capitalism makes things more efficient, and reduces prices, that’s why it costs 2 milli
I recently helped work on a firetruck at a shop that works on existing trucks. They repair/rebuild their bodies, and do a lot of custom work. It’s common for firestations to buy decommissioned trucks from other stations, and have this shop rebuild them rather than buying a new truck.
The truck I was working on had a light tower on it, with 6 led lights. During the work, one of the employees there asked me how much I thought the individual lights on the tower cost. An equivalently bright LED light would normally cost around $100, but because it was going on a firetruck I guessed it would have a premium price and guessed $300-400. Instead he told me each light was about $1500, making the set of 6 lights worth $9000.
The whole job was interesting, basically everything they had to buy new was way overpriced compared to the non-firetruck versions of the parts.
So manufacturers are milking those juicy government contracts. Isn’t America the fucking best.
But capitalism told me that private contracts were the least wasteful and most efficient?
Why would the people who profit from lying, lie to me?
So are you telling me it’s like the wedding tax but for firetruck?
To no ones surprise its monopolization and corporate greed.
Spoiler: corporate greed
Isn’t the quick answer capitalism?
Back in the 1950s, they were largely just trucks outfitted with special add-ons — ladders, pumps — to differentiate them from the vehicle that might deliver your furniture. Family-owned businesses sprung up across the country to serve a region’s specific needs, and competition kept prices low.
that sounds like capitalism too :/
It’s corporations realizing that fire trucks are an essential necessity, one that thousands of local departments need, and like a restaurant hearing “wedding” they’ve increased prices as much as they want
NJB did this amazing video on fire trucks Firetrucks
This is an amazing video about the difference of approach between Europe and north america for fire trucks.
and I bet it doesn’t even have a massive eight rotor drone rig to fly the hose way up high like the chinese are already building
