OT profiteering or normal occurence?

[Berth 29 opinions]

Noted last week that when the price of gasoline and batteries went up last month after Sandy it was called profiteering... followed by a story that hotel room prices rose up to 400% after the re election of the President... this is called the normal business cycle..

I consider the first as normal as well.
 

[wisbaker]

How come when a group of businesses get together and decide they won't sell their wares for less than a specific amount that's collusion and against the law.

BUT

If a group of workers gets together and determines they won't work for less than a specific amount or won't do certain tasks and the business isn't allowed to hire workers that will do the specified work at the offered price that's called union activity and it something we are supposed to revere and sacrifice to protect.
 

[da.bees]

Prices riseing and falling is the American way as long as it's based soley on supply and demand without intentional interference.
Other considerations not withstanding,cattle prices will drop and stay during drought then recover and remain up after feed and pasture comes back. I would call that normal.
If I had a flowing spring in Southwest Texas that produced more water than I could use and I charge my neighbor almost as much as it would cost him to truck in water,I call that profiteering rather than supply and demand.
If USDA droped inspections and tariff on imported beef but strenghtened controls on domestic beef,domestic prices would drop and possiably crater while South American beef would rise. I call that Government doing what they consider a good job of shoring up globel economy.
 

[MoMike]

How about a group of farmers getting together to bargain for the best price on what they sell or buy? Whats good for one is good for the other.
 

[Dalet]

[Traditional Farmer]

Ever read the story about the Grasshopper and the
Ant? Grasshopper played around and wasted his assets while the Ant stored up/prepared for Winter and rough times,when the rough times times came the Ant told the Grasshopper Tough Poop you were warned and did nothing so now you suffer the consequences.No one thinks they have to suffer the consequences these days for being short sighted and irresonsible.
 

[oldtanker]