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SirCheeseAlot OP t1_iznmqzr wrote

Reply to comment by Ronnoc527 in What makes one product cheap junk that breaks in a week and another that lasts a lifetime? by SirCheeseAlot

It would be nice if the government provided incentives or passed restrictions on selling junk here.

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Ronnoc527 t1_izo2az5 wrote

The necessary legislation would be passings laws that both:

  1. Restricted monopolies and oligopolies and

  2. Secured the "right to repair"

If there were a more competitive market, it would incentivize the production of higher quality products to secure more of the market share. And if products were not designed in such a way as to hinder repair, they could be fixed for cheaper than the cost of buying a replacement. This would, in turn, reduce the profit that planned obsolescence brings. These laws have been proposed often and have even passed in some places.

But politicians are richer than their trade and deep pockets weigh heavily on the scales. Everybody has a price, and politicians don't often succeed based on traits of impeccable morality and stalwart resolution to their beliefs.

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Potato-Engineer t1_izppdrp wrote

Massachusetts has some decent Right To Repair laws, but it's pretty much alone. It's one of the few ways you can get a Tesla repair manual right now: by being a Masshole.

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