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by justincormack 4017 days ago
But then why is the US, allegedly home to unbridled capitalism, so prone to these, more than other countries? Is the political system that much more lobbyable? If so why?

In the UK, searching gov.uk for licenses[1], you need a license for selling alcohol, being a bouncer, driving a limousine, oil and gas exploration, being a gangmaster, dealing in precursor chemicals, having a cinema (in Northern Ireland), disturbing the seabed, various imports and exports eg arms, offshore carbon storage, distilling, taxis, irradiating food (in Scotland), running a betting shop, manufacturing explosives, growing hemp, tattooing, ... etc - most of which are fairly clearly due to specific historical situations, or what are probably fairly evidence based risks (tattooing).

[1] https://www.gov.uk/search?q=license

2 comments

Because the US never has been home to unbridled capitalism. We've been home to regulated capitalism, and we've been around now we're forgetting the capitalism part.
Oddly enough when a right wing free trade think tank measures how good a country is for entrepreneurs the "socialist" uk with its NHS scores a lot higher than the USA