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by lukeadams 3407 days ago
I understand the sentiment, but doesn't it sound much more reasonable to have strictly enforced net neutrality (or consumer protection policy X), than it does to assume the "free market will take care of it someday"? These megacorps have a stranglehold on large swaths of the States – they won't allow challengers without a fight.
2 comments
ktRolster 3407 days ago
"free market will take care of it someday"?

I kind of hope it will be fixed sooner than "someday"

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lukeadams 3407 days ago
Precisely.
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ultrahate 3407 days ago
Well actually I'd say that I just explained exactly why that's a bad idea. No business is too big for consumers to choose to destroy. Yahoo is a good case in point. People chose, Yahoo was killed.

The free market could do it overnight tonight, if people chose to. I get the feeling there's a lot of uninformed people who think the free market is some boogie man voodoo science that someone made up, but it's all black and white in reality. The core forces of markets are very well understood for the past... Oh about 400+ years.

"wouldn't it be better to just let the govt strictly enforce arbitrary rules with zero checks and balances from people who actually have to experience it?"

No.

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lukeadams 3407 days ago
I agree with you that unchecked enforcement of rules by the government is a negative. But perhaps you would agree with me that net neutrality, and perhaps more broadly the FCC, are not in an "unchecked" state.

Like I said in my original comment though: I don't disagree with you entirely; I understand that the free market in most cases does correct itself. It just seems that there is a certain balance required for free-market correction, which if upset, allows for unchecked behavior by private companies.

I suppose a better articulation is as follows: the free market, when working correctly, allows me to choose with my wallet. I literally can't do that in my city, unless you mean to say that spending thousands to millions to construct my own ISP is a reasonable alternative to true competition. At least from a consumer perspective? My point was that net neutrality would solve this specific issue in a top down manner, removing the need for people in cities across the country to "take matters into their own hands".

It seems that you are suggesting that free market forces are capable of correcting all imbalances? (not 100% sure your position)

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