I just ran into some shortages getting parts for our old John Deere, and like a lot of us, it got me to wondering where this is going to lead.
Right now the shortages are novel, but becoming more of a problem every day. That makes now a good time to discuss things.
Some might say politics was a cause, but I think that was minor. Historically, the world has always had diverse politics and decent trade going along at the same time in spite of each other.
In my mind the big trigger for the shortages was the worldwide pandemic. It took a pandemic to show us just how fragile world's modern manufacturing and distribution system really is.
Right now I'm wondering if this really is just a problem just for a few years and then back to normal..... or will the shortages create a whole different world? And what would a different world trade look like for tractor owners?
rScotty
I agree ... It is Fragile, and its very productive... JIT (just in Time delivery and manufacturing) has decreased cost... mostly due to warehousing and Interest on Inventory costs being lowered. But we have to ask ourselves if that initial savings was actually passed onto the consumer or held close to the vest of company owners like GM, Ford, GE, and the hundreds of thousands of other suppliers and manufacturers out there... it may have hit in their share price, the Stock market seems like its purchased a ride into space with Shatner and the rest of the folks out there chasing non-reality and "making it so".
It just seems to me that the consumer was bound to take the hit on both side of the equation... we didn't see a savings on the cost of vehicles when all the manufactures no longer had to buy 230,000 Transmissions at a pop... and store them all inside, out of the weather, until they were ready to be installed. nope.
And we won't see a savings on this side either, when that same system takes it on the ear due to supply issues, and ends up causing shortages that can only be remedied by the basic principal of "Supply and Demand". Yes... demand and little supply creates massive price hikes. Look at lumber last year.
So it us all the way. we are the end that takes the hit for everything.
I'm not saying we need to regulate business. Maybe what we need to do is to regulate is our desire for more. But, how do we do that when a windfall due to a sellers market could make anything that we want more viable?
It's difficult to be a consumer today, in this world. Its like playing chess blind folded, and they change the rules after each move and fail to tell anyone.