11 Comments

Really enjoyed the podcast.

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Ok, so maybe this is why I can't buy Robertson's ginger marmalade anymore........among other products I loved?

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Could be. I noticed that I was getting charged duty on books from the UK in the past couple of years. I wondered if it had to do with Brexit and not having a trade agreement that allowed goods to flow without tariffs.

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2 hrs ago·edited 2 hrs ago

Both banks and meat processing, for instance, are subject to regulation and active monitoring by government agencies. Presumably, the bureaucracies needed to oversee these private sector actors would rather engage with a handful of entities populated with professionals who speak the same language, not a legion of small business owners who don't have the same priorities. During covid, government ok'd Walmart and Costco because they were only two corporations instead of 40,000 small business owners.

To me, government and large business interests are in the same category, corporatist bodies who standardize terms and culture allowing them to engage with each other efficiently. The government, after negotiation, gets its regulations implemented and in return the large corporates get market dominance and the ability to act on rent-seeking in a low risk environment. As these companies get bigger they need more people who are both citizens and employees. The incentives of one status align with that of the other reducing the desire to upend the government-business relationship as it stands.

When I get a chance to listen to this podcast, I may have a different view.

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" So conservatives also want to break up big tech."

Not since "big tech" has jumped on board with supporting Trump. Now they want to partner with each other.

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author

Is there any way I can vote against sweeping generalizations?

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Wow. Nice comment. Is there more of that to look forward to?

You can start with this one…

" So conservatives also want to break up big tech."

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Looking forward to listening. I listen regularly to Vass Bednars podcast and find it illuminating.

Also looking forward to your thoughts around the US election.

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No "Transcript" button.

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Might be on a delay, seems to be there now.

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Got it, thanks!

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