"rent-seeking is an attempt to obtain economic rent by manipulating the social or political environment in which economic activities occur, rather than by creating new wealth"
A great side effect of popular companies like Tesla and Uber is the attention they bring to these practices.
and in North Carolina... "Any time there's an innovative way to bring a product to market it's going to initially get push back from the fellows that have been doing business the same way since 1902..."
I believe that it was originally a customer-protection measure. These days though, it's just a way to protect car dealerships from competition with the manufacturers.
How is Tesla direct selling to customers hurting car shops that sell cars from one or more traditional manufacturers but none from Tesla ?
Is there a rationale behind that ? As in car shops are scared Ford or GM would open a direct-to-customers shops for lower prices than they could offer to ?
> There are plenty other businesses employ lots of people but don't have so much protection from state laws.
>
> That may partly be due to the fact that car dealers have a lot political power. Dealers contribute a big share of state sales tax revenues — as much as 20 percent in some states — and they tend to be big local employers. That makes state and local legislators listen.
Interesting. So they basically are afraid of any dent in the system even if it wouldn't erode their own sells (of every brand but Tesla).
"The book explores a number of philosophical themes from which Rand would subsequently develop Objectivism.[7][8] In doing so, it expresses the advocacy of reason, individualism, capitalism, and the failures of governmental coercion."
Is that not how the free-market is suppose to keep the whole system efficient?
It just sounds absurd:
"I'm going to jail Hun"
- what did you do?
"I made a car... and then I sold it... directly to those who wanted it"
- .......
ridiculous