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Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

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Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#381

What I find odd about the article is that it does very little to substantiate its core claim - that the reason the economy is broken are small monopolists-but-not-really-monopolists who are trying to fleece you. It opens with the example of rising construction costs. The only remotely relevant example here is Autodesk, but by the article's own admission, "the cost of these products remains relatively minor". And that…

> Assa Abloy

> You can buy Schlage, Kwikset, ABUS...

"Kwikset is an American lock and lockset manufacturer owned by Assa Abloy"

I think another example could be Luxottica (glasses).

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#382
post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which proves my point. It was not cost that prevents multiple sets of wires being laid. It's regulation, and frankly rather poor management by the government. For example, a road nearby was widened for bike lanes. While they were at it, a trench was dug before the repaving to enlarge the water/sewer pipes. I emailed the people in charge that they should consider burying the power lines, too. The power lines ran on te…

>Which proves my point. It was not cost that prevents multiple sets of wires being laid. It's regulation, and frankly rather poor management by the government. Do you look at the picture I linked, and think this is a preferable end state over some extra regulatory cost? That you would rather have those sets of cables all over the place and think the government is preventing this better state? If you do, that's an opi…

> Do you look at the picture I linked, and think this is a preferable end state over some extra regulatory cost? That you would rather have those sets of cables all over the place and think the government is preventing this better state?

Yes, I saw the picture. It means it is not prohibitively expensive to run multiple wires.

Yes, it is unsightly. But there are many, many ways to run multiple signals today. Technology has advanced a great deal. For example, one trench or pipe can provide space for a large number of wires. The community can provide a pipe for such purposes, like they provide pipes for other purposes. Or the providers can agree to share a wire. Or use microwaves. Or the cell towers. Or Starlink. And on and on.

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are enormous economic forces that push for standardization. For example, your keyboard is likely connected via USB. USB isn't a government standard. Neither is Standard C. And endless other things that the market standardized. Even 2*4 lumber is standardized. Gasoline is standardized. And so on. > Power companies created incompatible systems. They're usually granted government monopolies.

Ever since the iPhone, USB stopped being an actual standard to connect accessories to computers, until it became a (EU) government standard. It is actually a great example to the opposite. The history of USB as a connector is of a direct consequence of the IBM PC, itself a standard. The only reason USB became a widespread standard is that there was a widespread standard computer and, as we see today with many other f…

The IBM PC was never a government standard.

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are enormous economic forces that push for standardization. For example, your keyboard is likely connected via USB. USB isn't a government standard. Neither is Standard C. And endless other things that the market standardized. Even 2*4 lumber is standardized. Gasoline is standardized. And so on. > Power companies created incompatible systems. They're usually granted government monopolies.

And yet somehow those incompatible telephone systems, rail systems, power systems, and everything else all came into existence. USB is widely highlighted as an unusual success. But Apple has notably created their own incompatible connectors, and made money that way, which is why Europe is busy forcing a charging standard. Gasoline is very obviously government regulated. 2 by 4s are only sort of standardized.

> Gasoline is very obviously government regulated.

The chemical makeup of it? The government banned tetra ethyl lead in it, and mandated some ethanol in it, but the rest is various mixes made by the gas companies.

> 2 by 4s are only sort of standardized.

I've bought 2 by 4s for most of my life. They're a standard size.

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#385
post #364

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why do you think that law Because misogynist and patriarchal (agree with you there) dumbass dems over correct when they finally pick an issue to do something about? See also: latinx. It's dumb and bad, but the other side is still way worse. >If you remove the female body from the definition of woman, what else remains besides sexist stereotypes? Oh idk, maybe who they are as an individual? What they stand for? What…

> Because misogynist and patriarchal (agree with you there) dumbass dems over correct when they finally pick an issue to do something about? Yes, so you agree with me then. As I said in my first comment, this is policy overreach by progressives. They've ended up pushing policy that enables any male who says he's a woman to access any space that was intended to be only for women. This harms women and girls. > > If you…

>Yes, so you agree with me then. As I said in my first comment, this is policy overreach by progressives

Yeah, obviously the prison shit is fucked up. And as I've said since the start, democrats are servants of capital, same as the right. But they're not wholly the same.

I also recognize project 2025, red state policy goals (read my link to texas GOP platform in another comment in this thread to see their openly fascist aims) and that red states force victims to sexual crime give birth to the attackers child because of "dur, abortion kills babies". Like nah, some over reach on a small issue that affects 1% of the population is nowhere near worth getting worked up about. We have much much bigger fish to fry. Ergo "culture war distraction"

So while we agree in some aspects I disagree giving trans people basic protections legally a slippery slope like you portray. If anything the trail of progress has been one step forward .9 steps back at best.

I also stand behind pragmatism and voting for the least shitty option we have. Which is obvious to anyone serious.

I'll take over correction to protect a marginalized group over a group that pardoned a man who drove a truck through a crowd of protestors, got out and shot one, because he shot and plowed through the group capital wanted him to. And that's the least of their evils. Gerrymandering, anti education, anti birth control, anti lgbt, buying the supreme court, the list goes on.

I'll take those dumb ass latinx idiots any day of the week, and grind my teeth while i fill in my ballot, but don't mistake my words for "i loooove democrats they're perfect.

> I hope it's not your view that likes and dislikes are what distinguish women as a class from men as a class

This is another place we fundamentally disagree.

The thing I was trying to get across was unless I'm a doctor, or a sports association, or correctional facility, what 'class' you fall in to, by your definition or mine, is moot.

Someone claiming a different gender identify than they "present" as - the real stereotypes btw but i don't got it in me to get at all the disagreements - to be has no bearing on anything to me. So why would any normal human say "uhm akshully due to your penis/chromosomes it's clear you were born this or that gender. I truly could not care.

Therefore, yes, my principle is I respect whatever gender presentation they want to display. I'll call them whatever they want to be called as long as they treat me with respect.

So yes, whether someone likes or dislikes presenting as one or the other label, man or woman, is the sole factor that determines what abstract category I put you in for our conversation.

The only other time I can think of where there is any need for such arbitrary rigidity with categorization is when you're like dating.

Then whatever your views on trans people are wholly and justly on you to define.

BUT, in the public, professional world, I think it's ridiculous to act like it matters which gender you present as outside of very narrow ranges of tasks. The rest of the time I consider it all fluid, because it's immaterial to issues like climate change and pandemics and nukes and real shit. The fact we're even talking at length about this nonsense should demonstrate the artificial push it's gotten from regressive politicians who never even wanted gay marriage.

For serious matters where the biological categorization is necessary, I'll cede to a medical biologist or the sports governing body. that's their choice. But just out in normal every day life? Yeah I stick by my fluid definitions of the social categories "man" and "woman"

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#386
post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking generally, not to you specifically, it seems like a ton of people see the problems created by capitalism and decide the solution is even more capitalism . I don't think there's a magical number of competitors that fixes things. We see an interesting phenomenon in commercial landlords where we have a ton of players but they all use the same software [1], which creates an effective monopoly even though it's no…

> It's just not feasible or economical to have 4+ broadband networks being built in an area Actually, it is. When telephone systems were invented, lots of telephone companies sprang up and ran wires everywhere. The barrier to this happening with broadband is regulation. Regulators work hard to ensure there is no broadband competition. > it seems like a ton of people see the problems created by capitalism and decide t…

> Regulators work hard to ensure there is no broadband competition.

Regulators can be the tool to stifle competition. The driver though is inherent in business needs. Competition is the biggest cost to any business, so there will always be a drive to reduce the competition to as close to zero as possible. It's inherent in how businesses operate.

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#387

Four. That's the magic number. There have to be four competitors of significant size before prices go down. There are both EU and US studies substantiating this. It's been seen in cellular phone networks, ISPs, drugstores, and banks. Drop below the threshold of four, and the magic happens. Prices go up, margins go up, and consumers lose. Four should be the basis of antitrust policy. Less than four, and there are two…

I have heard similar things anecdotally, though my own work experience wouldn't confirm this. Could you point to any sources for this?

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with much of this and I'll add one of my biggest stressors - opaque pricing. One of the biggest "innovations" in the US in the last decade or so seems to be to add as many hidden fees as possible to every service imaginable. Obviously it's hardly a new idea; I'm sure that human nature being what it is, they had to deal with it in Mesopotamia. But it makes budgeting very difficult; I suppose it's like living i…

>> I'll add one of my biggest stressors - opaque pricing. Economic "models" make assumptions like markets being efficient. Meanwhile in the business classes next door they teach how to avoid competition because it's a race to the bottom. They all learn the prisoners dilemma as an example because it's how you need to think to avoid overt collusion. I'd like an economic model as powerful as the laws of thermodynamics,…

> Economic "models" make assumptions like markets being efficient.

There’s probably more ink devoted to the study of market failures in economic literature than perfect markets. Nobody is getting tenure by developing models of perfect markets.

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many more humans would be needed to support 4 of every company type?

Tell me one industry that couldn’t be chopped up into 4 or more corporations? I think you will be hard pressed to come up with one.

EUV machines. total demand seems to be <20 per year and developing each generation is a billion dollar effort

Re: Economic Termites: Monopolies not noticeable enough for most of us

#390

What I find odd about the article is that it does very little to substantiate its core claim - that the reason the economy is broken are small monopolists-but-not-really-monopolists who are trying to fleece you. It opens with the example of rising construction costs. The only remotely relevant example here is Autodesk, but by the article's own admission, "the cost of these products remains relatively minor". And that…

Profits across many companies in construction have significantly increased post covid. Not only for construction companies, but also various supplier (e.g. building technology, construction products).
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