Are monopolies so bad? Part II?

[natedogg]

You know, it appears monopolies are truly problematic. But it might help to look at a specific monopoly and see if it actually does result in all the negatives we listed.

Let's try, oh, what the hell: The Public School System.

I'll replace "monopoly" with "public schools" and see if the points are still valid:

1. Public Schools are not beholden to market forces anymore since they have no competitors.

2. Bad customer service. The public school system's customers and consumers have no recourse. They just get [censored] on.

3. The public schools often produces dangerous, substandard environments that we have no choice but to use.

4. The public schools exploit the public at the expense of an elite few.

5. The public school monopoly has undue influence on the government.

6. The public schools only exist as the primary schooling service through recruiting government to create an unfair environment through regulation, taxation, subsidy, or outright prohibition of competitors' products.

7. Only the extremely wealthy can afford to send their kids to the expensive alternatives, the poor must take whatever the the public school system offers.

8. Special interests that are tied to the the public school monopoly get special protections.

9. Public schools create a dead weight loss.

10. Public schools waste resources in order to achieve and maintain their monopoly.

Yep, I think I'm convinced.

Monopolies suck, especially when they have commandeered the power of government to perpetuate their position and squash competitors. It's disgusting.


natedogg