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Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by sergiotapia on Friday March 27, 2020 @09:31PM (#22708452)
So if people are broke, landlords are broke, stores are broke, companies are broke -- just who exactly has the keys to the kingdom here? Who isn't broke? Just banks?
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by danaris on Friday March 27, 2020 @10:21PM (#22708654)
Well, right now, we have a serious problem with cash flow—that is, there isn't much cash flowing through the economy, because people are staying in their homes.

So people who are still employed, but can't (or shouldn't) leave their homes still have some money, probably more than usual.

But the primary answer to that question is the same as it's been for the past couple decades: the people with the money are, well, the people hoarding all the money. The owners, the (big) employers, the people at the top.

As has been reported various places, just as an example, the airline industry spent the last decade spending something like 80-90% of every dollar they made buying back stock to enrich their executives. That's why they don't have anything saved for a crisis like this, and that's who has all the money now.

Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by lotsofpulp on Saturday March 28, 2020 @05:47AM (#22710192)
What if those executives invested the cash into other equity?
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by pdonis on Friday March 27, 2020 @10:00PM (#22708578)
Not all of any of these are broke. Many companies have plenty of demand. Many companies have much greater than usual demand, or are shifting production to meet changed demand (for example, it looks like GM is going to be manufacturing ventilators). Those companies and their employees aren't broke--far from it.

Not to minimize the impact on companies and people who are seeing drastically reduced demand, but it's a serious overstatement to say that all companies and people are.

Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by sudoaza on Friday March 27, 2020 @09:52PM (#22708551)
All the essentials who don't get locked and people are stocking on: health, supermarkets and their providers. Also those who are online or can be easily adapted: streaming, communication, online markets, education, soft development.
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by hpliferaft on Friday March 27, 2020 @10:50PM (#22708780)
Any company that sells to people inside their homes is doing great. Games and content providers, video conferencing software, restaurants that do food delivery, Amazon.
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by mcny on Friday March 27, 2020 @11:38PM (#22709018)
Anecdote: just talked to my neighbor who owns a delivery takeout quick service restaurant and they estimate business is down 70%... maybe the bigger chains are ok but small business likely not
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by TaylorGood on Saturday March 28, 2020 @01:03AM (#22709334)
Restaurants still have the hurdle of fear - is everybody in the kitchen wearing gloves, are they all non-COVID, etc.. There are enough touchpoints in the process to get take out delivered I'm avoidng it.
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by markkanof on Saturday March 28, 2020 @04:04AM (#22709875)
And that is certainly your prerogative to do. My family is getting takeout a few times a week to support our favorite local restaurants. Just providing a counter point that there is still money going into some restaurants (although I'm sure it is less than typical).
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by bhl on Saturday March 28, 2020 @04:02AM (#22709868)
Companies with large capital reserves, e.g. Apple, Google, Berkshire Hathaway. With startup valuations low, those three could go on a discounted M&A spree.
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by goatinaboat on Saturday March 28, 2020 @04:10AM (#22709893)
Who isn't broke? Just banks?

Banks manage money but that’s not the same as having that money on their own balance sheet. Banks can and do go bankrupt.

Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by vikramkr on Friday March 27, 2020 @10:40PM (#22708735)
The fed and congress. hence stimulus.
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by zaroth on Friday March 27, 2020 @09:35PM (#22708471)
Who is servicing their debt this month? No one. The banks are just as fucked as everyone else.
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by asdff on Saturday March 28, 2020 @02:36AM (#22709635)
Yup. For every loss of a dollar there is a gain of a buck in a short position somewhere.
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by granzymes on Saturday March 28, 2020 @02:46AM (#22709661)
This is definitely not true. Value can be added to the economy and value can be lost from the economy. The size of the pie is not fixed.
Re:Bird lays off hundreds via Zoom call by saagarjha on Saturday March 28, 2020 @02:50AM (#22709672)
Specifically, when a substantial portion of the economy is not doing anything at all you can’t just magically come up with the difference.