Fields of Heaven's Blessing
Moreover, they had set up obstacles at every level of the licensing approval process for steel mills. Unless a company possessed its own complete industrial chain, its costs would inevitably soar.
A complete industrial chain could not be built in a day. The simplest and fastest method was acquisition, but that would multiply its costs geometrically, making them even less able to withstand the dimensional strike coming from Europe.
In truth, even with a complete industrial chain, vast financial backing, and technology brought up to European standards, such large steel mills would ultimately decline as the division of labor in society intensified.
Although the United States had no concept of environmental protection at this time, it did have the Federal Nuisance Act.
The noise, smoke, and wastewater from steel mills—no normal person liked any of those things. Yet all of them could constitute grounds for nuisance against others.
Ordinarily, however, common people in the United States could not win lawsuits against companies. The two sides were simply not on the same scale. Companies had enough money to hire better lawyers and wielded a greater voice.
But if officials threw a wrench into the works or enforced the law impartially, then the outcome became difficult to predict.
Of course, the mad suppression of domestic steel enterprises by American officials was not entirely about currying favor with Austria and Britain so they could continue serving as compradors.
In fact, by putting a chokehold on companies this way, they could easily receive more political donations. The money could clear a path through their official careers and let them live better lives.
Franz knew well that giving a man a fish was not as good as teaching him to fish, and he was fond of instructing others.
In short, they