Yeah, fair enough. Though there usually is more context to why they're stupid.
There's usually somebody a law made sense for, a model where it made sense, or some history that explains how the stupid thing happened.
For this, I'm drawing a blank on how it got this way. The best result I can get is they have fundamentally wrong models of economics, but I can't think of a vaguely sensible sounding wrong model that this would make sense under.
Mind, this is more likely a lack of imagination on my part than anything else, or maybe my standard for "sensible sounding" is too high. But please, someone throw me a bone, how could this rule have happened?
Is "this is some sort of stupid political compromise between Ninja and egotistical rich civilians." not good enough rationale?
Not quite, like what are the options they're compromising between? The tower has all the power on this particular issue, civies don't really care about it either. Seals are too ninja gated to matter much to civilians.
It's just, why pick this hill to die on in particular? It's so pointless, and the political operators so far seem capable of actually advancing their goals.
Also, even spiteful political dickwaving is usually a signaling mechanism, it doesn't make sense to do it the same way if you are signaling to peers (as in a dictatorship) as it does to if you're signaling to hoi polloi.
Edit: This would only make sense as a power move, but it's the party without power doing it. Just, how?
You are thinking about this inaccurately. You're assuming that it's a one-subject negotiation and only between two parties.
==== NOT WORD OF GOD, only an example
Clan #1: We want exclusive rights to the glass trade with River.
Hokage: The roof on the Academy just fell in, so we need to levy a one-time tax to fix it.
Clan #2: We want to sell seals. As many as we want, to whomever we want.
Clan #3: We're not paying any more taxes unless you give us a guarantee that we will get preferential pick of missions.
Clan #4: We want a waiver on the 'no chakra beasts within city limits' rule so that we can start a breeding farm. We're going to turn steelbacks into war companions.
Clan #2: That sounds pretty cool. We'd back you on that if you backed us on the seals thing.
Clan #4: Cool! We're in. Hey, Clan #1, if you go in with us too then we'll back you on the River trade.
Clan #1: Okay!
Hokage: I'm not letting you have unregulated sales on seals. The Tower needs to have a sufficient number coming in for war capacity.
Clan #1: Hey, what about the glass trade?
Hokage: I'm not giving you all the trade with River. I'll tell you what, though...I'll give you a 25% rebate on the luxury goods tax for the next five years if you vote against this 'unregulated seals' thing
Clan #4: Hey, Clan #1, we had a deal here! If you break it, we'll never trust you again.
Clan #1: Hm... That 25% sure sounds tasty... Okay, how about this: Clan #2, you want to make money from your seals and the Tower wants to make sure they have enough coming in. How about every sealmaster is required to donate a small number of seals per month?
Hokage: No, that's not going to cut it. We need a more flexible system for times when we have a sudden demand.
Clan #2: Hang on, this could work. How about all sealmasters donate a small number to you, and we get to sell as many as we want but half of them must be sold to you?
Hokage: No. Without price control that gives you too big an economic club to swing in future meetings.
Clan #1: Okay, how about if what they sell to you needs to be at a 25% discount?
Clan #2: Ha! 10%!
Hokage: 80%!
Clan #1: Come on guys, we're almost here. Can we meet in the middle and say 50%?
Hokage: ...Okay, sure.
Clan #4: I'm not voting for that unless I get my steelback waiver.
Clan #2: Well, how about....
[curtain]
Wow. Miss a day, miss a lot.
I'm moving to a new state with my wife/child while trying to outrun a hurricane... So my spoons are likely to be limited.
Yow! Good luck and safe travels. I hope everything works out okay.
