TXCAP4228 said:
Surplus1, you are obviously a very experienced and wise pilot and I am obviously not. In that spirit I am replying to a couple of things you said.
I'll take that at face value, with a grain of salt. Though I acknowledge having more than a few hours of flight time, that should not necessarily be confused with "experience". One may have 10,000 hours of experience or 1 hour of experience repeated 10,000 times; a distinction we seldom make but often should. As for wisdom, that has always managed to elude me. I'll admit to lots of opinions but whether or not they are "wise" is left to be seen. I certainly don't claim that they are.
I don't guess you could ride the fence any more than that. I don't know if its possible to be any more cynical than that either.
Although it may appear that way I really don't mean to be riding the fence. That concept appears to assume that capitalism and socialism (in true form) are the only choices. That's definitely not my intent and I don't subscribe to that idea. Just as I don't subscribe to the idea that if you're not a "conservative" then you must be a "liberal". We Americans seem obsessed with the need to label all ideas into neat little sound bites and stereotypes. I don't sign on to that. I'm much to independent to be willingly "labled" and filed.
Perhaps my views
are cynical, I won't deny that. Someone said that a cynic is [but] "a blaggard who sees things as they are, rather than as they ought to be." If that's true, guilty as charged.
Capitalism does work. Market forces will define those who succeed and those who don't. Is there a place for safety regulation? Sure. But that doesn't means that market forces don't succeed. This is what is happening with United - the marketplace will be better for the consumer either way.
I don't think I have ever seen a broader more sweeping statement. How do you get to total anarchy from a free market system? How do you get to complete economic collapse?
First let me say that I don't buy the safety cliche as a true factor in this debate. While of primary importance, I don't think safety of flight (as separate from security or air travel) is relevant to the industry's current economic problems.
I would agree that market forces
should define, to the extent possible, those who succeed and those who do not, but there must be limits; particularly in essential services such as food production, transportation, utilities, education and law enforcement to name a few of many. As one example, if the agrarian portion of the economy was left to true market forces we might still have food but few of us would be able to buy it and certainly not from American farmers.
The true devil lies in the details. Reality is that true Capatilism does not exist even in this country or anywhere else. While our system is more capitalistic that socialistic. true capitalism is severely modified by a myriad of governmental interventions in every element of the economic system.
If the market were truly left to itself the highly cyclical component inherent in capitalism would eventually result in total chaos and economic stability, even on a limited basis, would not exist. Our economy is far more regulated than we choose to admit or perhaps than the majority of us realize.
There is really not enough space to elaborate in detail. However, if you think the economy is volatile now, just try true Capitalism. The booms and busts would be so frequent that only the Mafia would survive.
By the same token Socialism, if left to its own devices, is equally doomed to ultimate collapse as has been repeatedly proven even in the most democratic societies, let alone the Marxist brand.
Of the two systems, regulated capitalism is by far superior. However, we must avoid confusing the modified capitalism that we practice with the real thing.
Whenever the socioeconomic system collapses that's how we get to anarchy, i.e., political disorder and confusion. The practice of pure capitalism would, in my opinion, ultimately lead to just that.
You're making some huge sweeping statements with little support. I'm not buying it, but I'd be happy to hear (read) your explanation.
I appreciate your reading and don't ask you to accept what I say. It's not doctrine, just one of many opinions.
With respect to the airline industry, many argue that the consumer has benefited by deregulation. That may be true in the short term in that prices are currently lower. However, if all the airlines fail as a consequence of the unfettered "competition" and free market that have produced prices below cost of the product airlines could go the way of the passenger railroad in the US.
The often used example of SouthWest's success ignores the fact that SWA essentially has little or no competition. They operate in a nationwide niche. When other carriers duplicate the SW business model and produce real competition, the consequence of too many players in the same market will come to light again, just as it now has in the hub-and-spoke conventional airline model. Meanwhile, our international services will all go to the socialist modeled foreign competition.
Just as the traffic today cannot support the number of mega airlines in the market, it won't support a plethora of SouthWests either. There are finite limits to how low the cost of producing the product can go. As each company tries to lower its costs more and more to "meet the competition", the so-called "free market" will ultimately implode. There is room for one SouthWest, maybe two, but certainly not six. At that point, those that remain unwilling to pay that extra $50 will in fact have no choice but to drive, for there will be no airlines.
That alternative is not really an acceptable option. Therefore, the government will ultimately intervene and create the Amtrak of the airways. Personally, I would prefer to see a modest dose of renewed government "regulation" before we evolve into state-owned airlines.
While it is true that Wal-Mart has become a successful giant and serves a purpose, heaven forbid that I should have to buy all my clothing from Wal-Mart, my citrus from Brazil, my electronics and automobiles from Japan, my oil from Saudi Arabia, my steel from the EU or my airplanes from Airbus.
Until the entire planet is on an equal footing (which I won't live to see and I suspect you won't either) "free markets" will remain the myth of our political rhetoric. I just don't think we should permit the demise of our airlines in an effort to pursue that theory.
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