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What makes you believe that companies would be any better? I am astounded every time someone says something like this. Companies do not care about public good a
by kergonath 3y ago
What makes you believe that companies would be any better? I am astounded every time someone says something like this. Companies do not care about public good and are not your friends. They are not magically efficient structures run by super-human wizards. They are run by the same greedy psychopaths, except that you cannot vote them out.
To stay on the subject: what incentive would a private company have to sell their books at a reasonable price when they could just find a niche and seek rent? This is not hypothetical, it’s exactly what they are doing. What the fuck does this have to do with China?
- robertlagrant 3y agoExcept you cannot vote them out? It's the other way round. You don't have to vote between two candidates, who have a thousand positions each. If a company is doing badly, you don't give it your money. That's far more powerful and precise feedback than political voting. The incentive companies (unlike governments) have to lower prices is competition. If competition is not happening, then that needs fixing. If competition is happening, but the journals are providing enough value that no one can compete usefully, then I don't see what can fix that, as that doesn't sound broken. As for China, if you read the comments you'll see someone broadened the scope of the conversation.
- actionfromafar 3y agoGood luck voting with your money if there’s no government with a monopoly of violence.