order books and music from Amazon only when I can't find them locally), so you can buy all their products online and have them shipped to your house for free. That's ridiculous! That, my friends, is the power of competition. That is the power, dare I say, of capitalism.
Capitalism, true capitalism, increases productivity and quality, while simultaneously lowering costs. When businesses compete for your hard-earned dollars, you benefit. You're the boss. That means companies have to figure out new, better ways to provide you with products and services, all for less dough than their competitors.
You wanna know why healthcare, education, and energy all cost so much? Blame Uncle Sam! Government involvement eliminates competition. Does anyone really think that the public school system is an example of government effectiveness and efficiency? Yeah, that's what I thought. Not only will things cost more when the government meddles, but it will also diminish quality and stunt creativity and technological advancement. You guys remember the whole "Net Neutrality" thing? That's a perfect example. When companies are free to personalize their services to their audience, you win. I think the next 10 years will bring a complete overhaul in how we "Internet," and the result will be cheaper, better service.
Don't get me wrong, greed is evil. Wanting to make a profit, however, is not greed, and when someone wants to and is free to make a profit based on the value of their products and services, the consumer wins. Even greedy corporations, which probably includes most of your Fortune 500, still benefit the consumer. In fact, capitalism is what allows the consumer to benefit from the greed of multinational corporations. When competition is removed, the consumer is helpless. If I only have one company from which to buy a product, I have no way of controlling what I get and how much I pay for it as their is no incentive for that company to keep prices down and quality up. They know I have to buy their product, and they know I have to buy it from them! Competition is the consumer's natural defense against being abused.
Well, Amazon says my book should be arriving between March 7th and March 13th (apparently the free trial did not guarantee free two-day shipping), so I'll be eagerly awaiting my package. Is there anything as exciting as seeing that Amazon package sticking out of your mailbox?
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