[bloodnok]

I don't think you understand how things work down here.

- The current government will build this at a cost to the taxpayer of (say) $300m. - The next government will sell it for $100m to raise some cash and create an effective monopoly owned by one party with a verbal contract not to screw everyone over, at least not initially. - The government after that, under pressure due to the relentless screwing of NZers by the monopoly company, will buy back the network for $600m. - The new state-owned company will hire consultants for $50m to design a new logo. The logo will resemble a puppy shitting on a Rolex. - Due to ineffective management, the company will be split up into chunks and sold for a fraction of the original cost. The chunks will immediately merge into a monopoly.

[vrikhter]

haha, this is brilliant. I believe its called Corporatism? Its not quite socialism, because well like you said it'll be owned privately at some point. And its not quite capitalism, well because the government will own it at some point.

The only defying factor of all of this is that in every transaction inevitably the same people will be involved making money off your money. Sometimes they'll be in government and other times they'll be in the 'private' sector.

[bloodnok]

We did it with our rail network.