4 ms·

Extending that idea, we arrive from lunacy to a good thing: a city that is completely owned by one company. Where police is the company's private guards, the ci

Extending that idea, we arrive from lunacy to a good thing: a city that is completely owned by one company. Where police is the company's private guards, the city council is its board of directors, and municipal taxes are just fees the company charges. And that is a good thing. I'd live in such a city if there was one. For example: no homeless. This is all a private territory, and if you don't pay your rent, a guard escorts you off the premises. Very little if any crime because crime prevention is all in one hands and these hands are protecting by and large, their own private property and their profits (because if the crime rate goes up, rent goes down and rent is how they make money). A wall keeping undesirables out. Guards/police that can check your papers anytime just simply as they can say in a hotel - "what's your room number"? So no "undocumented" aliens. There can't be any constitutional etc. bullshit that could prevent them from having an actual 24/7 guarded wall and checkpoints with papers check around their PRIVATE property. It can be a functional society where everyone who's there, belongs there.

nicoburns 5y ago
What would you do when the city decides to double prices overnight because it’s a private company focussed on profit maximisation and has a complete monopoly over absolutely everything
- anovikov 5y ago
  What's the problem? Just move elsewhere. You don't own a place there - you can only rent - so you don't lose anything - it will be about as stupid/unworkable as one hotel in a city raking up room prices 2x just because they "try to maximise profit".
- fragmede 5y ago
  Not to mention, what happens when you get laid off or fired? Ejected from your company town?
  - anovikov 5y ago
    Why? A company where one works, rents office space there. You rent an apartment. You can work for another company there, or move elsewhere.
- notanzaiiswear 5y ago
  There are contracts. If your contract forbids doubling over night, you are good. If not, it was your choice to agree to it anyway.
  - vangelis 5y ago
    What are you going to do, sue them?
    - notanzaiiswear 5y ago
      Sure, why not? Also, if others see they don't heed contracts, they will start avoiding to do business with them.
zwirbl 5y ago
I imagine this as a prison-like corporate dystopia
dariosalvi78 5y ago
Is this the plot of some diystopian film?
- FredPret 5y ago
  Diystopia - this is what happens when I do a home renovation
goodpoint 5y ago
We had that in the past. It was called feudal society.
bserge 5y ago
Lmao, I actually heard this one before and the guy was serious. I give it a few years before your corporate lordship fucks you over and you have no recourse or you simply get bored out of your mind in this perfect city. But don't worry, the rest of us will provide some quality locks on the outside of your wall, so you can stay there until death.
- anovikov 5y ago
  That's the only potential downside i can see: because the landlord company is big, it will by nature become very conservative with the (working for hire) bosses being too cautious as to not goof up their jobs, with a huge bias on preventing failures as opposed to enabling success. So they may indeed tend to ban more and more "unsafe" or "morally objectionable" activities to please everyone, eventually making the place too boring to stay in.
- notanzaiiswear 5y ago
  If the government owns all housing, you have no recourse. With multiple small private cities, you can change cities. Actually, with governments, you could also try to switch countries. That is why I am opposed to mega states like EU wants become, so that people still have some choices left.
jodrellblank 5y ago
> "very little if any crime because crime prevention is all in one hands and these hands are protecting by and large, their own private property and their profits (because if the crime rate goes up, rent goes down and rent is how they make money)." a) Extortion is how they make money. They control your entire life, job, 'safety', home, streets, food supply, and everything you can do, and they aren't accountable to the public. You have no choice but to give them everything or your life collapses. "Just leave" works if you're a 20 year old single programmer with a six figure salary and no family or friends, it doesn't work if your family is dependent on your income, you have social bonds with your neighbours, limited savings, education and media controlled by the feudal Lord CEO telling you everywhere outside is awful. You may as well suggest North Koreans can just leave if they don't like it. b) Why do they need to make money? You're a captive slave, their private security force isn't going to let you out of the wall until you've paid your "debts", "citizen". Make your way back to your cell and show up for work tomorrow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTN64g9lA2g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTN64g9lA2g - "Adam Something" talks through the development of such a city-dystopia. "Feudalism with extra steps".

nicoburns 5y ago

What would you do when the city decides to double prices overnight because it’s a private company focussed on profit maximisation and has a complete monopoly over absolutely everything

anovikov 5y ago
What's the problem? Just move elsewhere. You don't own a place there - you can only rent - so you don't lose anything - it will be about as stupid/unworkable as one hotel in a city raking up room prices 2x just because they "try to maximise profit".
fragmede 5y ago
Not to mention, what happens when you get laid off or fired? Ejected from your company town?
- anovikov 5y ago
  Why? A company where one works, rents office space there. You rent an apartment. You can work for another company there, or move elsewhere.
notanzaiiswear 5y ago
There are contracts. If your contract forbids doubling over night, you are good. If not, it was your choice to agree to it anyway.
- vangelis 5y ago
  What are you going to do, sue them?
  - notanzaiiswear 5y ago
    Sure, why not? Also, if others see they don't heed contracts, they will start avoiding to do business with them.

zwirbl 5y ago

I imagine this as a prison-like corporate dystopia

dariosalvi78 5y ago

Is this the plot of some diystopian film?

FredPret 5y ago
Diystopia - this is what happens when I do a home renovation

goodpoint 5y ago

We had that in the past. It was called feudal society.

bserge 5y ago

Lmao, I actually heard this one before and the guy was serious. I give it a few years before your corporate lordship fucks you over and you have no recourse or you simply get bored out of your mind in this perfect city. But don't worry, the rest of us will provide some quality locks on the outside of your wall, so you can stay there until death.

anovikov 5y ago
That's the only potential downside i can see: because the landlord company is big, it will by nature become very conservative with the (working for hire) bosses being too cautious as to not goof up their jobs, with a huge bias on preventing failures as opposed to enabling success. So they may indeed tend to ban more and more "unsafe" or "morally objectionable" activities to please everyone, eventually making the place too boring to stay in.
notanzaiiswear 5y ago
If the government owns all housing, you have no recourse. With multiple small private cities, you can change cities. Actually, with governments, you could also try to switch countries. That is why I am opposed to mega states like EU wants become, so that people still have some choices left.

jodrellblank 5y ago

> "very little if any crime because crime prevention is all in one hands and these hands are protecting by and large, their own private property and their profits (because if the crime rate goes up, rent goes down and rent is how they make money)." a) Extortion is how they make money. They control your entire life, job, 'safety', home, streets, food supply, and everything you can do, and they aren't accountable to the public. You have no choice but to give them everything or your life collapses. "Just leave" works if you're a 20 year old single programmer with a six figure salary and no family or friends, it doesn't work if your family is dependent on your income, you have social bonds with your neighbours, limited savings, education and media controlled by the feudal Lord CEO telling you everywhere outside is awful. You may as well suggest North Koreans can just leave if they don't like it. b) Why do they need to make money? You're a captive slave, their private security force isn't going to let you out of the wall until you've paid your "debts", "citizen". Make your way back to your cell and show up for work tomorrow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTN64g9lA2g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTN64g9lA2g - "Adam Something" talks through the development of such a city-dystopia. "Feudalism with extra steps".