Readit NewsDeleted Comment
- he says. On Github.
You are very intelligent!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_materialism
For the gamers, the Victoria series by Paradox uses historical materialism as its gameplay.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g64457986/bestselling-cars...
It's trucks and SUVs.
It doesn't matter if regulations favor small and fuel efficient. That's not what consumers buy. In fact, they flock to the exact opposite.
Occam's razor here is that American auto isn't stupid. It's just building what the consumers want.
American preferences don't match that of the broader world.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24139147/suvs-trucks-popu...
BYD margins in America would be razor thin.
BYD is going to kill in developing and emerging markets, but it doesn't stand a chance in the American SUV / truck / sports car market. It'll also push America out of international markets, but it won't be able to edge into American consumer markets.
It's not big auto that's the problem. It's the American consumer.
US automotive regulations have pushed for lighter, smaller, more fuel efficient coupes. Yet people keep buying the big and heavy trucks and SUVs.
It's cultural.
This administration seems set on demolishing American industries though. Such a shame, but maybe we can finally get decent rail once all the car lobby’s are dead. (But probably not)
Everyone knows why he bought the Washington Post: it was for clout and prestige. Just like how the titans of industry built opera houses and libraries in centuries past. You aren't buying it to make a profit. You take care of something valued by society, and you win some respect from society. Conversely, if you burn that thing to the ground, society will hate you.
So why is the profitability of the Washington Post such a concern all of a sudden? Sure, they lost $100M in 2024, but Bezos didn't buy the Post to make money! And it's not like money is tight. Bezos is worth over $250B; in the last few days alone the jump in AMZN stock increased his net worth by over $5B. If he were to hand that $5B over to the Washington Post, they could keep on losing money at that rate for another half of a century! The article makes this exact point in the last few paragraphs.
If Bezos was genuinely concerned about alienating Trump or whatever, why not just sell the Post? Why try to undermine it like this? You are pissing off the people who like the Post, and I don't think the people who hate the Post are really going to care.
That’s it.