571 sats \ 2 replies \ @kepford 22 Jan \ parent \ on: Expensive fridges are dying young. Owners are suing, claiming fraud tech
I'm not convinced Elon could have built the things he has built without the fiat system and the market manipulation of the state.
But to your point there is more to it but a frig is a utility device. The Tesla is very different. Its built for the wealthy and "green" conscience. Its also trendy and kitchen appliances are not.
My theory is that due to monetary inflation the cost of making things has increased and companies are striving to keep costs down by cutting corners. We know that for most mass market products price is a huge factor. There are exceptions like Apple and Tesla. Those to me are status brands. Not appliance companies. Not yet.
yes, Elon’s DoE loan from 2008/2009 was very helpful (maybe necessary) for Tesla’s survival, but the latest set of ZEV credits don’t seem to have changed Tesla’s position as a profitable business.
Tesla continues to be profitable without them, and there remains a wide gap between Tesla and all other EV companies even though most other companies still have access.
I learned lots about state intervention from reading Americana, including that the Erie Canal the US steel industry both owe their existence to US subsidies in their earliest stage.
The Erie Canal was essential for settling the Great Lakes region, and the US steel industry in the Carnegie era couldn’t compete with imported British steel in a free market.
Both of those events occurred before the Federal Reserve was created.
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This is a good point. Its not that the Fed is the central enemy. The central villain is the state. The US government stealing the money of people and deciding where it should be directed. The Fed is a more efficient mechanism than taxes. Corporations/Business interests aligned with governments doing as they please.
My issue is with the system of theft. Not people like Elon or even just the Fed. This belief that it is OK to steal from people just because you are a government. They exercise god like authority over the plebs.
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