3 ms·
Interesting that the authors consider the culprit to be Big Plant. This would seem to go against the traditional capitalist playbook, are there other examples o
by jakear 6y ago
Interesting that the authors consider the culprit to be Big Plant. This would seem to go against the traditional capitalist playbook, are there other examples of an industry banding together to say “X raw material would make producing goods too easy, let’s have it outlawed so we all have to do more work and spend more money”?
- akiselev 6y agoWilliam Hearst's relationship with Anslinger (as well as the latter's racist views) and his financial interests in lumber are well documented. It's not about wanting to spend more money, it's about wanting to spend just enough money to keep competitors from springing up, which is what really keeps profits high within an industry. Hemp's behavior as a weed would have allowed very low capital cost upstarts at a time when industrialization was eating everything in its path and creating natural barriers to entry.