Subject:
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Re: Gotta love Oracle...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 10 Oct 2001 22:59:49 GMT
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Viewed:
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522 times
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Dave Schuler wrote:
>
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Frank Filz writes:
>
> > I don't think ANY product requires a monopoly. Certain products may be
> > most efficient with localized monopolies, but so long as the overall
> > freedom of the market is high, a localized monopoly must still compete
> > with the localized monopoly of the same product in another region.
>
> That's fine in a macroscopic sense, but it could easily mean that two
> whole populations of consumers get hosed in pursuit of that will-o-wisp
> named The Free Market. In my region, for instance, AT&T holds a de facto
> monopoly on cable service, and as such they charge a bundle for really
> substandard offerings (does anyone truly want a classic golf channel, a
> classic hockey channel, and a classic boxing channel? I surely don't, but I
> have to pay for them if I want anything more than basic cable). Locally,
> therefore, the monopoly power sets the market and charges whatever it feels
> like charging. I suppose one could make an argument for satellite tv, but
> in an area in which most of the populace pays rent rather than owning
> property, the installation of an obtrusive dish is not an option. (I know,
> I know: they could buy property and install whatever they like, but that
> comes back to my perennial problem with this aspect of the free market model.)
Or they can rent from a place which allows installation of satellite
dishes. I see several in my apartment complex (and for some folks, they
even seem to be easy to install, they're bolted to the folks 2nd floor
deck railing).
As Larry has mentioned, the cable market is no where near free (and I
think the satellite market is only barely more so).
Frank
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Gotta love Oracle...
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| (...) That's fine in a macroscopic sense, but it could easily mean that two whole populations of consumers get hosed in pursuit of that will-o-wisp named The Free Market. In my region, for instance, AT&T holds a de facto monopoly on cable service, (...) (23 years ago, 10-Oct-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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