4 ms·

Here come the Free Market Fundamentalists... I don't know, roads?

• eru 3y ago
  Compare https://fee.org/articles/russian-smugglers-renovate-road-neglected-by-the-government/ https://fee.org/articles/russian-smugglers-renovate-road-neg...
  • tjrgergw 3y ago
    Ah yes, I want my roads built by smugglers. You people would rather die than commit heresy against the Church of Free Market.
    • eru 3y ago
      Building private roads is (almost) illegal in most of the world, so you'll mostly see criminals do it. See also https://www.accessmagazine.org/spring-1993/private-toll-roads-in-america-the-first-time-around/ https://www.accessmagazine.org/spring-1993/private-toll-road... Financing roads from tolls is fairly straightforward.
      • tjrgergw 3y ago
        Financing by tolls, there's another excellent example of wealth creation by the government, thank you.
        • brvsft 3y ago
          You're not sneering hard enough yet.
        • eru 3y ago
          Private companies can levy tolls on their road just fine.
          • tjrgergw 3y ago
            I haven't asked "name something that governments can do that private companies can't".
      • ffhhttt 3y ago
        Why would you want to privatize something that is effectively a natural monopoly? How could consumers ever benefit from that over the longterm?
        • tjrgergw 3y ago
          Exactly. That's another feature of the Free Market Fundamentalists - their analysis always stops short of asking any relevant questions.
        • eru 3y ago
          Why would you nationalise something that's effectively a natural monopoly? How are consumers supposed to benefit from that?
  • bentcorner 3y ago
    Clearly the American government is failing at providing enough opportunity for smugglers.
    • eru 3y ago
      You mean the Russian government?