Quote from: myrkul on October 31, 2012, 10:16:15 PM

Quote from: sturle on October 31, 2012, 10:08:41 PM

Quote from: myrkul on October 31, 2012, 09:57:31 PM

Quote from: sturle on October 31, 2012, 09:28:21 PM

Quote from: myrkul on October 31, 2012, 07:44:56 PM

Quote from: sturle on October 31, 2012, 11:29:56 AM

If e.g. the government provided free healthcare for all...

That's a monopoly, chummer. One that funds itself by force, no less.

No, it isn't! You are free to provide healthcare for free or any price as a supplement or alternative to the public service. Most countries with a public health service have private alternatives for those who want to pay for it.

I see. So Standard Oil wasn't a monopoly, then?

Standard Oil? What do you think Standard Oil and free public health care have in common?

You know a price scheme more "predatory" than free?

I don't know anything about Standard Oil. I think it was run by some John D. Rockefeller, and that's just about all I know. You really need to explain what you mean here.

Standard Oil produce oil, I guess? I don't know if they drill for it or refine it or what the heck they do, but the net result is making a product to sell from some natural resource.

Healthcare is completely different from oil. You can't buy a gallon of healthcare at any gas station. I already explained why healthcare is a natural monopoly in many cases, and therefore it must be regulated (not necessarily public for that reason). Oil is not. You need to explain what you mean by comparing healthcare with oil.

Quote from: myrkul on October 31, 2012, 10:16:15 PM

Quote from: sturle on October 31, 2012, 10:08:41 PM

Did Standard Oil give away free oil? Free public health care will not benefit at all from being a monopoly. Quite the opposite.

Wait, I thought you said it wasn't a monopoly. Now you say it is, but it won't benefit.

What did I say wasn't a monopoly or is? I don't get it.