It has always been thus

Reader comment on: How Zoning Laws Help a Supermarket Billionaire

Submitted by Lyle (United States), Aug 6, 2013 16:17

Recall that at least part of the reason for the Medieval Guilds was to restrict entry into the field. Between a 7 year apprenticship, and restrictions on getting into the apprenticship program, as well as forbidding folks not members of the guild to sell products in the town, it is just like using zoning law. Of course back then in a lot of towns the merchant class was the government, so it was run purely for the benefit of the merchant class.

So it appears that this sort of behavior is part of the basic nature of the merchant class, and always has been. It may well then be part of human nature, in the sense that I have gotten mine, and I want to protect it so I will set it up so you wont' compete with me.

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