Capitalist rip-off

Compact fluorescent light bulbs !

Not normally associated with the above term. But there's more to the subject than just a better light bulb, which, like the proverbial improved mouse-trap, should have people queueing to buy it.
So why don't they? Several reasons:
The light is less clear, and not so good for reading.
The bulb takes a few seconds to light up with full brightness.
They are larger and less decorative for ambience.

But: they should last longer and save many times the cost during the lifetime.

And they are being recommended by teh EU, which will make them compulsory.

Now, when a good idea is made obligatory, arhter than letting the market decide, one must smell a rat.
Epecially when the product they are recommending is subject to a taxon imports. The government in Brussels wants us to buy itk, but not enough to lift the tax to make them cheap.

So why do they tax these bulbs? To keep out cheap Indian and Chinese bulbs.

Who benefits? The German company Siemens, who make them in Europe and now have a 450m market to itself.