I agree with all you have stated Vanna.

The local Woolworths, Coles or IGA your families have given continual business to over the years, particularly people residing in country towns 500ks+ away from major cities, should ensure that there is a month's supply of essentials/basic foodstuffs stored for their regular customers.

The fact being that small town and country people do not have the choices or options shopping around, particularly during bushfires and floods, that most city people enjoy.

I come from both backgrounds by the way along with witnessing this travelling through towns.

Small businesses cannot afford to stock up, however the larger food chains should be loyal and thoughtful towards their local customers.

Works both ways.

Look to human nature to gauge the capacity for damage. Whether one analyses infamous episodes such as the Dutch bulb fiascos or any market folly one finds problems that affect the whole.

MAD theory doesn’t hold one or other side has a greater competence – it holds the tension prevents ultimate control requiring accommodations. Hume is arguing as though optimisation is the desired end point – whose optimum, those with economic power or some other group? Capitalism serves those with economic power; what happens to those without?

History shows those who have power abuse it, and arrogantly assume pre-eminence for their wisdom. To quote Wormwood from the film Matilda; “Listen, you little wiseacre: I'm smart; you're dumb; I'm big, you're little; I'm right, you're wrong, and there's nothing you can do about it”.

Hume is the only one arguing as though Governments should run markets – governments are a countervailing force to prevent abuse. Government incompetence, try HIH, Enron, Lehmans etc etc. Australian bank woes some years ago with major writedowns was driven by arrogance, greed and ego at senior levels.

Name the organisations that have longevity. The Church is one. It is arguable the USA’s economic power owes a debt to Christian belief in ‘Servant Leadership’, those in charge have a duty to serve all stakeholders as well as pay heed to future generations. Modern capitalism uses personal gain for senior staff as its lever, studying corporate collapses explodes that myth.

The current era is characterised by the SKI retirees (Spend the Kids’ Inheritance). If the kids are good enough they can make it on their own. Once the ethos was ‘pass on a better farm than I received’, now life is purely about the self.

Are these matters a symptom of deeper issues?

Some Potter fan clubs were threatened for using images from the film on their web site; fans reacted by boycotting merchandise etc, suddenly clubs were encouraged to use the images. Perhaps customers need to be aggressive and bring companies to their knees to pull them into line!