Discussion: which things should NOT be left in the hands of "market forces"?

[Ken Burch]

To have a decent society of any sort, there have to be some things that aren't forced to "make a profit"-should not have to be "effecient" for effeciency's sake-that are simply done or simply funded because it's good and right THAT those things exist.


For me, those things, at a minimum, would be healthcare, education, access to means of fully expressing one's creativity, and food, water, and housing for the non-wealthy. Those should simply be provided because they are the building blocks of a basic, decent life-they are what all people need to LIVE, rather than simply exist.

What would those things be for you?

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. One sure fire way to never do any of this is say or do anything

that would remotely result in the election of any republican anywhere anytime.

Anyone who thinks like you, and I am not disagreeing with what you wrote, has to understand that there is ALWAYS a choice that is not ideal, that there is NEVER the perfect candidate.

Though Bernie actually got close, he lost. The moment he lost ALL attention, ALL adulation, money and effort had to roll over GLADLY to Hillary.

But it didnt, and that really pisses me off.

[Ken Burch]

6. Bernie did all he could to help Hillary in the fall, though.

He can't be held responsible for the choices of all his supporters.

And a lot of us DID campaign for her...I don't condone those who didn't.

(btw, the Sanders campaign was never about attention and adulation...it was about the issues, and nothing else.)

[tecelote]

2. "...a basic, decent life-they are what all people need to LIVE, rather than simply exist."

Exactly. If society is to subsidize business and fund wars then every citizen - first - should be able to live a decent life.

[NobodyHere]

3. To put it broadly...

Anything where there isn't competition

[malaise]

4. Education, healthcare, infrastructure

and most importantly any monies deducted from citizens' earnings that is part of a pension/investment/social security/ etc

[Bradical79]

5. Healthcare would be #1

A profit motive combined with a service every single human being will need at some point in their life is a recipe for corruption and oppression.

Next would be infrastructure for obvious reasons. Nothing else works if we can't travel on the roads, bridges are colapsing, there's no electricity, etc.

Then any other neccesities need some sort of socialized component, though there's typically plenty of room for a free market to do its thing within those spaces.