[developer93]

I'm always cynical when I hear arguments like this, I feel like it's the profit motive which is more to blame. They need to justify those prices somehow, and reducing payouts to shareholders or C-levels would be unthinkable.

[ativzzz]

I don't disagree with you - I'm just pointing out that when profit margins decrease, prices increase and the customer ends up paying for it

in "free market" conditions, there should be players who can compete by not increasing prices, but due to the increasing number of regulations, it becomes impossible for smaller players to enter the market or exist in the market, so nobody can come in and take advantage of lowering prices, so prices just go up and up

Again these regulations usually exist for good reason, it just makes the market less efficient and drives prices up over time

[polygamous_bat]

> in "free market" conditions, there should be players who can compete by not increasing prices

In a free market without regulation, the "rational" thing to do is to flood the market with fake "life saving drugs" and reap the (almost) infinite ROI.

In a less hyperbolic sense, the nature of "market" dictates we cut corners wherever possible. When it's a matter of life and death, the public chose to legislate which corners cannot be cut.