Thread: Danger of the free market

As the highest water bills ever land on doormats across the UK this April, this film investigates the future of the world's water, and paints a disturbing picture of a world running out of the most basic of life's essentials.

8 year old Vanessa and her parents have to walk almost a mile down the cliffs of El Alto in Bolivia to collect water from an unreliable well every day. Yet, they live just a few hundred metres from their city's main water treatment plant and can see millions of gallons just beyond the barbed wire fence. They are victims of waters increasing commodification.
Google Video

How is this a danger of free market?

There is a shortage of water, so only the people with enough money can afford it. If the price of water was lower then people who wanted to buy water wouldn't be able to afford it.

It would be like when the price of oil was capped, it created more shortages.

The problem is with the world supply, not with free market principles. It is a lose-lose senario because prices or demand needs to give.

Originally Posted by Nerv14

There is a shortage of water, so only the people with enough money can afford it. If the price of water was lower then people who wanted to buy water wouldn't be able to afford it.

It would be like when the price of oil was capped, it created more shortages.

The problem is with the world supply, not with free market principles. It is a lose-lose senario because prices or demand needs to give.

Yes, that's the larger issue with water, but this is an example of a free market trying, in vain, to fix the problem.

No, there is no shortage of water, there is increased greed within the government, hell now these clowns are trying to tell us that water is nor a renewable source, just another lie to increase the prices.

Originally Posted by michaelr

No, there is no shortage of water, there is increased greed within the government, hell now these clowns are trying to tell us that water is nor a renewable source, just another lie to increase the prices.

Come on, how can you blame the shortage of water on the government? If you blame all of our problems on the government then we can't take your seriously for when the government really messes up.

The auifers in America are declining, as I would guess they are everywhere else, so I can say that there really is a shortage of water.

Originally Posted by Sparta

Yes, that's the larger issue with water, but this is an example of a free market trying, in vain, to fix the problem.

Exactly. That doesn't mean that the free market is a "danger" but just that no real force right now can fix the water shortage without decreasing the demand of water, or reducing the supply.

You can make a point that the free market is incapable of solving all problems, but that doesn't mean that the free market is acting defective

Originally Posted by Nerv14

Come on, how can you blame the shortage of water on the government? If you blame all of our problems on the government then we can't take your seriously for when the government really messes up.

The auifers in America are declining, as I would guess they are everywhere else, so I can say that there really is a shortage of water.



Exactly. That doesn't mean that the free market is a "danger" but just that no real force right now can fix the water shortage without decreasing the demand of water, or reducing the supply.

You can make a point that the free market is incapable of solving all problems, but that doesn't mean that the free market is acting defective

What I blame on the government is the scare tactic of water shortage. The federal government wants to buy up all of the water supplies across the country, so knowing that I look for their finger print, problem/reaction/solution. This is evident in the water shortage tactic, this is not a joke and it is easily researched.

Originally Posted by Nerv14

Exactly. That doesn't mean that the free market is a "danger" but just that no real force right now can fix the water shortage without decreasing the demand of water, or reducing the supply.

You can make a point that the free market is incapable of solving all problems, but that doesn't mean that the free market is acting defective

Actually Nerv that's the point I'm trying to make. What we have here is the free market taking advantage of a situation when it was imposed to fix the problem. We have to keep in mind that the free market is not the answer to every problem, and whatsmore, it can create a larger problem given the right circumstances.

Originally Posted by Sparta

Actually Nerv that's the point I'm trying to make. What we have here is the free market taking advantage of a situation when it was imposed to fix the problem. We have to keep in mind that the free market is not the answer to every problem, and whatsmore, it can create a larger problem given the right circumstances.

You are talking about government controlled water supply, is that correct? How do you possibly equate that to a free market? Am I missing something here?

Originally Posted by Sparta

Actually Nerv that's the point I'm trying to make. What we have here is the free market taking advantage of a situation when it was imposed to fix the problem. We have to keep in mind that the free market is not the answer to every problem, and whatsmore, it can create a larger problem given the right circumstances.

ok, the title of this thread was kind of misleading then.

There still may be an immediet answer to this problem with some form of government intervention, but I just don't think there is a practical solution.

But I do agree that when it comes to some other issues the government does has a role to influence the free market.