Revision as of 20:07, 19 April 2023 by 154.13.97.82 (talk)(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The other day our think tank was discussing the challenges of 3-D printing and how "Capitalism will begin to suffer damage when 3D printing starts to affect the retail distribution chain." Consider if you will that in the future people will be 3D printing at home using carbon composite layering graphene, metallic materials, plastics, ceramic materials, etc. - people don't need to go to a shop to get cheap products, they are able to merely print them in their living room. Think about the jobs at the major retailers, what about the management in retail, the buyers, truck drivers, warehouse staff? Those jobs gone?When does this happen - as 3D printing technology matures. How fast will that happen - as fast since it takes for folks to print out the brand new evolutions of these 3D printers in the home. Quite simply, the technology will outpace the power of the markets to react. Capitalism is very good at eliminating losers. The thing is that retail is a loser almost overnight (10-15 years). Enjoy watching the few remaining Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades.One think tanker who leans left-politically suggested that "We have to prepare government to part of and soften the coming economic shocks. People who have no hope of finding work will require food, shelter and healthcare."Not fast, my capitalist brain screams - you see, yes, disruptive technology always threatens the incumbents in the market-place, but that's okay, if the free-market is working right, everything re-adjusts. If we have crony capitalism subsidizing, or governments nationalizing to prop up dying industries that's whenever we have problems.In socialism the leaders who use populist themes have to go with mob rule to bail-out or subsidize such old tech contrary to the onslaught of the brand new. In free-market capitalism you will have shocks to the system, however the system can realign alone and continue forward. Printing Press, Cotton Gin, TV, Flights, cell phones, computers, etc. and yes, what comes next may also disrupt and when companies like Boeing have anything to say "It will fly like nothing else, and GE, DuPont, and other companies will buy up the innovators and make it part of the new business units to transport on.Why bother propping up things such as video rental stores or one-hour photo developing franchises? I assume, I have more belief in free markets, mostly in hindsight. But it will only work if we leave our hands off of it. Price controls, minimum wage laws, subsidies, each of them distort free markets, I worry more about this more than another new thing on the bleeding age in age Singularity and the web of things. Think with this.Lance Winslow has launched a fresh provocative series of eBooks on Innovation in the us. Lance Winslow is really a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the web Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net.