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You're assuming "markets" aren't at least as technocratic, open to manipulation, or just straightforwardly political. When the UK sold most of its critical inf

You're assuming "markets" aren't at least as technocratic, open to manipulation, or just straightforwardly political. When the UK sold most of its critical infrastructure - using exactly the same arguments you're using - the reality wasn't a rational and perfectly organised free market utopia, it was an explosion of higher prices and lower service quality for customers, and huge profits for the buyers. Most of which were shipped offshore, because the new owners weren't even British. Even as we spesk privatised energy price gouging - there is no other word for it - is quite literally making electricity and gas unaffordable for anyone who isn't in the top decile of earnings. Not incidentally, it's also causing a burst of inflation which is being used as a transparently flimsy pretext to raise taxes, cut public services, and clamp down on wages.

aww_dang 4y ago
It is a bit tangential, but I appreciate your response. >You're assuming "markets" aren't at least as technocratic, open to manipulation, or just straightforwardly political. Where "experts" fail in the market, they are subject to competition. The conditions where they fail upwards are generally related to non-market political largess. >When the UK sold most of its critical infrastructure - using exactly the same arguments you're using... >privatized energy price gouging There's a large gulf between neoliberalism and laissez-faire. I do appreciate that the two are often conflated and that the distinction isn't always clear as they are often maligned together in popular discourse. >the reality wasn't a rational and perfectly organised free market utopia Utopia is a high bar to achieve. I'm just suggesting that having centrally planned interest rates is akin to price fixing. Overall a market rate of interest would be less bad IMHO. Rail infrastructure is a difficult issue, but the Japanese seem to have a successful private system. Maybe another commentor who is more familiar with Japan can elaborate on that.

aww_dang 4y ago

It is a bit tangential, but I appreciate your response. >You're assuming "markets" aren't at least as technocratic, open to manipulation, or just straightforwardly political. Where "experts" fail in the market, they are subject to competition. The conditions where they fail upwards are generally related to non-market political largess. >When the UK sold most of its critical infrastructure - using exactly the same arguments you're using... >privatized energy price gouging There's a large gulf between neoliberalism and laissez-faire. I do appreciate that the two are often conflated and that the distinction isn't always clear as they are often maligned together in popular discourse. >the reality wasn't a rational and perfectly organised free market utopia Utopia is a high bar to achieve. I'm just suggesting that having centrally planned interest rates is akin to price fixing. Overall a market rate of interest would be less bad IMHO. Rail infrastructure is a difficult issue, but the Japanese seem to have a successful private system. Maybe another commentor who is more familiar with Japan can elaborate on that.