There are plenty of things you could buy once upon a time that have been phased out or 'banned' (whether de facto or de jure). Things replace other things. They used to put cocaine in Coke. You could buy asbestos for your office building. You can still own a lawnmower or lightbulb though so what is the 'incrementalism' here other than how a consumption based economy works? Doesnt seem like they are phasing out "ownership" in that sense. Capitalist innovation is basically figuring out ways how to extract more money from the same products over and over. Sometimes the government acts to accelerate the phase out of certain things for various reasons. I dont see a future where you 'subscribe' to a lightbulb or a lawnmower.
Frankly your criticism and complaining is pointless if you think people should be able to accumulate massive wealth. This is what people do with that money, they try to shape society to their continual benefit or liking if allowed to! Concentrated wealth gives people power, and by definition, power over other people. Democracy is the only bulwark against that, but you and others on this thread have very little interest in democracy based off posts I've seen. You're just howling into the wind.
agree yes. You cannot buy a gas mower in Cali as of 2024. And yes you can no longer buy a’ indecent bulb at 1/15th the price of and LED bulb. I think electric mowers and led bulbs are cool and have their place. Banning the alternative is where I take issue. Also think Teslas are cool and enjoy riding in them but they aren’t the right choice for my family of 5 for financial and logistical reasons
Who is going to own the light bulbs when we are no longer allowed to? Are we just going to rent them?
touched on a few interesting examples. You conflate phasing out with banning. I think drugs should be legalized so feel Free to sell the coke coke. Wanna blow rails and destroy your nasal cavities…have at it….just don’t ask me to pay for your medical care. Let free people and enterprise decide not bureaucrats
Capitalism has some regulation to prevent exploitation. When regulation springs forth from envy towards the rich and the prosperous you have departed from capitalism.
Is there a difference here practically? If we raise CAFE standards for new automobiles, you'd probably argue that the government was 'banning' certain vehicles incapable of meeting those standards rather than phasing them out.
Interesting example. Manufacturers were forced to put a certain percentage of cars on their lots that were money losers so they could keep the profitable cars/trucks which effectively raised the price of the cars people wanted to pay for the cars that people didn’t. Those cars then sat on their lots and eventually sold at losses. I’m all for manufacturing more efficient cars if there is a market for them. For example. I drive a large suv. There are 5 of us and a dog. We do travel volleyball which requires lots of space. The engine on the car I drive has been around forever. Reliable. Efficient. Manufacturer was Required to put the new transmission system that theoretically automatically drops it from a V8 to a v4 when in cruise. As a result they could sell it as ‘fuel efficient’ or green with a little leaf sticker but the end result is the car that had an engine that lasted 250,000+ miles now is completely corroder and ruined by 120,000 if you’re lucky. Ultimately raising the cost Of ownership. But cool right. You don’t care because it doesn’t affect you and that’s the ultimate litmus test.
Sorry but arent there winners and losers in markets? Plenty of stuff I like has been discontinued too. The government creates the market as you know it, this is what happens. Travel sports are expensive! That's generally why only people who can afford it do it, to the detriment of participation, another effect of the market. The government or sporting bodies could step in and do something about that too, but it hasnt. I dont know what to tell you.
I don’t need any help with math. I do need you to stop minimizing the pain that many have endured from what you like to call a “transitional blip”. it is elitist. Ever watch what happens when a company misses their warning by that “little ole 1%” that you are trying to minimize? And for the most vulnerable (fixed incomes) food, housing and energy have all gone up a shit load more than the average inflation.
Cool and have their place? You can get a 60w equivelant LED bulb for just over a buck. At a very generous $0.10/kwh, one single bulb would save you about $10/year in electricity (5 hours/day). Additionally, you won't have to replace it for around 30 years (5 hours/day). In that time you'd have to buy at least 20 incandescents. Crying over incandescent bulbs is the most screaming at clouds thing ever.
Right. Capitalism doesn't write, execute, or interpret laws - as we all know. That is the realm of governments, regardless of the economic systems at work within the state's borders. How does Capitalism regulate itself against exploitation and drug dealing?
