Anti-Capitalist Sentiment (with some morality)

[OngBonga]

Without he profit motive...

There's still a motive for government to get it right in the form of a boosted economy and votes.

Profit is all very well and good where there is healthy competition. Without competition, it's just a more expensive version of the failing system that you accuse government of running.

There is no competition when it comes to the rails. It is not possible to say "£300 is too much, I'll use a different train company". There's only one network. All I can do is either say "it's too much, I won't go", or find a cheaper alternative, such as driving, or air.

Privatising railways does not make it more efficient. Profit isn't an incentive for them because they rely on the fact that the majority of those who use the train will continue to do so regardless of the shitty service they receive. They get the profit anyway, because what they own is essential infrastructure, and people need to get to work.

Votes and economic benefits should be of more incentive to a government than profit is to a private company that pretty much has a guaranteed profit regardless. The threat of no profit is the real incentive for business to maintain their standards, and that doesn't exist when a private company owns a monopoly of essential infrastructure.

[wufwugy]

There's still a motive for government to get it right in the form of a boosted economy and votes.

Less of an incentive. Are you devil's advocating here? Because this line is different than what Ong says he believes about why government does what it does.

Profit is all very well and good where there is healthy competition. Without competition, it's just a more expensive version of the failing system that you accuse government of running.

The profit incentive is essential to the creation of competitive markets. Without it there would be no competition.

There is no competition when it comes to the rails. It is not possible to say "£300 is too much, I'll use a different train company". There's only one network.

Thank the government.

find a cheaper alternative, such as driving, or air.

Thank markets and entrepreneurs.

Privatising railways does not make it more efficient. Profit isn't an incentive for them because they rely on the fact that the majority of those who use the train will continue to do so regardless of the shitty service they receive.

This is contrary to your previous point.

They get the profit anyway, because what they own is essential infrastructure, and people need to get to work.

Here we're getting at the root of why people are afraid of no regulation by government. People fear that a private company can monopolize something the public views as "essential" then abuse it. I'm happy to tell you that not only is this not something that happens in free markets, but it is something that happens when government intervenes.

Votes and economic benefits should be of more incentive to a government than profit is to a private company that pretty much has a guaranteed profit regardless.

Should be but isn't.