This shyt again? Do you have any idea what business he was in? Stringer was so delusional
Rule number 1, none of your fancy economics class legit business rules apply when your product is illegal.
Rule number 2, in a business where the product is illegal, there is no regulation, law enforcement, court of arbitration, or mediation. The whole industry is anarchic. It is an anarchy because there is no law, and no legal system. The strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must.
Rule number 3, in an anarchic environment conflicts of interests between one business and another business in the same illicit industry, or conflicts of interest between one business and its customers, or between one business and its suppliers, cannot be resolved by peaceful means.
Rule number 4, therefore, military power is the only way by which a business can protect its interests and its market share. All businesses have to invest heavily in military build-up, otherwise they face disaster.
Apart from Avon and Marlo who were the only ones to recognise these plainly obvious rules of the business, the whole rest of that universe man, they were fukking living in some sort of fantasy universe. What business are you in? You can't do that "co-op" shyt when your product is fukking illegal

even Joe and all the Eastside bytches as Avon calls them needed Marlo to muscle up for them to run off the New York competition. Even the guys who 100% bought into the fantasy of a co-op ultimately needed the pure militarism of Marlo to save their asses.