Cabelas and Bass pro shop merger always did stink.

[OverlordBear]

Examples like these are why people don’t believe in Capitalism anymore. We live in a global oligarchy governed by international corporations and their political cronies. The bailouts set the groundwork on how to legally steal billions from taxpayers. This also means I am done shopping at cabelas and bass pro shop.

 

[geetar]

Disgusting! If I have to hurt 2000 people to get richer I don’t think I have my priorities in line. I’ve got no problem with wealth and no problem with prosperity but I do have a problem with mowing people down to get those things. I’m about done with the big box stores anyway. This just might be the final nail in that coffin.

 

[sbhooper]

There is a limit to where you can get your outdoor stuff. What happened to Cabela's, in my opinion, was because of the guy that was leading Cabela's. Dennis Highby tanked Cabela's and now has started his own outdoor, mail-order business-in Sidney, Nebraska, no less. As the head of Cabela's, he had millions in stocks and Bass Pro bought all of them from everybody, when they took over. He now has his business in Sidney and has leased a lot of the country around there for his cronies, or clients-whatever.

In Bass Pro's defense, they took the company back to a private holding, rather than being in a position where a large investor can leverage the company. They bought all of the stock back, with no choice. I know, because my wife had a bunch that she accumulated while working there. The prices have leveled out and the store is not bad now, at all. What happened is just part of business on a large scale. It happens all the time.

The minute that you start bad-mouthing capitalism, you start bad-mouthing the system that has given you what you have. If you think that a socialist agenda would be better, and government can do everything for you, then by all means take your ill-informed asses to Venezuela, or one of the plethora of socialist countries that are failing/have failed.

I do not like what Cabela's did and the brothers did not set out to have that be the end for Cabela's. It is not the first, nor will it be the last to do something like this.

 

[jryoung]

The minute that you start bad-mouthing capitalism, you start bad-mouthing the system that has given you what you have. If you think that a socialist agenda would be better, and government can do everything for you, then by all means take your ill-informed asses to Venezuela, or one of the plethora of socialist countries that are failing/have failed.

Yep, no room for improvement at all with capitalism, squeaky clean history for sure.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

If you think that a socialist agenda would be better, and government can do everything for you, then by all means take your ill-informed asses to Venezuela, or one of the plethora of socialist countries that are failing/have failed.

How about a system that restrains the worst of capitalism, but still creates the opportunities that make our country thrive?

Isn’t the comparison to Venezuela a bit disingenuous given the fact that tucker mentioned this specific behavior is illegal in countries like the UK?

 

[JLS]

I stopped shopping at Cabelas 15 years ago when they began marketing “trophy hunting properties”.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

Wow! Interesting video...

 

[sbhooper]

Yep, no room for improvement at all with capitalism, squeaky clean history for sure.

No it is not squeaky clean, but it built this country, like it or not. I don't know how you are going to restrict capitalism, without turning everything to government control. If anybody hates the rich guys that build the companies and do their business deals, then do something right and become one of them to set an example. Show everybody how mega companies work, without stocks, take-overs etc. This system is not going to change, unless, of course, people vote in the leftist fools that preach on this stuff all of the time. Then, you can have a nirvana of government control on everything-but maybe there will be no capitalist dog companies at least.

Not everything about this system is perfect and I am not about to say that, but more government control and regulations definitely is not it, either. I don't care which big company you talk about, they shed employees, stream line and re-align all the time. The Cabela's-Bass Pro deal is no different.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I'm with you on capitalism building the country, but it's a pretty tough sell to convince anyone that this guy built anything. Capitalism as it is intended always has a trickle down effect that is net positive. There is no company and there are only a small amount of jobs he created for his own firm, and all of that is offset by the jobs he gets rid of. Regulating something like this is no different than corporate espionage or insider trading.

Cabela's had no incentive to sell and openly did not want to. Comparing this to business as usual in America is a giant leap.

 

[Schaaf]

I stopped shopping at Cabelas 15 years ago when they began marketing “trophy hunting properties”.

To each their own, I'm gonna go on a ram hunt in Central Texas. Gotta start on this Grand Slam somewhere!

 

[406dn]

There was a day, years ago, when I took our family 200 miles each way, out of the way, to shop at the Cabela's in Sidney, Nebraska. It's now an inside family joke directed at me.

As mentioned above, they lost me when they started marketing trophy hunting properties. To me, that showed a real insight, how they felt about many of their customers.

Presently, there is a Cabela's within thirty minutes of our front door. I go in there maybe once every couple of years. When I do go in there, I'm struck by the amount of inventory that can't possibly move off the shelves very quickly. It won't surprise me if I outlive the company, and I'm no spring chicken.

 

[Stay Sharp]

If it were not for the gift cards I get to Cabelas, I would not bother stepping foot in that store.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

No it is not squeaky clean, but it built this country, like it or not. I don't know how you are going to restrict capitalism, without turning everything to government control. If anybody hates the rich guys that build the companies and do their business deals, then do something right and become one of them to set an example. Show everybody how mega companies work, without stocks, take-overs etc. This system is not going to change, unless, of course, people vote in the leftist fools that preach on this stuff all of the time. Then, you can have a nirvana of government control on everything-but maybe there will be no capitalist dog companies at least.

Not everything about this system is perfect and I am not about to say that, but more government control and regulations definitely is not it, either. I don't care which big company you talk about, they shed employees, stream line and re-align all the time. The Cabela's-Bass Pro deal is no different.

You do it by striking a balance. Used to be that someone with a lot of money and a lot of clout could just go say anything (true or not) that would affect stock prices and when they went high that person would sell. When they went low, they would buy it up. Today, you can't do that. That's why Elon Musk got into trouble when he hinted that Tesla might go private.... It caused the stock prices to jump. When in truth, there wasn't any real plan to do so.

I'm all for capitalism as long as people try to do the right thing. Problem is, many won't do the right thing. We need some rules to keep the little guy from being ground into dust. The playing field should be kept level for new entries and competition. Many great companies start off as innovators, but when that leadership dies out and you get the corporate bean counters trying to create wealth without innovation, those companies tend to just try to keep the competition from even developing. That's not good. We need balance.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

If it were not for the gift cards I get to Cabelas, I would not bother stepping foot in that store.

You need a bunch of them though. Just a $20-50 card brings the price back down to where I could just buy it elsewhere.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I don't know how you are going to restrict capitalism, without turning everything to government control.

"Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is declared to be illegal. Every person who shall make any contract or engage in any combination or conspiracy hereby declared to be illegal shall be deemed guilty of a felony, "—Sherman Act 1890

"No person engaged in commerce or in any activity affecting commerce shall acquire, directly or indirectly, the whole or any part of the stock or other share capital and no person subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission shall acquire the whole or any part of the assets of another person engaged also in commerce or in any activity affecting commerce, where in any line of commerce or in any activity affecting commerce in any section of the country, the effect of such acquisition may be substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly."
—Clayton Act 1914

I would argue what distinguishes American capitalism is the idea that there should be laws that protect the consumer and increase efficiency. The role of the government is to put rails on the roads, which benefit everyone. There are numerous pieces of legislation and hundreds of cases pertaining to this topic.

I find economic theory to be fascinating, worth your time to dive down the rabbit hole some time even if it's just on wikipedia, start with John Nash and game theory and see where you end up.

A bit off topic, one of my wife's favorite classes at UChicago was with Steven Levitt, she turned me on to his works. Certainly an interesting way of looking at the world.

 

[Gut Shot]

We need some rules to keep the little guy from being ground into dust.

Why do we need more laws? Do we really need to complicate the idea of "Thou shalt not steal"?

 

[Stay Sharp]

You need a bunch of them though. Just a $20-50 card brings the price back down to where I could just buy it elsewhere.

Agreed. I was sitting on 7, $50 cards. I struggled to find anything they had that I needed. I ended up getting meat processing/butchering/sausage making stuff but still cringed at how overpriced it was marked at. They really are wildly over priced.

 

[shootbrownelk]

Cabela's once ironclad "LIFETIME" guarantee on anything with their name on it is no more. Bass-Pro s**t canned that PDQ. Anything with the name RedHead on it is pure junk IMO....except for the duck by that name.

 

[Trial153]

We have the largest corporate government partnership the world has ever seen. no way our republic survives it.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Why do we need more laws? Do we really need to complicate the idea of "Thou shalt not steal"?

Because we know that unbridled capitalism gives us this:

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire ‑ Date, Significance, Cause | HISTORY

The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire, which killed 146 New Yorkers in 1911, stemmed from poor working conditions and led to changes in safety laws.

www.history.com

regulation of industry is a good thing. It keeps industry more honest than if they had unfettered hands to do whatever. We've gone backwards now, so that large corporations & billionaires pay less in taxes that the middle and lower classes. We've shifted their burden on to our backs so that billionaires can buy a fourth island or a third jet.

Capitalism is a fine and good thing in theory. It has the capacity to lift all to better living standards. Well regulated capitalism that keeps the playing field level lifts small business owners & entrepreneurs up, while maintaining that level field against the people who would buy & sell you to increase their net worth by a buck.

Our history is full of the rapacious greed of wealthy men who sought to reduce their burden while increasing everyone elses. If we do not remember our history, we're doomed to be enslaved by it.