A free market, with oversight and constraints, works. We see this occur when the economy is strong enough that workers have options and “the best” workers, generally, have better opportunities.
The problem is that capitalism runs rampant and companies have realized it is cheaper to just pay off politicians to get them to look the other way.
So rather than “I’ll provide Aspirin for 50 cents a tablet” “Yeah, well I can do it for 48 cents” it becomes
“Well, I have the patent for Aspirin so I am going to sell it for 9 thousand dollars per tablet.”
and later “Okay, I have a non-name brand aspirin for only five thousand” “Yeah, what if we each sold it for six thousand?” “Fuckin’ A. Seven thousand it is.”
But also? Medicine is inherently about quality of life. It is almost the definition of The Rich Get Richer. Because, assuming you don’t just die, you now are walking with a cane and in constant pain. Except John can afford a nicer cane and pain meds that don’t make him tired. So now John can go back to work sooner and make more money and afford even better canes and drugs. Whereas you are spending your life trying to justify continuing to receive disability.
Yeah. It’s wild to me, because the Dutch actually have a private, insurance-based system and it works great for them. Their healthcare is affordable, as is their insurance. But the Dutch also aren’t afraid of regulating.
A free market cannot have oversights or constraints. If it does it’s not free. Free markets have never worked. Will never work. And simply can’t exist. Either powerful entities will seek to control the market for themselves. Or if you’re lucky benevolent people in government will do their best to control the markets against said group. Someone is always controlling it.
The best we could ever hope to have is a fair market. And the only way to have a fair market is to have a market that is completely optional. Markets that deal and necessities can never be optional. Because Necessities are not optional.
I don’t care what they charge for luxury housing or fru fru fancy food. But we can and should provide desirable public housing and basic nutritious food for everyone. And if they want a luxury house. Or fancy food. Any of us are free to work to get it should we choose to. But the point is choose to. Not be forced to under coercion for basic survival.
A free market, with oversight and constraints, works. We see this occur when the economy is strong enough that workers have options and “the best” workers, generally, have better opportunities.
The problem is that capitalism runs rampant and companies have realized it is cheaper to just pay off politicians to get them to look the other way.
So rather than “I’ll provide Aspirin for 50 cents a tablet” “Yeah, well I can do it for 48 cents” it becomes
“Well, I have the patent for Aspirin so I am going to sell it for 9 thousand dollars per tablet.”
and later “Okay, I have a non-name brand aspirin for only five thousand” “Yeah, what if we each sold it for six thousand?” “Fuckin’ A. Seven thousand it is.”
But also? Medicine is inherently about quality of life. It is almost the definition of The Rich Get Richer. Because, assuming you don’t just die, you now are walking with a cane and in constant pain. Except John can afford a nicer cane and pain meds that don’t make him tired. So now John can go back to work sooner and make more money and afford even better canes and drugs. Whereas you are spending your life trying to justify continuing to receive disability.
Yeah. It’s wild to me, because the Dutch actually have a private, insurance-based system and it works great for them. Their healthcare is affordable, as is their insurance. But the Dutch also aren’t afraid of regulating.
A free market cannot have oversights or constraints. If it does it’s not free. Free markets have never worked. Will never work. And simply can’t exist. Either powerful entities will seek to control the market for themselves. Or if you’re lucky benevolent people in government will do their best to control the markets against said group. Someone is always controlling it.
The best we could ever hope to have is a fair market. And the only way to have a fair market is to have a market that is completely optional. Markets that deal and necessities can never be optional. Because Necessities are not optional.
I don’t care what they charge for luxury housing or fru fru fancy food. But we can and should provide desirable public housing and basic nutritious food for everyone. And if they want a luxury house. Or fancy food. Any of us are free to work to get it should we choose to. But the point is choose to. Not be forced to under coercion for basic survival.
Not true. Without oversight, you get corruption and monopolies, and the system collapses.
Correct. But both preclude having a free market.