Government Regulation and Incumbent Business Protection
Scratch "consumer" protection laws and you will almost always find the laws are really aimed a protecting incumbent businesses and traditional business models. This time from France:
To the surprise of virtually everyone in France, the government has just passed a law requiring car services like Uber to wait 15 minutes before picking up passengers. The bill is designed to help regular taxi drivers, who feel threatened by recently-introduced companies like Uber, SnapCar and LeCab. Cabbies in the Gallic nation require formidable time and expense to get their permits and see the new services -- which lack such onerous requirements -- as direct competitors.
This is the interesting political ground where the Occupy Wall Street movement and the Tea Party have a lot of overlap. That is why the Chamber of Commerce, which represents all these incumbent businesses, is working with both parties to keep the cozy corporatists in power against challenges from the Left and Right. If you are a business owner, eschew the Chamber and join the NFIB and support the IJ.
obloodyhell:
I can't easily find it, but I recall about 20-odd years ago, I think it was, some articles that noted that the Union that involves French bus drivers was suing to stop a ride-sharing organization set up by French maid services, or something like that. They were claiming that they were doing to job of the bus drivers.
The French are pretty much always remarkably stupid, even for Euros.
December 31, 2013, 1:31 amCorky Boyd:
The French simply do not like competition. And with good reason. They are horribly inefficient. Competition challenges the existing order. Government protects the existing order under the pretext of protecting "Frenchness."
The next Steve Jobs will not live in France.
December 31, 2013, 8:42 pmteapartydoc:
Apply the same thinking to the AMA and medical licensing.
January 4, 2014, 6:28 pm