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The last paragraph ties into business models like AirBnb and UberCab: where people just do some work or offer something and get paid for it, without a lot of re

by zipdog 15y ago

The last paragraph ties into business models like AirBnb and UberCab: where people just do some work or offer something and get paid for it, without a lot of red tape and hassles and registering as a business. It would be great if business and labor laws were streamlined to make this as easy as possible, but its disruptive to larger corporations and current stakeholders, so I suspect there's vested interest in trying to keep the status quo, unfortunately. But the success of AirBnb, etc is a great sign.

dctoedt 15y ago
> It would be great if business and labor laws were streamlined to make this as easy as possible, but its disruptive to larger corporations and current stakeholders ... Certainly that's one part of the phenomenon. But keep in mind that regulations exist also because there are always people who want to take in as much money as possible while doing as little work as possible, leaving others---possibly meaning the public---to pick up the pieces when things go wrong. (A recent example: Wall Street investment bankers, playing the heads-we-win, tails-the-public-loses game with bank bailouts. A recurring example: Polluters.)
- jacoblyles 15y ago
  It's a good thing that we have regulations so those bad things never happened. Less snark version: who do you think writes regulation?
  - thomaslangston 15y ago
    Are you trying to argue that regulations are completely ineffective? If so, please argue against the proposition that regulations decrease (not eliminate) unwanted behavior. That would be more useful for your reader.
  - onemoreact 15y ago
    Granted that was meant as a rhetorical question, but I think regulation is often written by young consultants because everyone tends to back the buck on to someone else. However, when it comes to the process that actually choses which regulation to go with that's often a range of special interests each fighting to protect their individual pieces. Conceder cap and trade which is clearly less efficient than simply taxing carbon. While it might seem like a terrible idea for anyone with a few lobbyists and the assumption that they can specify an exception for their industry it can become a huge boon at the cost of those with less influence.
maqr 15y ago
> without a lot of red tape and hassles and registering as a business I don't know if there have been any horror stories yet, but the reality is that in our society, you need those protections offered by registering as a business and dealing with the red tape. Our laws are set up in such a way that the individual is at much greater personal risk when acting as an individual than as a business entity with the individual as its sole member.
- wladimir 15y ago
  That's why it would be nice (as the grandfather post says) to streamline business and labour laws so that would be easier. It could happen as more people move to that kind of existence. I don't think he denies that the red tape is currently necessary.

by zipdog 15y ago

dctoedt 15y ago

> It would be great if business and labor laws were streamlined to make this as easy as possible, but its disruptive to larger corporations and current stakeholders ... Certainly that's one part of the phenomenon. But keep in mind that regulations exist also because there are always people who want to take in as much money as possible while doing as little work as possible, leaving others---possibly meaning the public---to pick up the pieces when things go wrong. (A recent example: Wall Street investment bankers, playing the heads-we-win, tails-the-public-loses game with bank bailouts. A recurring example: Polluters.)

jacoblyles 15y ago
It's a good thing that we have regulations so those bad things never happened. Less snark version: who do you think writes regulation?
- thomaslangston 15y ago
  Are you trying to argue that regulations are completely ineffective? If so, please argue against the proposition that regulations decrease (not eliminate) unwanted behavior. That would be more useful for your reader.
- onemoreact 15y ago
  Granted that was meant as a rhetorical question, but I think regulation is often written by young consultants because everyone tends to back the buck on to someone else. However, when it comes to the process that actually choses which regulation to go with that's often a range of special interests each fighting to protect their individual pieces. Conceder cap and trade which is clearly less efficient than simply taxing carbon. While it might seem like a terrible idea for anyone with a few lobbyists and the assumption that they can specify an exception for their industry it can become a huge boon at the cost of those with less influence.

maqr 15y ago

> without a lot of red tape and hassles and registering as a business I don't know if there have been any horror stories yet, but the reality is that in our society, you need those protections offered by registering as a business and dealing with the red tape. Our laws are set up in such a way that the individual is at much greater personal risk when acting as an individual than as a business entity with the individual as its sole member.

wladimir 15y ago
That's why it would be nice (as the grandfather post says) to streamline business and labour laws so that would be easier. It could happen as more people move to that kind of existence. I don't think he denies that the red tape is currently necessary.