There's Only One Problem With Deregulation

[Mr Manifesto]

The big problem with deregulation is accountability.

To use one example, look at Enron. When the government wanted to see Enron's books (documents, whatever it was), the Enron corp's paper shredders were doing triple time shredding incriminating evidence. This is a notorious, but by no means unique, example of the lengths companies will go to trying to avoid public scrutiny.

Look, too, at the number of companies who keep information from the public using the excuse of 'commerical-in-confidence'. Are you leaking a chemical that's giving my children tumours? Sorry, that's commericial-in-confidence. Does your factory have anything to do with rising asthma rates in this area? Sorry, that's commerical-in-confidence. I can't believe how much lead I've found in my house, how much lead emissions is your plant responsible for, anyway? Sorry, that's... well, you know the drill by now.

If we deregulate everything, how can we trust these companies to be accountable? They aren't elected, like governments are. And a chairman's successor won't neccessarily air their predecessor's sins for personal gain, unlike the traditional bagging-of-the-previous-party that goes on when, for example, "New" Labour takes over from the Conservatory (?) party.

To be sure, governments have kept their share of secrets, too. But there are safeguards upon safeguards to ensure that this happens as little as humanly possible (in Australia, in any case- the number of government and Public service watchdogs are legion... I believe it's similar in the UK). Who will watch the companies that take over if everything is deregulated? Isn't the argument that these companies will just look after themselves?

 

[Mauler]

Enron corp's paper shredders were doing triple time shredding incriminating evidence. This is a notorious, but by no means unique, example of the lengths companies will go to trying to avoid public scrutiny

Nor is it unique to the private sector. When the people in the government want to hide documents they claim privledge, national security, deny their existance, or even shred them.

If we deregulate everything, how can we trust these companies to be accountable? They aren't elected, like governments are...

Government officials aren't any more accountable than those in the private sector, perhaps even less. When a corporation wants to terminate a high ranking employeee such as a CEO they can do so in a day. When the people want to remove a government official it takes months to years to throw the bum out. It's probably cheaper to pay off the CEO than it is to impeach or recall a government official. Not to mention that they payoff always works where the removal process doesn't.

Deregulation, at least in the US, doesn't mean an absense of laws. Deregulation means the government stops having an active role in the mismangement of the indusrty. The laws they operate under are the same laws that government officials operate under, except for the laws the government has exempted themselves from. There is less regulation of governments than there is of the private sector in any industry.

 

[jj]

It doesn't work.

That's the problem.

 

[Dancing David]

Here in Illinois, they are looking at deregulation, the biggest problem is that then thre will be no agency to repair and maintain the transmission wires. And that is what gripes me, in Illinois, it is just a way to get out of having to maintain the system, they won't lower rates, they will just increase the profit.

 

[Grammatron]

The big problem with deregulation is accountability.

To use one example, look at Enron. When the government wanted to see Enron's books (documents, whatever it was), the Enron corp's paper shredders were doing triple time shredding incriminating evidence. This is a notorious, but by no means unique, example of the lengths companies will go to trying to avoid public scrutiny.

Look, too, at the number of companies who keep information from the public using the excuse of 'commerical-in-confidence'. Are you leaking a chemical that's giving my children tumours? Sorry, that's commericial-in-confidence. Does your factory have anything to do with rising asthma rates in this area? Sorry, that's commerical-in-confidence. I can't believe how much lead I've found in my house, how much lead emissions is your plant responsible for, anyway? Sorry, that's... well, you know the drill by now.

If we deregulate everything, how can we trust these companies to be accountable? They aren't elected, like governments are. And a chairman's successor won't neccessarily air their predecessor's sins for personal gain, unlike the traditional bagging-of-the-previous-party that goes on when, for example, "New" Labour takes over from the Conservatory (?) party.

To be sure, governments have kept their share of secrets, too. But there are safeguards upon safeguards to ensure that this happens as little as humanly possible (in Australia, in any case- the number of government and Public service watchdogs are legion... I believe it's similar in the UK). Who will watch the companies that take over if everything is deregulated? Isn't the argument that these companies will just look after themselves?

That's not unique to private sector. This forum is buzzing with accusations of US government cover-ups past and present. Accusations that you make from time to time. The biggest real problem with deregulation is that it never happens. Instead of being a government run monopoly the utility changes to being a government enforced monopoly, not much of a change if you ask me because same rules and price caps still apply.