The curse of our civilization is greed. But it’s not just a character trait. It is found everywhere in the world. But Western liberal society has greed built into its institutions. You cannot be satisfied that your business is reasonably profitable. You have to increase profits in the next quarter, and then increase them again, and then increase them again. That is, of course, devastating. And it is also true, of course, that such an arrangement brings out the worst in people that would otherwise only be hidden.
For example, in agriculture and the food industry. Grain prices are down and food prices are up. Where is the problem? Firstly, in the price of energy and other inputs, but also in business profits. In neighbouring Germany, there are increasing demands for state intervention against hypermarket chains that increase their margins, so that farmers and consumers lose out. If this is also difficult in Germany, how strong a personality would have to be in the Czech government to dare to stand up to the corporations?
By the way, have you noticed that the Czech market commies consider the profits of the chains to be justified (because they are “market”) and are demanding stricter procedures against farmers? Supposedly, if we eliminate Czech farmers, food will be cheaper, the verbose economists and commentators promise us.