...the whole point of a free market is that you can't force anyone to do anything ... That's called cutting out the middle man.
But not forcing out the middle man, no, never that.
Sure, some people have more leverage than others, that is always the case. But that doesn't matter.
Why would a rational adherent to free-market principles lift a finger to obtain the leverage in the first place, if it "doesn't matter?"
Do you think GM would have negotiated such a bad deal with the dealers...
Not sure what deal you're talking about. The dealership franchise laws were not a "deal" that was "negotiated." They were, ahem, something the dealers forced on the auto makers.
1. meh, semantics. Unless they force them out by law, which is no longer a free market by definition. Also, for clarification, the dealers are the middle men. They were not forced out. Quite the opposite. They are now forced in.
2. Doesn't matter in terms of morality, not in terms of best business practices.
3. The deal that said "buy our cars now in the recession or we won't sell anymore to you in the future." not the law that resulted: "manufacturers must by law sell to any official dealer and cannot sell directly"
But not forcing out the middle man, no, never that.
Sure, some people have more leverage than others, that is always the case. But that doesn't matter.
Why would a rational adherent to free-market principles lift a finger to obtain the leverage in the first place, if it "doesn't matter?"
Do you think GM would have negotiated such a bad deal with the dealers...
Not sure what deal you're talking about. The dealership franchise laws were not a "deal" that was "negotiated." They were, ahem, something the dealers forced on the auto makers.