Regulatory Capture. Also: DC Gun Control Laws and the Heller Decision.

How's that for an elegant title?

Anyway:




I had read about the manufacturers of CFL light bulbs advocating for energy efficiency regs to wipe out their competition, but not about the washing machine manufacturers. The polite modern name is "crony capitalism", but I prefer the older one: Fascism.

Thanks to Tom Palmer for the lead. He may not remember it, but we briefly worked together on the Libertarian Party's 1980 Ed Clark for President campaign. He seemed like a good guy then, and even better today.

Tom was also one of the original complainants (see here, under "Lower Court Background") in what became known as the Heller Decision which, so far rather futilely, struck down the DC ban on handguns.