[lbo-talk] lbo-talk] Wal-Mart

[Eugene Vilensky]

> >Is it not valid comparing just one actor in a capitalist economy to
> >state planning?  While Wal mart may be centralised, it's entire
> >business is predicated on pitting suppliers against each other, and
> >it's probably that competition for their IT business that allows them
> >to 'efficiently' operate such a massive central planning operation.
> 
> That's true, but it used to be said that the data requirements for
> central planning were just too huge to manage. I don't think that's
> true anymore.

Agreed.  I'm re-reading Bellamy's "Looking Backward" and I can't help
but picture the Industrial Army in blue vest with yellow smiley faces
on theirs back.

Ack.