In a Free Market sustainable market prices would be kept in check or sustained by supply and demand. High prices out of reason would not be sustainable nor would unprofitable low prices.
Properly run companies with sound business models and desired products survive and thrive.
Free Market has been skewed and no longer functions in our society
Walmart at one time was a company that was known for selling products made in the USA. They have been forced to change due to their own corporate strategies. To guarantee the lowest prices they force manufactures to provide product at their lowest terms. To risk losing out on the massive world market shares that Walmart demands the companies have to cut costs. Many US companies have gone out of business or sent operations abroad. The US workers have lost their jobs. Many companies no longer see a healthy profit margin.
The US Auto Industry has not listened to consumers or lessons from the 70s fuel shortages.
Instead of researching and developing new technologies, smaller or more fuel efficient vehicles they have lobbied the government to stall change and continued to produce large or fuel consuming vehicles. The markets have now changed and they have no product that the consumer wants.
The Banking industry has come to run the country (into the Ground). They have run rampant with regulations removed and no checks and balances and corrupt practices. They now hold the countries hostage to big to fail or collapse. They fueled and provided the Housing bust and now in the next wave the Credit bust. All from giving credit where credit should not have been given. Instead of providing a guaranteed fixed rate and guaranteed income they have both in the housing market and now the Credit Card industry changed terms and rates on customers forcing those that can't pay to default.
They have come to depend on those that they screw over to bail them out. And in return they want to continue stiffing their customer.
Business models no longer work for the best product at a sustainable or profitable cost for the customer where profits go back into the company, its employees, expansion, research and development.
Now the profits go to the executives, stock holders and profits are determined by getting the highest price for the product at the least expense. The cost reductions are made by sending production abroad to avoid pollution requirements, labor laws and use tax loopholes. Again more workers in the US lose their jobs.
Health Care has been choking the economy to a slow death. Our health care system is also run like the banks and Wallmart. They control everything with the bottom line of Profit to executives and Stock Holders. Profits are attained by higher rates and denying coverage. Pay out as little as possible, collect as much as you can. The costs now are the number one problem with companies in financial problems trying to provide workers healthcare. People are going bankrupt because of the Health care industry.
Unions have been blamed for the problems as well with the benefit packages they garner.
All I can say about unions is throughout the history of US labor the benefits won by unions carry over and help the non union labor markets. They bring a level that non unionized companies have to strive to compete with. Without unions we would still be seeing the abuses of labor, poor wages, and no health care through all sectors of the job market without unions
Greed has been the driving factor through all assets of industry and finance and health care. It is not free markets. The companies lobby the government and receive breaks and perks to benefit their business but the people do not get represented. Greed has sent the jobs abroad and shut down manufacturing. Income has stagnated. The Middle class can no longer sustain the economy, they can no longer afford to purchase products, they can no longer get credit. The very industries, financial systems and banks that abused the middle class continue to expect the middle class to bail them out but are unwilling to change or help the middle class.
The banks continue to raise interest rates to customers at the same time that the customers /taxpayers are paying their bailout.
GM also bailed out by taxpayers are returning the favor by eliminating tens of thousands of workers, their benefits and pensions and announces they will be moving production to China.
So when is Industry, The Financial Sectors, and Government going to figure it out. Quit pointing fingers as to what administration is responsible. Quit fucking over the middle class. With out them you can't survive. You are doing everything to make sure the middle class will not survive. There are no profit margins or stock options to pay your dividends without the middle class.
You have told your customer base to go f... yourself. What are you going to do to get that base to return.
