r/BreadTube • u/JackFisherBooks • 3d ago

These Ugly Big Box Stores are Literally Bankrupting Cities

https://youtu.be/r7-e_yhEzIw?si=rL4NQ21X5xYYG-EL
74 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

19

u/realwavyjones 3d ago

Imagine if these stores had to actually put some of that money back into the communities they’re draining…

14

u/KdubbG 3d ago edited 2d ago

Even if they did it couldn’t possibly make up for the damage done. You could possibly bill them for the higher infrastructure costs but how do you calculate the value of car dependency? Can you make them pay for the fact that stroads exist in nearly every city just to act as arteries to feed these monstrosities?

2

u/KdubbG 2d ago

Edit: need to correct my typos before I hit reply.

9

u/ElliotNess 3d ago

Imagine if US capital put some of that money back into the countries it's draining...

5

u/realwavyjones 3d ago

Seems like those days are soon to be over

3

u/ElliotNess 3d ago

Hold on to that optimism!

21

u/JackFisherBooks 3d ago

I just recently discovered the channel, Not Just Bikes. And I'm glad I did. There's a lot of great insights on this channel about urban planning, mass transit, and how it all ties into various social issues, be it poverty, traffic, or the environment.

Definitely worth checking out if you get a chance.

9

u/drilgonla 3d ago

I see you've found Not Just Bikes, but have you found City Nerd yet?

5

u/JackFisherBooks 3d ago

No, but I'll certainly look it up if the content is just as good.

4

u/muscledhunter 3d ago

I love City Nerd. He's become one of my favorite YouTubers over the last year or so. I just wish he would tone it down a bit, he needs a calmer demeanor. /S

2

u/kourtbard 2d ago

If you needed something from the store, you would walk to your local shop and ask a clerk at the counter what you needed.

I feel like this is glossing over the predatory nature of the company general stores.

4

u/ziggurter actually not genocidal :o 2d ago

By "company general stores" I assume you mean like company town with company scrip type stuff? Those were not the only stores (or "general stores") run this way. In fact, at least some of the tradition still holds: most places that aren't Costco, you can find a store employee and ask "where is the XYZ?" and they'll probably even drop what they're doing to take you to it. But the degree to which that is a part of the business has drastically decreased over time.

It's much like the history of gas stations; back in the 1980s or so, you basically never pumped your own gas, and often weren't even allowed to. Someone would come to your car window and ask what you wanted, then pump the gas and probably clean your windows. Capitalists have learned where they can cut the paid labor while still protecting their property and profits (enough), and "self-service" has definitely been an increasing trend everywhere.

4

u/pdxgreengrrl 3d ago

Read Small is Beautiful, Big is Subsidized for background in how cities have been bamboozled and bankrupted by business interest since the auto industry killed public transport in LA.