I talked about how wealth is a zero-sum game which implies that for one person to succeed another has to fail. Although I think the predatory tactics of these massive enterprises are obvious to see, I do think on reflection that it might be an over simplification.
When talking with a burger joint manager about how we (an old start-up idea) could improve their competitive edge against their neighbours he said something I wasn’t expecting. I came in thinking it was a cut throat industry with tiny margins, but in actuality it seemed more like a united fight. He mentioned the old adage “A rising tide lifts all boats”, in that they were all trying to improve the high-street experience and if their neighbour brought more people onto the high street then chances are their customers would also trickle into their store another time.
It could be argued that large companies like Amazon existing has improved everyone’s lives on an absolute and incalculable metric.
Further reading here which would flesh out but I’ve trailed off in interest is understanding “trickle down economics”…