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If your child is dying and I have a medicine that can save him but my price is that you hand over your life's savings and become a slave in my salt mines for th

If your child is dying and I have a medicine that can save him but my price is that you hand over your life's savings and become a slave in my salt mines for the rest of your life, and you do it because you don't want your kid to die, was it worth it? Or is there something else going on? ISPs are a cartel protected by corrupt politicians. Let's sort that out before we start claiming that the free market is working and these services are priced appropriately and fairly.

pvnick 10y ago
First question - yes, duh. Except it is unrealistic in the context of free market because some other guy will just copy your drug and sell it to me for the cost of half of my life savings. A silly argument you have made. Second paragraph - get the corrupt politicians out of the picture and the problem solves itself.
- caconym_ 10y ago
  > Except it is unrealistic in the context of free market because some other guy will just copy your drug and sell it to me for the cost of half of my life savings. A silly argument you have made. What if I have a patent on it? ;) > get the corrupt politicians out of the picture and the problem solves itself. Sounds great! Let's do that!
- hfsktr 10y ago
  Except the second guy promised he wouldn't sell you his medicine because he only sells to the people in a different town. Many places have 1 decent internet provider with no opportunity to change providers. Some places have an option if you downgrade significantly enough.
  - caconym_ 10y ago
    Exactly; the whole point is that there is not a free market here. Like I said, ISPs are a cartel. It's funny, since these corporate goblins and their government lackeys spout bullshit about free market and competition and innovation and blah blah blah whenever someone asks them to justify their blatantly anti-consumer maneuvering (or something tangentially related).

pvnick 10y ago

First question - yes, duh. Except it is unrealistic in the context of free market because some other guy will just copy your drug and sell it to me for the cost of half of my life savings. A silly argument you have made. Second paragraph - get the corrupt politicians out of the picture and the problem solves itself.

caconym_ 10y ago
> Except it is unrealistic in the context of free market because some other guy will just copy your drug and sell it to me for the cost of half of my life savings. A silly argument you have made. What if I have a patent on it? ;) > get the corrupt politicians out of the picture and the problem solves itself. Sounds great! Let's do that!
hfsktr 10y ago
Except the second guy promised he wouldn't sell you his medicine because he only sells to the people in a different town. Many places have 1 decent internet provider with no opportunity to change providers. Some places have an option if you downgrade significantly enough.
- caconym_ 10y ago
  Exactly; the whole point is that there is not a free market here. Like I said, ISPs are a cartel. It's funny, since these corporate goblins and their government lackeys spout bullshit about free market and competition and innovation and blah blah blah whenever someone asks them to justify their blatantly anti-consumer maneuvering (or something tangentially related).