Consumerism: What It Is, How It Happens, How to Think About It, What We Can Do About It.
Chapter 1: The Reality of Monopoly in the "Free" Market
The first point is that monopoly is not some perversion, but just the natural state of a market in maturity. One business is the best at what they do, and therefore they win completely. Monopoly is not one business in control, but how mature businesses in the market operate. This is why it's preferable to have a benevolent monopoly business than a collection of powerful businesses trying to maintain themselves in a competitive market. This is what utilities are, and why we have them. They are better for everyone compared with asymmetrical competition. Which promotes corner cutting, sabotage and corporate propaganda. Asymmetrical competition promotes Rent Seeking, exploiting the market and the consumer for profit at the cost of economic efficiency for everyone else. This is the end result of the Corporatocracy we live in today.
An effective model for regulation of utilities is especially important in high entry cost markets. Infrastructure markets like railway and energy or now, online userbases. There is no way for a startup to compete. Even say, if fusion nuclear starts to work, the only way to bootstrap that with enough stability and risk management is through a massive government energy program with billions of dollars and extensive oversight. No one wants a rushed nuclear reactor from an underfunded startup.
Startup markets and mature markets are wholly separate and should be regulated radically differently. In startups it is much more likely to have a product/strategy based competition aka: "free" market. Versus a mature market where it is business/brand competition aka: propaganda/power market.
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