Layman
- Member since May 23, 2009 O+
- Male / 102
-
Northern VA , Virginia - 0 Followers
- 2 Trailforks Points
Recent
Layman Chromagbikes's article
Jul 19, 2021 at 12:09
Jul 19, 2021
Video: Chromag Announces Full Suspension Kid's Bike - 'The Minor Threat'
Totally jealous of you being able to see them.
Layman danielsapp's article
Apr 21, 2021 at 7:03
Apr 21, 2021
First Look: Thomson's 'Hooch' Titanium Hardtail - Pond Beaver 2021
I mean, there are humans in Taiwan, too. But I agree that this is a marketing miss if nothing else.
Layman alicialeggett's article
Mar 11, 2021 at 7:04
Mar 11, 2021
UK Bike Shop Chain Evans Cycles to Cut 300+ Jobs
@conoat: The whole "rights" argument is usually framed incorrectly. Flip the coin. It's more about obligations - meaning, as an exceptionally wealthy society (yours or mine or the rest of the so-called "first world"), what obligations does it have to its citizens? Where should we direct the excess capacity we generate? Towards tax cuts for the rich? Or towards making sure nobody goes hungry or dies unnecessarily? It's not an abstract question - it's a moral declaration of your priorities.
Layman alicialeggett's article
Mar 10, 2021 at 17:52
Mar 10, 2021
UK Bike Shop Chain Evans Cycles to Cut 300+ Jobs
@tacklingdummy: That's the problem. The market has become a self-licking ice cream cone and it's no longer good decisions that are rewarded, but hype and marketing. But for the people who work at these companies or depend on their products, it's not a casino game - it's their livelihood and their lives. When jobs are cut in the name of making the quarterly target, people lose their homes. When the desire for more profit more than triples the price of insulin in 10 years despite it being patent-free for nearly 100 years, people die. For the last 40 years, we've been content to pretend the market is some sort of Darwinian culling machine for companies. But it's been a facade all along, and the people most hurt aren't the people at the top of the pyramid - it's the people at the bottom.
Layman alicialeggett's article
Mar 10, 2021 at 17:39
Mar 10, 2021
UK Bike Shop Chain Evans Cycles to Cut 300+ Jobs
@cvoc: That's a fair question, but I don't think the only options are unbridled capitalism or communism (which has never really existed at a country level). There's a lot of space between the extremes, and I personally would like us all to find one that prioritizes the inherent worth of our fellow man. There are plenty of ways to achieve that while still encouraging innovation, entrepreneurship, and rewarding hard work and good ideas.
Layman alicialeggett's article
Mar 10, 2021 at 17:32
Mar 10, 2021
UK Bike Shop Chain Evans Cycles to Cut 300+ Jobs
@phops: Um, I don't use Reddit? But it sounds like your confusing my unknown-to-you personal economic philosophy with communism. Everybody who adds value to a product deserves to reap a reward - the manufacturer, transportation, retail, etc. But I appreciate the 5th grade rendition of supply and demand nonetheless. Unfortunately the real world is a bit more complicated, and there are plenty of people willing to exploit the system and their fellow man in the pursuit of lining their pockets. Not every business that fails or succeeds does so based simply on their ability to align supply to demand.
Layman alicialeggett's article
Mar 10, 2021 at 12:22
Mar 10, 2021
UK Bike Shop Chain Evans Cycles to Cut 300+ Jobs
@noplacelikeloam: Correct - it's not about size, it's about structure (and culture as you point out). But public companies that don't focus on quarterly returns are rare these days.
Layman alicialeggett's article
Mar 10, 2021 at 12:20
Mar 10, 2021
UK Bike Shop Chain Evans Cycles to Cut 300+ Jobs
@HB208: I'm glad you do. Historically, you're not alone. Most companies operated on a stakeholder model rather than a shareholder model prior to the 1980s. The pendulum is swinging back in that direction. We'll see if it swings fast enough to avoid social upheaval.
Layman alicialeggett's article
Mar 10, 2021 at 12:17
Mar 10, 2021
UK Bike Shop Chain Evans Cycles to Cut 300+ Jobs
@splitlit: You said it better than we could have. "This is how capitalism works." Read: in the short-term interests of investors and owners and not in the interest of the workers, public and rest of stakeholders. So, yes, the narrative writes itself.
Layman alicialeggett's article
Mar 10, 2021 at 9:38
Mar 10, 2021
UK Bike Shop Chain Evans Cycles to Cut 300+ Jobs
@HB208: Long term is irrelevant when corporate "leaders" are incentivized on a quarterly basis or less.
