Mark von Übelgarten

So @pluralistic just got it right on the spot AGAIN:

"This is technofeudalism. Whereas capitalists seek profits (income from selling things), feudalists seek rents (income from owning the things other people use). If Telsa were a capitalist enterprise, then entrepreneurs could enter the market and sell mods that let you unlock the functionality in your own car"
https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/edison-not-tesla/#demon-haunted-world

Pluralistic: Tesla’s Dieselgate (28 July 2023) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

Jul 29, 2023 at 12:05amWeb
Show threadAlakestJul 29, 2023
@vonubelgarten @pluralistic Just about to read the article - is technofeudalism progress or regress?
Show threadMark von ÜbelgartenJul 29, 2023

@alakest @pluralistic Clear regress. In a well managed capitalism (not the crony variant and before too big to fail became a thing) we at least can have competition, innovation and, before regulators were captured, some protection against monopolies. But instead we got these feudal corporations that can grab all the advantages from market while being legally protected from competition.

It seems we already lost it all.

Show threadAlakestJul 29, 2023

@vonubelgarten @pluralistic It's like a standing wave of duplicity that compounds and compounds.

Corporations that operate like this eventually "WIN" so much that their size forces them out of "parasite" mode. Forces them to grapple with the strategic results of their tactical behavior.

Will we be alive when the reckoning finally occurs?

...

Trick question.

You are right now, or will be.

Rich bosses want you to ask yourself "Do I feel lucky?" and "Want to work for *winners*?"

Do you?

Show threadAlakestJul 29, 2023

@vonubelgarten @pluralistic Note that sometimes the rich bosses (oligarchs) have a busy schedule and will send somebody like Dirty Harry (not *exactly* - figuratively) to inquire if they sense they don't like your answer.

Or maybe you *are* that somebody.

Show threadLotneuvJul 29, 2023
@vonubelgarten @pluralistic It may be that I have misunderstood everything again but isn't multiple competing feudal lords the best of both worlds? In real feudalism peasants couldn't just switch to another feudal lord when they were unhappy. In capitalism the capitalist needs to fool me only once to get all the money they want from me. In proper market feudalism I get to choose who to "serve" every month and feudal lords compete for my "rents".
Show threadLotneuvJul 29, 2023

@vonubelgarten @pluralistic Ofc reality is not that clear cut. Microsoft Office is still so dominant that it arguably has monopoly. But Tesla is nowhere near that position. Not even among only BEVs.

And capitalist model isn't going anywhere yet. You can still by office suits (but not from MS) and you still can buy EVs that are not updated (but not from Tesla). I assume that the idea of getting all the money right away with least strings attached will still continue to lure some.