RE: Is Loyalty Dead?
I hope so! What I want is electroconductive soles and zero drop (they have a rise in the heel about 4mm) for the belleville TR103's, and kitanica - last pair of pants I had from them used a really crappy velcro that started to wear out quite quickly.
I think it could be said that as the markets open up more and more across borders, people simply have more choices, and they choose what works best for them. This is capitalism, and in spite of the many ways in which governments try to strangle markets and the flow of goods and people across borders, the greater availability of information means better decisions.
Many objections to capitalism are based on the fact that often this information is not accessible. It is my view that this improvement of availability of information is rapidly eroding the legitimacy of governments, and spurring a growing migration of people away from places with heavy control to places where control is weak.
If there is big enough market for them, then they will make exactly what you need. It is true, that sometimes there are tiny niche markets that are not yet covered by any company but this is just another opportunity for some ingenuous and industrious entrepreneur. Part of the misinformation regarding capitalism, is they negative perceptions created during economic collapses and the bursting of bubbles. There always must be a group to blame, so it is the fault of the greedy. The problem with this, is that it is a mischaracterization of capitalism because the current system is hardly a lassiez faire style system. Our current system has far too much government intervention and manipulation which is rarely reported.