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Comment by computerex

10 hours ago

People know it’s happening. What do you expect an average consumer to do about it? Pay more out of pocket due to the potential national security risks?

You can't pay more to get a better drone than DJI's. You can pay more (although it's difficult) to get a worse drone. Much worse.

  • Right, because in an actual free market where DHI was not heavily subsidized, DJI drones would cost MUCH more, and the other drones would be competitive.

    Same for BYD vs Tesla and every other car. It is easy to win in the "free market" when you give away your product.

    Same for Uber and Lyft for many years — subsidized by VCs until they gained massive scale, effectively killed all the other competition, and now the prices have gone up when they have a lock on the market, a large moat, and the VCs want a return. In my area, what was a $30 ride to the airport a few years ago, far cheaper than any airport service, is now $89.

    The entire concept of a "free market" is idealized to the point of fiction.

  • Next year you'll have a fair old choice of drones from Ukrainian manufacturers though, when they're no longer needed to defeat Putin.

In today's environment people can't even make the choice to pay more. The productn are just priced out of reach!