Part of the free-market attitude though is that you should be allowed to buy policy, so in that regard it’s consistent, you just have to account for corruption in the cost of doing business.
Free-Market Advocate, Elon Musk, Asks for U.S. Government to Put Tariffs on Chinese EV Imports
Submitted 5 months ago by theHRguy@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world
Comments
seaQueue@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Free markets for me but not for thee
cyd@lemmy.world 5 months ago
“Businessmen favor free enterprise in general but are opposed to it when it comes to themselves.” – Milton Friedman
_sideffect@lemmy.world 5 months ago
This is why he wants 25% of tesla so badly
Empricorn@feddit.nl 5 months ago
Even ignoring all his crazy stances, he’s the CEO of an American EV company! What the fuck what would you expect him to say!?
jmanes@lemmy.world 5 months ago
This is how all capitalist markets progress, which is why I get annoyed when folks try to talk about this as though it is hypocritical. There is nothing hypocritical about a capitalist attempting to stifle innovation and competition for the advancement of personal wealth. This is what capitalism is about.
Rhaedas@kbin.social 5 months ago
I agree that's it's a "hate the game, not the player". The issue is how much influence he could have to steer the market to favor his product vs. the competition. It's happened so many times in history where the better product fails because they can't play the game like the inferior company.
To quote "Pirates of Silicon Valley":
Steve Jobs: We're better than you are! We have better stuff.
Bill Gates: You don't get it, Steve. That doesn't matter!
So is it fair for the consumer for big companies to be able to influence the game itself and not just play within the same rules? I'd say no.
jmanes@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I don’t think you’re really addressing my comment, which is just a criticism of how folks write about these “hypocrisies.”
Of course it’s not fair; that’s the entire foundational pillar on which capitalism rests. I’m not saying “hate the game, not the player”. Rather I’m saying the game is bullshit and the player should have his balls kicked with steel toed boot repeatedly.