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Sort of related, but I've also been reflecting lately at how busy all the local businesses in LA seem to be, despite population decline and business closures everywhere. I was trying to square it in my mind, and then I realized that it's because in a highly regulated, high cost environment, businesses can only survive if they have extremely high demand (hence, being congested). So it's a classic example of high costs chasing out a bunch of businesses, then the remaining ones only being able to survive by capturing the rest of the market and being congested and charging high prices.
The progressives who hate monopolies and price gouging so much are actually creating the conditions under which businesses can have market power and price gouge.
I had never thought about it before, but the place I lived with the worst regulatory environment also had the busiest businesses but it also seemed like there were too few of them.
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I'm quite sure of it. It makes total economic sense. I bet there's a literature on this out there... if not, there should be.
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So you don't want doctors to have to be registered to practice medicine?
Good luck with that heart surgery next week...
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Idiotic straw man argument
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Can you explain that name calling shoot the messenger avoid the argument assertion?
You would be happy to undergo surgery from an unqualified surgeon?
How can an ordinary consumer reasonably assess the training level-skill set and capability of a surgeon or other professionals if they are not regulated by government?
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You jumped from
I'm also surprised he didn't bring up occupational licensing requirements. A lot of times the market power that suppliers have is the result of government intervention... usually well lobbied for by the suppliers themselves...
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You would be happy to undergo surgery from an unqualified surgeon?
That's the textbook definition of a straw man argument: "A straw man argument is a logical fallacy where someone misrepresents or exaggerates an opponent's position to make it easier to attack"
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You said-
'I'm also surprised he didn't bring up occupational licensing requirements. A lot of times the market power that suppliers have is the result of government intervention... usually well lobbied for by the suppliers themselves...'
Did I mistake you there for attributing fault to governments for enabling market power via occupational licensing requirements?
All I am doing is making personal/dramatic the consequences of the negative weighting you appeared to be giving to the desirability of government regulation of professional occupations.
I am not exaggerating or misrepresenting your apparent dislike of government regulation... I am simply taking it to its logical consequence and how it might impact you or anyone else. Surely that is a perfectly reasonable application of your stated beliefs and how they could impact you if practiced in real life?
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Apparently you aren't able to grasp the concept of tradeoffs.