4 ms·

I have to admit cars have gotten better. I wonder why, since pretty much any other machinery have become worse. Monkey wrenches, kitchen aids, washing machines

I have to admit cars have gotten better. I wonder why, since pretty much any other machinery have become worse. Monkey wrenches, kitchen aids, washing machines. Even static tools like frying pans, screw drivers. You name it. But not cars.

meheleventyone 3y ago
Cars are heavily regulated.
- brewdad 3y ago
  > The car market appears to be as close to perfect competition as we can muster. Theres an enormous amount of big players that all compete and try to outdo one another > Cars are heavily regulated I love that both of these statements, while reflecting opposing ends of political philosophy, are entirely true.
  - meheleventyone 3y ago
    There's only a handful of umbrella companies for most of the brands.
anthonypasq 3y ago
The car market appears to be as close to perfect competition as we can muster. Theres an enormous amount of big players that all compete and try to outdo one another
- SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
  This is not a marker of "perfect competition", in fact, far from it https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/auto-bailout-ten-years-later-right-call/ https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wha...
floxy 3y ago
You can't buy cars at Amazon (?). So there is no race to the bottom trying to compete with counterfeit and/or products made with substandard materials?
squarefoot 3y ago
Cars can kill people in numerous ways and as a consequence are more regulated pretty much everywhere except the useless things; other items are only where it counts. A washing machine might be a piece of crap wrt its function, but for sure must pass all sorts of certifications for electrical safety. That wouldn't prevent it from being crap, though.
uxp100 3y ago
I mean, modern washing machines use much less water and electricity, and leave the clothes less wet so the dryer has less to do. I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were less damaging to clothes as well.
m463 3y ago
I think much of everything else has been ruthlessly optimized for volume + price/profit, so the minimum viable product rises to the top.
deleted 3y ago
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meheleventyone 3y ago

Cars are heavily regulated.

brewdad 3y ago
> The car market appears to be as close to perfect competition as we can muster. Theres an enormous amount of big players that all compete and try to outdo one another > Cars are heavily regulated I love that both of these statements, while reflecting opposing ends of political philosophy, are entirely true.
- meheleventyone 3y ago
  There's only a handful of umbrella companies for most of the brands.

anthonypasq 3y ago

The car market appears to be as close to perfect competition as we can muster. Theres an enormous amount of big players that all compete and try to outdo one another

SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
This is not a marker of "perfect competition", in fact, far from it https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/auto-bailout-ten-years-later-right-call/ https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wha...

floxy 3y ago

You can't buy cars at Amazon (?). So there is no race to the bottom trying to compete with counterfeit and/or products made with substandard materials?

squarefoot 3y ago

Cars can kill people in numerous ways and as a consequence are more regulated pretty much everywhere except the useless things; other items are only where it counts. A washing machine might be a piece of crap wrt its function, but for sure must pass all sorts of certifications for electrical safety. That wouldn't prevent it from being crap, though.

uxp100 3y ago

I mean, modern washing machines use much less water and electricity, and leave the clothes less wet so the dryer has less to do. I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were less damaging to clothes as well.

m463 3y ago

I think much of everything else has been ruthlessly optimized for volume + price/profit, so the minimum viable product rises to the top.

deleted 3y ago

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