[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

re: Singh's questioning against Weston.

The line of questioning is an easy appeal to emotion. Singh, as usual, uses the word "profit" as some kind of evil to be dispelled. However, it is a reasonable question and a complex issue, and I do think even just launching the questions in the first place is a bit of a warning shot.

When asked "how much profit is too much profit?" (which is a weird question, because obviously there is never enough profit in business), Weston responded that they are actually losing money in some categories; to which Singh counters that they have record profits and then grandstands some more as only he knows how.

Both parties are being disingenuous. It should not be illegal for Weston to profit but they need to acknowledge the fiercely rising costs on items that people literally need to survive. Nothing stopping Weston from releasing its cost and margins on all products if they are being honest that margins aren't too high (and I'd argue anything up to +15-20% range is fair / reasonable).

On the other hand, it's not up to the court of public opinion, and never has been, to question businesses and get into the details of their pricing. If the market was a competitive space for lower priced competitors, they would enter and eat up Weston's market share. So why aren't they doing that? What is stopping people from starting a business and making BILLIONS? Singh knows this, but he likes to appeal to emotion and heart strings and frame businesses as "pure greed" when they are in fact a fundamental pillar to society, one that he and his followers require hundreds of times on a daily basis to exist.

The other side too, if exploding costs are really that troublesome for Weston and the justification for rapidly escalating pricing, why not just show the numbers publicly? Nothing is stopping them.

Overall, I give the exchange a D, both sides were poor at getting their message across.

I am not a fan on the theatrics, but it is the government's responsibility to hold private corporation's responsible. It is part of the checks and balances of a democratic society. Maybe it is a little miss guided in this instance, but it is a crucial process.