Late Stage Capitalism
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Introduction to Socialism (external links)
Marxism-Leninism Study Guide: Basic Course
Marxism-Leninism Study Guide: Advanced Course
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You're right, I can do it... if I get all of the permits and inspections
What I can't do is just take the grill I already own, wheel it out to any public place, and start selling burgers
Which means if I want to compete with McDonalds I need permits, licenses, health inspections, a place I can rent to sell at, taxes, proper disposal of waste, etc...
And this adds up. It adds up to a point where I probably don't have the cash on hand to just do it so I need a loan and paying for all of that month after month means I need to charge more for my burgers; or I just simply can't do it
I can't just sell hot dogs on any corner in New York City. While the permits are pretty cheap, they only allow so many of them. So what stopping me from setting up a cart 2 feet away and selling hot dogs for $2 less? The government. I'm literally not allowed to sell hot dogs 2 feet away from that guy. I'm not allowed to sell hot dogs on any street
So what's stopping me from selling you a burger for a buck? The government
Is that bad? Not necessarily. It is nice knowing that the food that I buy is cooked well and not in a kitchen full of cockroaches.
And when it comes to NYC it's nice knowing your street isn't literally lined end-to-end with hot dog carts. But you need the government to make sure they dish out permits for street corners fairly. If the government gives every corner in a 3 mile radius to Nathan's Hot Dogs then Hot Dogs now cost $7 and there's nothing you can do about it
So it's good the government regulates this stuff... however, a government that caters to corporations over small business is a big problem. Doing so kills off real competition leaving you only a handful of mega-corporations that have a stranglehold on the market allowing them to make shitter products and charge more money because, "what are you going to do about it?"