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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton We have on the other hand a forum member who clearly believes the idea that the free market will solve all. However, he has for some time been arguing that anti-trust laws have not been enforced and government should establish open access on rail lines. Like those aren't social programs? [/quote] Jay, I don't mind if someone exaggerates a particular view out of context from time to time, but please don't misrepresent what I've stated. I do believe in the free market, but I also recognize that if we are to have a civilized society we have to have a government to keep market power from ending up in too few hands, as well as providing a safety net for those in temporary insustainability. If we leave the current rail industry soley to the forces of the free market, then we will end up with one giant nationwide rail monopoly. The same is true for most capital intensive industries. We have already lost the perfect harmony of the "three or more" rule on the East and West Coasts, where rail services are now in the hands of duopolies. The ostensible reason we have the social programs known as the STB/FRA/Consolidated Rail, etc. is to prevent actions and occurances that will have a net negative impact on consumers. Since de facto duopolies (which when broken down into certain regional contextualizations have resulted in monopolies in some areas) now exist, the only constitutional way to ameliorate this situation is to utilize anti-trust ideals and establish a split-up of Class I railroad assets into infrastructure and transporting companies. In other words, open access wouldn't even be an issue if the STB had used its muscle to maintain rail service competition throughout all areas of the nation. So, yes, the STB and the Justice Department are social programs, but enforcement of legal ideals is not a social program but a government action. Since the STB and Justice Department already exist, for them to take action to ameliorate ostensible market abuses would not result in the creation of a new social program.
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