Why renewable energy won't work.

[mrstickball]

sapphi_snake said:

mrstickball said:

So how did Microsoft prevent the enterance of other companies into the market, exactly?

Concerning monopolies, it is usually far better for industry to have heavy regulation to choke and destroy smaller businesses, than it is for free markets to grow and expand. The bigger the government, the more an industry can maneuver itself into a position to harm growth of smaller companies. Look at the US financial industry: many of the mega banks have poured millions into electing candidates that will push for their regulations that keep them afloat (the past few years are heavily evident of this concerning bailouts among banks and our auto industry).

Comparatively, a free market with fewer regulations ensure a level playing field for all. If a mega corporation cannot leverage the government to enact bills that will favor it, then it must compete against its peers.

Regulations are needed in the financial sector. The reason why they didn't work in your country was that you allow private companies to donate money to political parties, and lobby. Make donations and lobbying illegal and you solve your problem.

And I agree that corporations shouldn't lobby. There shouldn't be a government that can legislate changes to benefit one company and hurt another.

The ideea is that it's bad either way. In the case of a market with no regulations, companies can essentially do whatever they want, and at one point one company will  become powerfull enough to do whatever it wants. If the market's regulated, the big comapnies influence the Government, and make sure that there will be no laws preventing them to do whatever they want (in this case the solution, as I said above, is making it illegal for companies to influence politicians).

Define 'whatever it wants'. My belief is that government should exist to ensure that no person is forcing someone to do something against their will. That would mean that a company could never force someone into doing, living, or saying something against their will. Again, you can look at countries that have had systemic, heavy regulatory structures over many years and find that they are not the most beneficial for business. I have never said no regulations are needed - but we need to maintain the minimum standard to ensure that businesses can compete against eachother, and contracts can be enforced.

Also, the "level playing field far all" is an illusion of the capitalist system. There's no such thing as a level playing field.

It is an illusion of the socialist system as well. There will never be a level playing field. I believe, though, that the most level playing field comes from free markets - and the data will prove that. It is why a generally free state such as my own can have half the number of people in it as yours, with a similar geography, and produce far more goods, services, technology and products than yours and other socialist comparables. Likewise, it also shows why even more free nations with far less resources have done even better, such as New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.