Deregulation question

[Giant Robot]

OK so I have a serious question for students of trends, history and economics here.

Has there ever been an industry or segment of our economy that, when deregulated, has benefited the consumer?

I keep thinking of the utility deregulation here in my state, and the promises of cheaper utilities if government just gets out of the way. The only thing I have seen once government got out of the way was rates that just keep going up more and more.

Or with the current bailout of Wall Street that is taking place, which was brought about by a deregulation of sorts of the mortgage industry, the cries for more deregulation of banking are coming (especially from a certain grumpy old man campaign).

Somebody tell me when deregulation has worked like they said and it has benefited the citizens and consumers of this nation.

[Skink]

1. No!

Next.

[Giant Robot]

2. How very odd.

I predicted the first answer would be "no." I must be psychic.

And tomorrow's lottery numbers are...

[chknltl]

3. How long would an NFL Football game last with no rules?

No we are not there yet, many of the rules are indeed gone and the refs are desperately not watching the game. The guys with the ball are makin' up rules as they go along while trying to convince the crowds that rules suck.

(Sorry-it does not answer your question... just felt like simplifying the true wonders of deregulation and an analogy of where we are currently.)

[Giant Robot]

4. I like it so I'll allow it

:P

[ColbertWatcher]

5. k+r, I don't know the answer, but this needs more attention. n/t

[Giant Robot]

6. Thanks for that

I think this is the first thread I have started that has been rec'd.

And I really am curious to see if there is an answer besides "no." I really am trying to be open about this. I just don't have a lot of faith in it.

[ColbertWatcher]

7. Well, if you don't get some serious responses in about an hour (6am EST) ...

... repost it with something sensational in the subject line--something with a lot of asterisks and exclamation points--but copy/paste the content from the original.

Works every time.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Tuesday morning kick! n/t

[endthewar]

8. Airline deregulation?

[ColbertWatcher]

10. LOL! I think that "worked" for a while until they needed more subsidies! n/t

[endthewar]

11. I think prices did fall after Congress enacted deregulation for airlines many years ago.

[ColbertWatcher]

12. The price was merely shifted from the passengers to the taxpayers. n/t

[endthewar]

13. How???

[ColbertWatcher]

14. I'll have to find something better, but let's start with Wikip*dia ...

... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_Deregulation_Act#Effects

[endthewar]

15. I had that Act in mind. Fares went down because of it.

But you're asserting that these decrease in fares resulted in increase costs to the taxpayers?

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Yes. When the airline asks for a bailout, the taxpayers pay for it n/t

[endthewar]

17. Wouldn't the deregulatory position be to deny them the bailout though?

I view Ron Paul's position as the true deregulatory position. Here are his thoughts and reasoning on the current financial crisis:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/23/paul.bailout/index.html

[ColbertWatcher]

18. First of all, I don't care what Ronpaul says.

His solution of deregulation in response to the failure of deregulation should be an embarrassment for him.

It is for everyone else as well as not a real solution.

[endthewar]

19. His argument is actually

that government guarantees of Fannie and Freddie led them to their risky loans. It seems like a fairly plausible argument to me that if the government had not guaranteed Fannie and Freddie, they wouldn't have made some of the risky loans. I don't necessarily think that there is only one answer to this solution. I am in favor of stricter regulation, but I do think that government guarantees of Fannie and Freddie encourages risky business practice.