PRO An economy based on the relationship between supply and demand promotes healthy competition. Companies strive to offer better goods or services than other, similar companies. If one company offers more extensive goods and its profit margins increase, then that inspires its competitors to get innovative so that they can retain or gain some of that market. This lively symbiosis is the backbone of free enterprise, and is a huge positive. Consumers gain when companies compete to offer more products or services in varied, often more efficient ways. Consider how the shopping industry drastically changed during the last 10 years with Amazon able to ship products directly to consumers, saving them money and time spent driving to a “big box” store.
CON That potential for profit is as alluring as it is dangerous. In order to maximize the highest profit margin, potential companies often resort to unethical or even illegal behavior. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is arguably a symptom of such a mindset, because of rushing, that oil company caused a horrific natural disaster. Such behavior is detrimental to its employees, because a company is not paying attention to, safety protocols, for example. Rushing or not paying attention to safety protocols, can cause lives lost or at least caused sickness and injury. Free enterprise suffers when companies go completely unchecked and foster corrupt competition.
