It is a delicate balance. Keep people from getting their own hardware so they can't do it for free while maintaining a healthy enough economy TO CHARGE FOR TOKENS.
The establishment of the Rentier economy. That is what it is all about.
Rentier Capitalism: The Empire of Ownership Without Labor
A primer on the parasitic economy and how to break its hold.
QuoteToday's rentiers no longer limit themselves to land and housing. They control digital platforms, software licenses, trademarks, patents, infrastructure rights, even water and airwaves. This expansion reflects the evolution of capitalism itself: no longer focused on production and wages, it now thrives on access and enclosure.
Token Cost Calculator.
American culture is all about getting a bean feed without working for it. Anything goes and nothing matters. Not all Americans are as craven as this, but those who are control the narrative.
QuoteThe post-World War II era (roughly 1945–1975) witnessed a temporary decline in rentier dominance in the West, especially in countries with strong welfare states, public housing and progressive taxation. Keynesian policies, public investment and union strength curtailed rentier power and emphasized productivity over ownership.
Control over access to models allows the rentier to extract payment without producing anything of equivalent value in return. That is disgusting. But what is worse is what it turns us all into.
When the most lucrative economic activity is owning a tollbooth rather than producing anything, the culture will reflect that.