I think you’re right about the material properties. I read somewhere that Lego is really finicky about the specific “recipe” for their plastic bricks, and yes, as a result they can specify higher tolerances.

There’s like 10 Enterprises at this point, more if you count timeline/universe variations.

Please let there be a Technics set of the OG Constitution.

No because it is lego it will be 5 completly new enterprises never seen before (because they are shit at moddeling and unable to copy a design)

To add to other comment, lego also patent trolling. "Patent" on already common used brick like technic frame or chain. In court would never fo through, but small shop have no money for court and seized shipment harm cashflow. Have to design multipart frame or give you chain in piece out of fear that lego bully them.

And then they call "market leader in quality", charging most by HUGE distance. Absolute joke, white brick in wall has 5-8 shade of white, solid green car look like faded camo, see lime and magenta and azure through gap in star destroyer, ferrari 458 has rally suspension, huge hole and entire body flex when you pick up wrong, you buy hundred € UCS set and "collector plaque" is cheap sticker.

Aside the basic capitalist shit like premium prices for low quality products?

Other companies make products and sell the, and to do that sustainable they have to sell stuff for money. They sometimes also have to protect their trademark with copyright laws and such.

Lego however goes beyond that. Lego has in the past abused copyright and trademark law to bully smaller competitors, for example sue competitors for selling minifigures that do not look similar to Lego's own, then had the german customs authority seize shipments to a store because that store has products by those competitors in stock even though the competitors already took out the minifigures for the european market. Also, Lego sued another, tiny store over it's logo, because that store's logo contained a brick (but was completely dissimilar to Lego's own logo). And Lego always tries to publicly justify such behavior with 'concerns for customers' safety' while buying their parts from the same Chinese factories as most of their competitors.

I find that unethical enough to label them evil and not buy new Lego for my niece's presents.

Worf: Yes, many times

Outside of standard “capitalism bad” explanations, like have they actually done bad things?

I mean, there's a difference in having to do some things because we so live in a capitalist society and that's how our market economy works and exploiting the ever living shit out of the system.

Other companies make products and sell the, and to do that sustainable they have to sell stuff for money. They sometimes also have to protect their trademark with copyright laws and such.

Lego however goes beyond that. Put aside their sub par quality in comparison to their premium prices. Lego has in the past abused copyright and trademark law to bully smaller competitors, for example sue competitors for selling minifigures that do not look similar to Lego's own, then had the german customs authority seize shipments to a store because that store has products by those competitors in stock even though the competitors already took out the minifigures for the european market. Also, Lego sued another, tiny store over it's logo, because that store's logo contained a brick (but was completely dissimilar to Lego's own logo).
And Lego always tries to publicly justify such behavior with 'concerns for customers' safety' while buying their parts from the same Chinese factories as most of their competitors.

I find that unethical enough to label them evil and not buy new Lego for my niece's presents.