In a fundamental way, the way the government was set up to deal with trusts and monopolies is hopelessly out of date, at once too beurocratic but at the same time too, what, naive? Although de-regulation sounds like a simple and good thing for a capitalist economy, something I would like in an ideal situation, there simply isn't the kind of Adam Smith style competitive scene with the media or even other industries, and the government can't seem to do much about it. The laissez faire policy in some government circles seems to be at odds with reality of the corporate world. Lawmakers are either placing too much trust in the invisible hand or they're colluding with those companies who benefit the most from the gaping loopholes in that kind of mandate. I'm sure it's a little of the former, a lot of the latter.
Forget the economy. I'm talking about freedom. I'm still not hearing a good reason why someone can't own a TV station and news paper in the same market.
Forget the economy. I'm talking about freedom. I'm still not hearing a good reason why someone can't own a TV station and news paper in the same market.
I don't have a problem with that per se. It's the telecoms that drive me up a wall.
Why not? Because the airwaves are owned by citizens of the United States and they want to keep the channels of communication open and free from control of any individual citizen, company or government. If consolidation is allowed, then all of the open channels of communication could be monopolized by an individual entity disturbing the free flow of information upon which our free and democratic society is based.
Because the airwaves are owned by citizens of the United States and they want to keep the channels of communication open and free from control of any individual citizen, company or government. If consolidation is allowed, then all of the open channels of communication could be monopolized by an individual entity disturbing the free flow of information upon which our free and democratic society is based.
This is going to be really difficult for me to say...
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Originally posted by Scott
Forget the economy. I'm talking about freedom. I'm still not hearing a good reason why someone can't own a TV station and news paper in the same market.
I don't have a problem with that per se. It's the telecoms that drive me up a wall.
Originally posted by Scott
Forget the economy. I'm talking about freedom.
No, you're not really talking about anything.
Why not? Because the airwaves are owned by citizens of the United States and they want to keep the channels of communication open and free from control of any individual citizen, company or government. If consolidation is allowed, then all of the open channels of communication could be monopolized by an individual entity disturbing the free flow of information upon which our free and democratic society is based.
Because the airwaves are owned by citizens of the United States and they want to keep the channels of communication open and free from control of any individual citizen, company or government. If consolidation is allowed, then all of the open channels of communication could be monopolized by an individual entity disturbing the free flow of information upon which our free and democratic society is based.
This is going to be really difficult for me to say...
so I'm just going to say it...
*ahem*
Fantastic post, bunge.
*runs and hides*