Comment by sdellis
14 days ago
So what did you think the article is about? The polite thing would be to discuss it. That's what HN is here for!
14 days ago
So what did you think the article is about? The polite thing would be to discuss it. That's what HN is here for!
I guess I’ll assume you’re asking in good faith.
The article is not about how monopolies are good for society.
It’s about how businesses over emphasize small differences which make them indistinguishable from their competition.
It’s better to be in your own category rather than a slightly different permutation.
Capturing the value you produce from a business is actually very difficult. Think about how many Facebook users are a net less for the business. Good business plans also plan for capturing value.
We don't need an article to tell us that monopolies are not good for society. The fact that the article ignores this elephant in the room is exactly why I have issue with it.
I agree that the best way to capture value is to destroy all competition or otherwise ensure that the customer has no other options. It is also deeply unethical, even if within the current law. I'll note that anti-trust laws have been eroded in the past two decades as the gov has caved to corporate pressure and lobbyists.
I also can't pretend I don't see a relationship here to Theil's financial backing of Curtis Yarvin, who calls for replacing democracy with a corporate-led monarchy -- the political form of monopoly. Creepy!