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Buying your way into electric truck marketshare instead of designing and building it yourself and letting the consumer decide? Instead of a Rivian truck and a T
by ttfkam 3y ago
Buying your way into electric truck marketshare instead of designing and building it yourself and letting the consumer decide? Instead of a Rivian truck and a Tesla truck, consumers just get one?
I mean, it's typical US corporate behavior at this point, but I fail to see how it positively affects the market or truck buyers. Tesla stock, sure.
- pfannkuchen 3y agoInteresting. I would definitely agree that it is not optimal behavior from the consumer’s perspective. I would hesitate to call it anti-capitalistic - do you think all acquisitions are anti-capitalistic? I have never heard this argued.
- ttfkam 3y agoAntitrust enforcement—sadly out of favor compared to the 20th century—was specifically created to foster competition within the marketplace. It was rightly seen as a bulwark against a wealthy, powerful player simply buying themselves a greater share of the market. Monopolies are a consequence of capitalism but serve to choke out the engine of capitalism. A monopolistic (or oligarchic) environment is no different from a government-sanctioned planned economy where a few (or one) players set prices, decide the pace of innovation, and restrict supply according to their own narrow interests. Arguably in a democracy it's worse since corporations tend to have an autocratic model rather than an electoral one, so the people are left with even fewer options. If you want a better society with greater choices and opportunity, let them make a better product or at least cheaper. Buying out the competition just raises prices and reduces choice. I would definitely consider that anti-capitalistic.