AT&T Death Star

[csberry]

How long do I have to wait for Uncle Sam to break up AT&T again? Wire telephony is the only area in the whole communications "utilities" that isn't a monopoly or near-monopoly. Just because there are two options doesn't mean that there is competition in the marketplace.

Comments

[otopico.livejournal.com]

i thought you libertarians wanted ol feddy fed to stay out of the private sector?

[csberry.livejournal.com]

The constitution gives the Federal govt authority over interstate commerce. One of my primary reasons for being a libertarian is I want freedom. Having a marketplace where there is one or two options isn't freedom. Thus, having the Feds put a stop to monopolies and trusts is constitutionally permitted and promotes the liberty enjoyed by the citizens of this country.

Also, where I would diverge from other libertarians is that I'm more accepting that where competition isn't likely or possible, the govt must step in. For instance: Ma Bell has thread wires throughout the country during her monopoly covering much of the 20th Century. Expecting 3-5 companies to come along and invest in stringing their own phone lines throughout the country isn't financially feasible and I would rather not have triple or quadruple the amount of utility poles and wires in every neighborhood. It is, thus, IMO incumbent on the govt to ensure that the telephony infrastructure is operational, stable, and available by numerous companies. So, while I'll accept that the communications infrastructure (just as roads, sewers, etc) isn't an area where competition will better society, use of this infrastructure should be available to many to use for providing services and competing against each other for our dollars.

I do consider myself a pragmatic libertarian, so you won't see any Ayn Rand worshiping from me.

[otopico.livejournal.com]

see, i knew you weren't insane, i just like getting smart people to explain themselves to see if they can.

funny thing, the only super rand-ish libertarians i know are all childless... i wonder if kids have some kind of magic powers to mess with our minds?

oh wait, i know they do.