From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Wed Jul 13 2005 - 12:09:38 BST
> msh 7-12-05:
> The idea that unregulated capitalism will not lead to monopolies, or
> near-monopolies, defies common sense. Even a cursory look at the the last
> decade's merging of banks, media producers, insurance companies, airlines,
> defense contractors, computer software and hardware companies, would belie
> the notion that monopoly is somehow "impossible" unless it is caused by
> government intervention.
Mergers are not monopolies.
> What specific ideas from the "Austrian school of
> economics" leads you to believe that these conglomerations of wealth would
> not have occurred if it were not for government interference?
You don't like it when I appeal to authority. So I won't offend you..
> > That government should not stop someone from owning,
> > say, all the timberland in the country?
>
> platt 7-11-05:
> Impossible to occur without government interference. Would be like an
> individual cornering the market on gold, which if memory serves, was tried
> not too long ago, in the 70's perhaps?
>
> msh 7-12-05:
> See above. Microsoft's near monopoly of PC operating systems would
> clearly have achieved totality if not for government intervention;
> and, even with government's tardy intervention, Microsoft's
> stranglehold on the OS market has proved nearly fatal to the
> development and distribution of viable alternatives to Windows.
> What economic concepts from your Austrian School what have prevented
> this from happening in an environment totally free of government
> intervention?
" . . . would have clearly achieved totality . . . " Unsupported
assertion.
Platt
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