they'll only pay you as much as they have to.

... ok, well that makes sense. Do you pay your mechanic more than you have to to fix your car, or do you go to the guy who can do a satisfactory job for the cheapest price. Check the reading suggestion I made below if you are truly interested..

I've only had basic economic education so I might check that out. I think it's more about how much the company pays the mechanic who works for them. Small businesses have been failing lately so it comes more down to which company can give you a better deal. So if you go to a store that does a satisfactory job for a cheaper price then the company is probably making less money off the deal and paying their employees less. Inversely, a local mechanic can't give the same deals as a bigger company (like how most local restaurants won't have a dollar menu that could compete with McDonald's) My last point before I jump off the site: (In my opinion) the rules of economics are beginning to change. People have less money so they are turning to super-corporations to give them the lowest prices on products although they may not pay their employees as well. Like, when the recession first started wal-mart and McDonald's were the only two companies in America actually making MORE money than before, which honestly scares the shit out of me.
<- random funny for the post being so long.

If by rules you mean 'laws' then I disagree, if a 'law' is subject to change then it was never a law to begin with, and from what I have read and studied the 'laws' of economics have not changed.

Thanks, for a more complete explanation read Ludwig Von Mises' "Human Action". Also effective as a coma inducer...