Re: Offtopic, inappropriate jokes?

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

>>>>> "Simon" == Simon Cozens <simon@example.com> writes:

    Simon> Right! So the only time anti-monopoly laws should come into
    Simon> play are when legislators have done something stupid. So it
    Simon> *is* to protect against legislation. Putting it another
    Simon> way, anti-monopoly laws reflect the legislature's inability
    Simon> to keep tabs on itself.

Wrong.

Anti-monopoly laws regulate the exploitation of asymmetries in
bargaining power, the same way that assault laws remedy the
asymmetries in the distribution of physical power.

The question is how much friction are we willing to put up with in
enforcing those regulations.  When basic human rights are violated, we
spend a lot on police, without thinking too much about it.  With
anti-monopoly laws, we can make the decisions based on mostly pure
economic values.  But those are pretty contentious.

Most respectable economists agree that the only way to maintain a
monopoly franchise in the long run (ie, indefinitely) is with the
connivance of the government.  They also agree that it is in general
possible to raise price above competitive levels in the short run.

Just how short "long run" needs to be to make monopoly not worth
legislating about, or just how long "short run" needs to be to justify
the attention of the regulators, are very much open questions.  Both
technically and politically.  Ie, the question is whether the current
balance is appropriate.  Not whether there need to be anti-monopoly laws.

Linux.ObRef(): If "short run" isn't long enough, Linux distributors
will not make enough money to stay in business, and the activity of
Linux distribution will have to be supported as charity (Debian) or as
a loss leader (all commercial Alpha distros sou-desu).

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