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Because weather predictions are always 100% correct? View Quote People act like it's an impossible task for anyone making less than $100k/year, but really it's not too hard to buy an extra case of water and a few extra cans of beans each week until you have a good reserve. In a few months you'll have enough extra to last a couple of weeks without noticing much of a dent in the grocery budget. People are too undisciplined to prepare then expect everyone else to take up the slack. I'll help a neighbor in need but drop the entitlement. |
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The market decides the prices. "Price gouging" is bullshit. Stock up, plan ahead, or be subject to market fluctuations. Supply becomes difficult in times of crisis, and there needs to be a financial incentive for people to provide services in a crisis. Furthermore, it can help separate people who want from people who need. Snow shovels cost more in winter than summer. When flights are canceled, rental cars cost more. View Quote |
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You're a piece of shit if you take advantage of people during an emergency situation. You are a step below .22lr neckbeards. View Quote How many preban magazines do you have? I would like to buy them for free state price please. Feel free to PM me your paypal and I will buy all of your old ass beat to shit USGI mags for 8 bucks a pop. Thanks bro! |
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Something is always worth what someone in the line is willing to pay. Everyone here seems to forget life is hard, sometimes brutal, and occasionally forgiving. If many of you commenting had read much into history, you would realize that in hard times you have to be hard. Try buying a pickaxe during the gold rush in California. It's the same concept. It sounds like a lot of you want every part of your lives moderated by others even if you pretend like you don't. Capitalism allows you the choice to walk away from a purchase if you are not willing to spend what is required for an item.
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They were following the law. You know what fucks over the "common man"? When another "common man" goes and buys all of X for his family and X is no longer available because of bullshit price controls. View Quote |
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Yes people should have been well prepared by now and those that wait to the last minute should expect to pay a stupid tax in the form of higher prices but within reason. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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While I think it is a dick move to " gouge" when people are in need, it is capitalism and these storms have been predicted for WEEKS. If you're not prepped at this point its your own damn fault. You could have Amazon primed yourself a generator on Monday and had it by now. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/351853/Capture-289289.JPG Yes people should have been well prepared by now and those that wait to the last minute should expect to pay a stupid tax in the form of higher prices but within reason. The stupid high prices cause others to rapidly import goods or services to where they are most demanded. Price fixing causes shortages. Why the heck would I truck gasoline, down clogged freeways, into the wake of a storm for less than ridiculous prices? |
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How exactly do you expect the average schmoe to prep for a couple feet of water in his house? View Quote Can't do that? Then you are stupid and deserve whatever happens to you. |
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While I think it is a dick move to " gouge" when people are in need, it is capitalism and these storms have been predicted for WEEKS. If you're not prepped at this point its your own damn fault. You could have Amazon primed yourself a generator on Monday and had it by now. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/351853/Capture-289289.JPG View Quote |
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Everybody keeps talking about how no one will offer the services of the prices are mandated. Past performance proves you guys wrong. After IKe there were places paying to run on generators and gladly selling product at Prestorm prices. Hell the Kroger near where I lived was shipping in ice and selling it at cost. Maybe in the shitty fucking hell holes y'all live in people have no character and therefore actually won't sell to their common man unless they can get premium prices but around here, even in the fourth largest big city in the fucking country, we have amazing people who not only risk life and limb to ride out storms but spent money on generators to get back open and still somehow found it in themselves not to fuck over their common man. View Quote |
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You're a piece of shit if you take advantage of people during an emergency situation. You are a step below .22lr neckbeards. View Quote If you don't like shortages, then allow the price to rise with demand. Don't allow the price to rise...well that's how you get shortages. |
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It really amazing how so much of GD doesn't appreciate the beautiful efficiency of a free market.
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People respond to incentives. If you live in St Louis, and you can resell Lowes plywood and generators for 2x - you have incentive to load up your vehicle, spend your gas, and go and serve that Teaxs demand. Or, facing threat of legal prosecution, you can just stay home and let that all sit in St Loius Lowes. Too bad for those people in need in Texas That's why anti-gouging laws are short-sighted and dumb. View Quote |
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Taking financial advantage of people in a disaster or emergency situation is gouging. It's not capitalism. Fucker should have died a slow, painful death just because of his morals. View Quote I'll enjoy having plenty and I'll keep it where I am because I wouldn't want to be an evil gouger. |
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Why are y'all so mad about it anyhow? Were any of you ready to drive down with your truck loads of shit and set up shop on the side of the road?
You WERE prepared to do that on a few hours notice, right? |
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Yes. Furthermore, it helps tamper panic buying. The high cost of goods tends to dissuade dumb people from clearing out a given product. In addition, it can provide help, like NavyDoc mentioned. Flooding? Earthquake? Unrest? No thanks, why risk your assets driving into a known disaster area? Oh wait, instead of $2/gal I can make $4/gal? Yeah, I'll take that shipment. I'll take the risk. Capitalism is beautiful. Truly beautiful. Then guess what? When all the people rushing to make money flood the market with product, guess what happens? The price goes down. View Quote Those who plan in advance don't have to worry about price fluctuations. |
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While I think it is a dick move to " gouge" when people are in need, it is capitalism and these storms have been predicted for WEEKS. If you're not prepped at this point its your own damn fault. You could have Amazon primed yourself a generator on Monday and had it by now. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/351853/Capture-289289.JPG View Quote It may surprise you to learn that capitalism is a broad economic system designed and used by humans rather than a perfect moral code for society to live by. The goal of capitalism is to allow the vast number of people in the market to use their resources wisely; it isn't to enable destructive abuses for the enrichment of evil people. If all the Republicans in Congress understood this we wouldn't be in such shitty shape but then again they wouldn't be nearly as wealthy and powerful.... |
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<Removed -40xb> This was supposed to be a tropical storm. It went from that to most likely being a category 3 today. No one saw this coming. View Quote Failing to plan is planning to fail. Enjoy failure. |
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The market decides the prices. "Price gouging" is bullshit. Stock up, plan ahead, or be subject to market fluctuations. Supply becomes difficult in times of crisis, and there needs to be a financial incentive for people to provide services in a crisis. Furthermore, it can help separate people who want from people who need. Snow shovels cost more in winter than summer. When flights are canceled, rental cars cost more. View Quote |
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It may surprise you to learn that capitalism is a broad economic system designed and used by humans rather than a perfect moral code for society to live by. The goal of capitalism is to allow the vast number of people in the market to use their resources wisely; it isn't to enable destructive abuses for the enrichment of evil people. If all the Republicans in Congress understood this we wouldn't be in such shitty shape but then again they wouldn't be nearly as wealthy and powerful.... View Quote Soviet Russia is this way and 3 decades ago --------------------> |
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FWIW I bought a 6200 watt generator to run my 5th wheel at Lowes today for the regular price of $800.
In ten minutes I watched 20 of them get sold. I bought one of the last 3. One guy bought 6. I assume to rip people off on Craigslist and Facebook bst's. Mont Belvieu, TX. |
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Apparently everyone except some Texans saw this coming. Must suck to be so oblivious. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Enjoy failure. View Quote You could've won that 700 million if you'd have just applied yourself, had a little discipline. |
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If I can make lots of money rushing goods to an area, I'd do so. Every other smart entrepreneur starts thinking the same thing and goods flow in. Excess goods reduce prices....which slows the flow of goods. Those who plan in advance don't have to worry about price fluctuations. View Quote |
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If I own a business I owe you nothing, nada. Don't like my prices GTFO. Soviet Russia is this way and 3 decades ago --------------------> View Quote removed...krp I mean the anti-gouging is Texas LAW. The law in one of the most conservative states is literally against you. You are out of touch and society wrote a law to smack down people like you |
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Apparently everyone except some Texans saw this coming. Must suck to be so oblivious. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Enjoy failure. View Quote |
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Just because hurricane season goes into overdrive around this time of year doesn't mean that there is a direct threat to any particular place along the vast southern and eastern coastline of the US.
The Harvey storm didn't make the news until 3 days ago (maybe less) as it was passing through Mexico. We generally have 3 days of warning, maybe, once we know, generally, where the storm is going. Yes, there are people that wait too long. Yesterday evening and this morning we really started to get big signs that Harvey was going to be pretty serious. The gulf coast wasn't preparing 10 days ago, that's just ridiculous, totally ridiculous. Additionally, keep in mind that we haven't had very active hurricane seasons over really the last 5ish years or so.... Sandy was in 2012. Furthermore, MILLIONS (roughly 3-4million) newbies have moved to Texas since Hurricane Ike in 2008, and they don't know any better. |
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Your way of thinking loses. Same way you hated Trump because your brain is damaged is the same way you don't understand how societies work. I mean the anti-gouging is Texas LAW. The law in one of the most conservative states is literally against you. You are out of touch and society wrote a law to smack down people like you View Quote I understand how business works, which is why I've owned several, all successful. Seems my system worked pretty damn good and guess what, I won! |
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Whenever the gulf has a storm and Texas starts their fucking crying bullshit over nothing.... Our gas goes up to like $4 a gallon. SO YES him calling these lying fucks on out on their bullshit it's more than warranted. Like they think everyone is so fucking stupid that we dont know we produce more than we use and buy a ton while exporting texas oil on the cheap. We see Opec's press releases saying the US is letting out tankers sit for weeks and we are at 20% production. So before you decide to get your tranny gash in a bunch. Maybe you should idk open a fucking newspaper? If that storm hits and Texas pulls its normal crying ass bullshit my profits will be FUCKED for the fall season. So will thousands of other commercial fisherman. Are you going to feed my fucking family when I lose 5+ grand a month plus normal over head? What about all the trucking in this country? Every you buy is moved by truck. tens of thousands of trucks.... Sorry for the rant but people like you make me want to punch myself in the face. You will probably be the first one to complain that the milk you feed your crotch fruit doubled in price yet have not a fucking clue why. View Quote |
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Why aren't you rich from seeing everything coming then? You could've won that 700 million if you'd have just applied yourself, had a little discipline. View Quote |
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Who saw it coming? Every fucking weather prediction right up till this morning had it pegged as a tropical storm or maybe cat 1 at landfall. We were prepared for flooding but flooding doesn't bring with it mass evacuations. View Quote |
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Big shock you support the gov't intervening in business dealings, such as pricing, etc. Which is why I've always said you're not a conservative much less one for "small gov't" I understand how business works, which is why I've owned several, all successful. Seems my system worked pretty damn good and guess what, I won! View Quote Won the opinion of society? No, you lost that in the election and it is pretty obvious that in this situation in Texas you lost it. Won in law? No, the people of Texas passed a law against your ideas. Won at some nebulous claim on the internet that can't be verified and wouldn't directly validate your opinions or ideas anyways? LOL sure go ahead and 'win' that one. |
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maybe a little more, but not 2x to 10x more do they? seen bottles of water go for $5-$10 when power was out for a week. Also waited in line for gas for hours because no stations had generators so the couple that did were swamped. Once we drove from Broward almost to Orlando to get gas for the cars and generators because they were limiting you to 5 gallons down here. this is 4 days after the storm, when our stock ran out. now they have to have a generator by law for the pumps. Most places don't skyrocket the place but some do. View Quote Gun analogy. Things are getting cheaper now. Democrats will eventually retake power. (Who knows when, I'm not a political scientist) Prices will go up then. During the AWB, prices were ridiculous for two reasons. 1.) Limited supply. 2.) Demand for those products. You don't have to buy them. You want (or need to) buy them. Pricing not only invites competition, it also seperates the needs from the wants. If you have 3/4 a tank of gas and fuel has tripled, you're probably holding off. If your wife is dying the next state over, you'd be much happier to pay $7/gal and be with her, than find an empty, price controlled gas station. Conversely, if you're Joe Blow, you don't feel the need to top off "just in case" at $7/gal. That makes that fuel available to dying wife guy. |
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Your way of thinking loses. Same way you hated Trump because your brain is damaged is the same way you don't understand how societies work. I mean the anti-gouging is Texas LAW. The law in one of the most conservative states is literally against you. You are out of touch and society wrote a law to smack down people like you View Quote |
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Won at politics? No, you lost and are only continuing to lose. No upcoming candidate will share your economic views. Won the opinion of society? No, you lost that in the election and it is pretty obvious that in this situation in Texas you lost it. Won in law? No, the people of Texas passed a law against your ideas. Won at some nebulous claim on the internet that can't be verified and wouldn't directly validate your opinions or ideas anyways? LOL sure go ahead and 'win' that one. View Quote |
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How many states allow people to swoop in and sell significant amounts of items for profit without a business license or without paying sales tax? View Quote But, I would truck stuff in if I could make a nice profit for my efforts. If I can't make money, then I won't bother. Enjoy your shortages |
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WTF are you even talking about? No one asked you for anything. We'll be fine without you. View Quote I just don't need the state to coerce me to. |
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Texas is not anywhere close to as badass as people make it out to be.
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So is this part of the liberal trolling floating around this site?
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Price gouging laws are stupid. They don't even work, and how do you even enforce them?
Plus, when these storms move through the gulf, demand rises, and supply falls, especially because refineries and offshore platforms are going to shutdown if they are in the path of the storm, that makes the S/D problem even worse. THe rising price of the commodity discourages the marginal purchaser from purchasing more than they really need. Holding the price arbitrarily low without taking into account the S/D mechanism creates artificial shortages. People will buy more because price is low, which increases the demand, and further exacerbates the limited supply problem. It's economically ignorant. |
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OP isn't from one of the gulf coast states apparently. Why don't you fly down tomorrow morning for the event and stay a week. That way you get the feel for it. I'm sure you can tell your "capitalism" theory to a lower income family trying to fill up their gas cans to run their generator in order to keep their children cool during the Texas summer.
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Yes, selling gasoline for seven dollars a gallon while people are trying to evacuate is capitalism. It's also one of those things that results in a breakdown of societal order very quickly and has people floating around in the gulf with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. View Quote If we had any ability to think beyond one level as a species we'd welcome it with open arms. People in butt fuck North Dakota don't load up their truck with essentials and drive halfway across the country to a disaster zone just to sell at retail price. They stay home and watch it unfold on TV. Why not use the profit motive to our advantage to drive men and resources to where it's needed most? It's not like doing this prevents charities and governmental organizations from doing it for free. I'm not even getting started on how high prices encourage conservation and prevents waste. |
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The mere opportunity to "price gouge" attracts outside resources to a disaster area. If we had any ability to think beyond one level as a species we'd welcome it with open arms. People in butt fuck North Dakota don't load up their truck with essentials and drive halfway across the country to a disaster zone just to sell at retail price. They stay home and watch it unfold on TV. Why not use the profit motive to our advantage to drive men and resources to where it's needed most? It's not like doing this prevents charities and governmental organizations from doing it for free. I'm not even getting started on how high prices encourage conservation and prevents waste. View Quote |
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