Quote:
Originally Posted by Adak
As opposed to the wonderful economic theory that you have proposed! 
I have seen why you guys keep repeating the "same bullshit" however. I believe you have not seen the beauty of a free market capitalist economy, at work. It's undeniable beauty is a real surprise. Just an example to whet your appetite:
a small family is struggling to pay a 402 Euro energy bill each month. They got together with others, found a competing energy company with a better price, and switched to it.
Results? Their energy is now MUCH less. Less than 1/4th of what it had been:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20074216
Notice the elements:
Competing (energy) companies
enlightened consumers acting in their own best interests
And no government agency telling them what they can or can not do, in shopping around for the best price. It's a beautiful thing. |
It sounds like you're strongly in favor of unions, since that's *precisely* what that group of enlightened consumers have formed. They're engaging in
collective action in opposition to a given company. That kind of stance seems unusual for you. Please note in your story that this story is only possible thanks to the "free market". It is the very lack of regulation, the stuff of government action, which costs money, that permitted the energy companies to make confusing and expensive tariff schedules that take advantage of customers. The
follow on article from the one you linked to talks about how to expand the success of that unified action by those enlightened customers by increased regulation to make it easier for customers to do this. More regulation? More interference by the government in the "free market"? Is this really what you're crowing about?
Quote:
The energy regulator, Ofgem, has proposed some big changes to the way gas and electricity companies sell to customers.
Specifically, it wants to make sure that customers receive personalised information about whether they are on the cheapest deal.
It is all part of Ofgem's wider plan - announced in March 2011 - to inject some real competition into the domestic energy market, which it says is run on the basis of "complex tariffs, poor supplier behaviour and a lack of transparency".
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adak
I contrast that with the state I live in - California, and what it has done and still doing, under a heavily liberal state government.
Our energy prices have gone through the roof (there is no competition in the energy market), the "compliant" liberal politicians have all agreed to overly generous pay and retirement benefits for our public sector workers, bankrupting our cities (Stockton for instance, has declared bankruptcy). And our state is billions of dollars in the red.
The response to this problem from our liberal Democrat Governor?
Of course - RAISE TAXES!  When you live with liberals you get to know what they like:
Raising Taxes "dances"
High Taxes "sing alongs"
"Walkathons for Higher Taxes"
etc. ANY pretext, ANY lie, is good, if it helps a liberal to raise your taxes. Because cutting spending is against their religion, and raising taxes is the only way to keep their socialist dreams alive.
--snip |
So, to sum up, free market bad, unions good, government regulation good.
There may be hope for you yet Adak.