Civil War in Venezuela

[Gelston]

"Price gouging" is a natural corrective action in times of high demand and low supply. It incentives new business. Economies don't have feelings.

It is illegal.

[Gelston]

Putting price caps on services is hardcore socialism though. That’s like the government stepping in and telling Apple to stop selling their phones at 700$ and sell them at 100$.

I'm not saying to put a hard cap, and I'm mostly talking about the publicly funded institutions. It isnt socialism either, because it isnt spreading the costs over other people.

[Stumplicker]

Not all market regulation is socialism, and not all market regulation is bad. The market is already regulated against things like monopolies, insider trading, price fixing, child labor, minimum pay rates, indentured service, slavery, maximum workdays/weeks, et cetera. The bottom line is that between the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, they've created a system that is both price fixing and monopoly in everything but name. Hospitals are basically bent over a table on it so they're really not so much to blame, but the first two only call it "negotiation" because the other things that it'd be called are already illegal. But they've got deep pockets and powerful lobbying groups, so it's "negotiation".

[Alfster]

Yah. The system as a whole needs to be addressed and rethought out. I've done my fair share of negotiations with providers, and you're right - its more or less agree to this or you won't be in our Network.

I wish they'd put a location restriction on behind the scenes work for large insurance companies and billers. Medicare Advantage plans are heavily processed and supported by India.

[Neveragain]

It is illegal.

So is weed in many states, that doesn't make it a just law (depending on the state). Again it's another law that punishes good behavior and rewards poor behavior, of course that's modern day Americans for you. Just use the 2008 housing crisis as an example.

Dumb ass American consumer: "i'm going to buy this house that I know I can't afford"

Dumb ass American consumer: "I can't afford this house, it's the banks fault."

Dumb ass American consumer: "I live in an area prone to flooding, hurricanes...etc and it's silly to keep on hand a months supply of food and water"

Dumb ass American consumer: "My home got flooded out and the gas station raised it's prices on clean bottled watered, they are evil and the government must punish them."

Me: Insurance creates inflation.

PC: You're stupid and don't understand insurance!

Also PC: Insurance companies are greedy and evil for making health care costs increase!

Me:

[Gelston]

So is weed in many states, that doesn't make it a just law (depending on the state). Again it's another law that punishes good behavior and rewards poor behavior, of course that's modern day Americans for you. Just use the 2008 housing crisis as an example.

Dumb ass American consumer: "i'm going to buy this house that I know I can't afford"

Dumb ass American consumer: "I can't afford this house, it's the banks fault."

Dumb ass American consumer: "I live in an area prone to flooding, hurricanes...etc and it's silly to keep on hand a months supply of food and water"

Dumb ass American consumer: "My home got flooded out and the gas station raised it's prices on clean bottled watered, they are evil and the government must punish them."

Me: Insurance creates inflation.

PC: You're stupid and don't understand insurance!

Also PC: Insurance companies are greedy and evil for making health care costs increase!

Me:

Except I disagree with you. Price gouging should remain illegal. It should have harsher penalties IMO. It is a law that punishes PREDATORY behavior.

Also, your "conversation" about it is fucking retarded. Price gouging would effect even the person that has a paid off house with flood insurance in that situation. Stop being a retard.

And your "insurance" thing, who the fuck is arguing that? My thing would remove the dependence on insurance.

[Tgo01]

Except I disagree with you. Price gouging should remain illegal. It should have harsher penalties IMO. It is a law that punishes PREDATORY behavior.

I actually watched an interesting story on price gouging. It argued that price gouging isn't necessarily a bad thing for emergencies.

For example let's say everyone is preparing for a hurricane so they rush to the store to stock up on supplies. The first people who get there buy up all of the water and batteries because it's a normal price. This now leaves no supplies for those who showed up later and also gives the people who bought everything a chance to turn around and sell everything for a profit, thus encouraging people who don't need the supplies to buy up the entire stock first.

Whereas if a company could charge 15 dollars for a case of water that is normally 3 dollars it might encourage more people to just buy what they need and leave more for others.

I'm still not sure how I feel about price gouging, but that video really did make me think.

[Neveragain]

Except I disagree with you. Price gouging should remain illegal. It should have harsher penalties IMO. It is a law that punishes PREDATORY behavior.

Also, your "conversation" about it is fucking retarded. Price gouging would effect even the person that has a paid off house with flood insurance in that situation. Stop being a retard.

Who is the retarded person in this situation?

The person building a store in a flood prone area or the person who builds a store in an area protected from that flooding, most likely at a higher investment cost, that can remain open during a time of crisis?

You're punishing the person for taking measures to protect themselves by wise planning and want them to eat the higher costs, so you can protect the idiots.

You're wrong on price gouging and this is how you know you're wrong:

At what point does it become price gouging? 1% increase? 10%? 100%...................?

[Gelston]

I actually watched an interesting story on price gouging. It argued that price gouging isn't necessarily a bad thing for emergencies.

For example let's say everyone is preparing for a hurricane so they rush to the store to stock up on supplies. The first people who get there buy up all of the water and batteries because it's a normal price. This now leaves no supplies for those who showed up later and also gives the people who bought everything a chance to turn around and sell everything for a profit, thus encouraging people who don't need the supplies to buy up the entire stock first.

Whereas if a company could charge 15 dollars for a case of water that is normally 3 dollars it might encourage more people to just buy what they need and leave more for others.

I'm still not sure how I feel about price gouging, but that video really did make me think.

No, then you just put limits on how many people can buy. Price gouging isn't to help poor old consumer that didn't get there in time to get water, it is to make shit loads of money off helpless people that have no choice.

Who is the retarded person in this situation?

The person building a store in a flood prone area or the person who builds a store in an area protected from that flooding, most likely at a higher investment cost, that can remain open during a time of crisis?

You're punishing the person for taking measures to protect themselves by wise planning and want them to eat the higher costs, so you can protect the idiots.

You're wrong on price gouging and this is how you know you're wrong:

At what point does it become price gouging? 1% increase? 10%? 100%?

Price gouging is when you charge more than your normal price for it. If it came in before the storm, you sell at regular prices. If you pay extra for it to come after the disaster, then you can charge more. That is how it works. You don't mark up shit you already had.

We aren't going to agree on this. Hope you never get stuck in such a situation.

[Neveragain]

No, then you just put limits on how many people can buy. Price gouging isn't to help poor old consumer that didn't get there in time to get water, it is to make shit loads of money off helpless people that have no choice.



Price gouging is when you charge more than your normal price for it. If it came in before the storm, you sell at regular prices. If you pay extra for it to come after the disaster, then you can charge more. That is how it works. You don't mark up shit you already had.

We aren't going to agree on this. Hope you never get stuck in such a situation.

Obviously that's not how it works as can be seen through numerous examples and the simple laws of supply and demand.

Here is yet another example of how wrong you are:

Natural disaster hits, gas station still sells water at $1.00 a bottle. Smart person buys all the water and resells it at $5.00 a bottle.

I'm sorry you have difficulty understanding and want to use government to punish people for being wise. It's always going to happen as sure as idiots are going to continue to build in coastal regions and cry because they built in a coastal region.