3 ms·

Uber is one of many VC-funded businesses that set out to intentionally flout the intention of the laws where they operate. They find a loophole and drive throu

Uber is one of many VC-funded businesses that set out to intentionally flout the intention of the laws where they operate. They find a loophole and drive through it with a dump truck. They expect to litigate when challenged to extend their runway. If they fail, the founders walk away with millions and get to do it all again. This kind of behavior is a huge disincentive to people that actually want to follow the spirit of the law. I mean, who wants to play a game where the other participants are flagrantly unabashed cheaters? Who wants to try to raise capital honestly, when liars can thrive? I have plenty of ideas and skills to launch viable startup businesses, but I'm not will to lie, cheat, and steal to compete. And like it or not, that's pretty much exactly what it takes to create a business like Uber.

kingcharles 5y ago
Indeed. Uber is of the "ask forgiveness, not permission" model. Sometimes, SOMETIMES, this is the only way to get things done. Especially when you're building at the speed of the Internet. Trying to lobby for changes in the law in advance would be a fool's errand as legislators work slowly, and usually only reactively. Don't blame the player, blame the game.
- voakbasda 5y ago
  Oh, I absolutely blame the game. The fish rots from the head down. But the players here are rotten too. Just because a person legally can do a thing does not mean that a good honest person should do that thing.
  - Dracophoenix 5y ago
    Then what, in your opinion, is one to do? Not every law, whether in spirit or letter, is written for the best interest of the governed. The crypto wars of the 90s are a testament to that and are now rearing their ugly head yet again. Working one's way around unstated assumptions is one of the rights acknowledged by the Constitution in the form of the 10th amendment. It remains one of the few safeguards against the self-righteousness political bodies tend to exhibit.
    - voakbasda 5y ago
      I am waiting for the revolution to start. Seriously. I know this kind of talk borders on sedition and risks a visit from the powers that be, but it's a risk I will take to defend my principles and those of our Constitution. I do not see a way of reforming society. I see our governments continuing to devolve into ineffective squabbling and pandering, until the final straw lands and their backs break. The pandemic came wonderfully close. If it had been a little worse, many governments would have had to institute martial law, as they would be forced to institute policies would that actively choose who gets to live and who dies. You can imagine how things would go from there. The 10th Amendment has been effectively dead since around WW2. The big turning point was Wickard v. Filburn [0], which grossly expanded federal powers over intrastate commerce. Similar efforts have succeeded in castrating the power of the States on many other fronts. That treasonous status quo alone should be cause for revolution; however, all of our fundamental civil liberties have been curtailed in similarly countless ways. For anyone doubting the veracity of this assertion, I recommend the now-dated-but-still-pertinent book by Naomi Wolff, "The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot". Read it and start sharpening your pitchfork. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_America:_Letter_of_Warning_to_a_Young_Patriot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_America:_Letter_of_...

kingcharles 5y ago

Indeed. Uber is of the "ask forgiveness, not permission" model. Sometimes, SOMETIMES, this is the only way to get things done. Especially when you're building at the speed of the Internet. Trying to lobby for changes in the law in advance would be a fool's errand as legislators work slowly, and usually only reactively. Don't blame the player, blame the game.

voakbasda 5y ago
Oh, I absolutely blame the game. The fish rots from the head down. But the players here are rotten too. Just because a person legally can do a thing does not mean that a good honest person should do that thing.
- Dracophoenix 5y ago
  Then what, in your opinion, is one to do? Not every law, whether in spirit or letter, is written for the best interest of the governed. The crypto wars of the 90s are a testament to that and are now rearing their ugly head yet again. Working one's way around unstated assumptions is one of the rights acknowledged by the Constitution in the form of the 10th amendment. It remains one of the few safeguards against the self-righteousness political bodies tend to exhibit.
  - voakbasda 5y ago
    I am waiting for the revolution to start. Seriously. I know this kind of talk borders on sedition and risks a visit from the powers that be, but it's a risk I will take to defend my principles and those of our Constitution. I do not see a way of reforming society. I see our governments continuing to devolve into ineffective squabbling and pandering, until the final straw lands and their backs break. The pandemic came wonderfully close. If it had been a little worse, many governments would have had to institute martial law, as they would be forced to institute policies would that actively choose who gets to live and who dies. You can imagine how things would go from there. The 10th Amendment has been effectively dead since around WW2. The big turning point was Wickard v. Filburn [0], which grossly expanded federal powers over intrastate commerce. Similar efforts have succeeded in castrating the power of the States on many other fronts. That treasonous status quo alone should be cause for revolution; however, all of our fundamental civil liberties have been curtailed in similarly countless ways. For anyone doubting the veracity of this assertion, I recommend the now-dated-but-still-pertinent book by Naomi Wolff, "The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot". Read it and start sharpening your pitchfork. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_America:_Letter_of_Warning_to_a_Young_Patriot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_America:_Letter_of_...