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Grex > Agora35 > #18: The 2000 presidential campaign item | |
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| Author |
Message |
| 7 new of 406 responses total. |
brighn
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response 400 of 406:
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Nov 12 22:12 UTC 2000 |
I hardly think my particular postings had any significant impact on Nader.
Would that I were that powerful. ;}
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polygon
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response 401 of 406:
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Nov 12 23:55 UTC 2000 |
As I said elsewhere, the Electoral College pretty much makes the 2-party
system inevitable. We don't need to blame it on brighn. :-)
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mdw
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response 402 of 406:
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Nov 13 01:20 UTC 2000 |
You might with just as much accuracy say that the capitalism makes 2
world auto companies inevitable. It's only a matter of time...
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gull
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response 403 of 406:
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Nov 13 03:51 UTC 2000 |
Actually, pure capitalism probably makes *one* auto company the inevitable
result. Presumably who does the job best (for a particular definition of
"best") will "win." After that happens you don't really have a free market
anymore, though.
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brighn
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response 404 of 406:
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Nov 13 04:19 UTC 2000 |
The electoral College in and of itself doesn't make the two-party system
inevitable. Having a voting system that requires a majority, rather than a
plurality, does. when was the last time the winner of the presidential
election even HAD a majority of the popular vote? Reagan in 88? As you add
parties, the likelihood of a majority vote decreases dramatically.
(Er, that would be Reagan in 84, I s'pose. Much as he wanted to, he wasn't
allowed to run in 88. ;} )
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mdw
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response 405 of 406:
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Nov 13 05:28 UTC 2000 |
The forces that work to make a monopoly don't actually distinguish
between small numbers like one or two - so two is probably actually more
likely. By the time the count gets to one, what's left is often so
rotten it can't even compete successfully as a monopoly - kind of like
the soviet economy, Penn Central, or British Leyland.
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rcurl
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response 406 of 406:
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Nov 13 06:21 UTC 2000 |
Competition/monopoly depend upon many factors, not just size. The chemical
industry is *very* competitive. Plants can be built almost anywhere,
and they do not require a large general labor force. So any one company
finds difficulty with a multitude of other companies making the same
product closer to their customers (and/or suppliers). Some companies
are very BIG, but that is because of the variety of products they make.
The competition is at the product level, not at the corporate level.
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