It's the same darn argument as was used against the automobile when it started replacing horse drawn carriages (buggies) as the dominant mode of transport. "Oh,

It's the same darn argument as was used against the automobile when it started replacing horse drawn carriages (buggies) as the dominant mode of transport. "Oh, but think of the poor buggy horsewhip-makers! They will be deprived of their livelihood." Guess what? They adapted to the new reality and here we are, rehashing the age old argument for populist/crony politics. Change is always hard, sometimes unforgivingly so, but in the end, you adapt and survive or you perish (however that is defined). As a bleeding heart liberal humanist, I feel for the poor folks who will be put out of their current livelihood. But the societal answer to that cannot be the continuation of the status quo. If we, as a society, feel the need to help people in such situations, we need to find them alternatives that enable them to transition into the brave/merciless new world, rather than keep their current job on the socially funded ventilator, just because. Most importantly, I'd rather support the decentralization of taxi companies, i.e. turn them into car rental companies for free-agent drivers who then use them to pick up fares using uber/lyft/whatever. The taxi system is a bloody mess and some real competition will help clean out the systematic cruft that has accumulated over time. So yes, take money from uber/lyft, but NOT to support the rent-collecting taxi company owners. Better yet, use the money to give short-term loans to people who'd rather buy a car to drive as a ride-share cab.