Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by digbyloftus 3812 days ago
I mean, the difference between "resist management giving themselves millions while cutting pay for workers" and "price fixing/restrict competition" is just an arbitrary, subjective distinction based on your opinion on how much money people should make. Either way the goal is to get more money for members of the group. If you don't think doctors deserve the inflated value the AMA has captured for them but think that other union workers deserve more money then that's fair enough but practically it's the same game.

There's also a word for what you're doing. A tautology I think? It seems disingenuous to classify unions based on "good" value capture. It creates a position where unions literally can do no wrong because they'll just stop meeting your definition of union.
3 comments
crdoconnor 3812 days ago
>I mean, the difference between "resist management giving themselves millions while cutting pay for workers" and "price fixing/restrict competition" is just an arbitrary, subjective distinction based on your opinion on how much money people should make.

Who would you prefer was paid more? Your doctor or his non-medical MBA manager?

link
digbyloftus 3812 days ago
Whichever leads to the best, most efficient medical industry and provides myself as a consumer with the most value.
link
lenkite 3810 days ago
According to the MBA manager, most efficient = most profits. And most value = more tests and more expenses by the 'consumer'. Looks like you are on with the Kool Aid!
link
mattmcknight 3812 days ago
No True Scotsman Fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman
link
CPLX 3812 days ago
Unions primarily engage in collective bargaining with the employers of their members. The AMA is not a union.
link
digbyloftus 3812 days ago
Very likely to be true and I wont disagree! I'm not actually even from the US so I'm unfamiliar with their scope. I disagree with the person I'm replying tos reasoning more than anything. Their objection was of a different nature than yours.
link
MaysonL 3812 days ago
You're right, it isn't a union, it's a cartel!
link
CPLX 3812 days ago
No, a cartel is a group of competing firms in the same industry that form an alliance.

The best analogy for the AMA would be something like a guild.

link