Accrington Web - View Single Post - Privatisation of public utilities..good or bad?

Eric · 21-08-2008, 23:30

Seems like this thread has nothing to do with economics and a hell of a lot to do with politics .... the right lines up in support of private enterprise and the left behind some measure of public ownership. And then there are the unquestioned assumptions, the main one being that business is more efficient at running things like railways and public utilities than government is. And not only railways and utilities: many on the right are touting privatization of health care in order to improve efficiency! This when many sources in the US report that in the private health care system, about 30% of the money paid by the patients goes to administrative costs ... a proportion vastly higher than in govt. run systems, including those in the US, which are far from the most efficient.

21-08-2008, 23:30	#24
Eric God Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada Posts: 9,290 Liked: 2347 times Rep Power: 58528	Re: Privatisation of public utilities..good or bad? Seems like this thread has nothing to do with economics and a hell of a lot to do with politics .... the right lines up in support of private enterprise and the left behind some measure of public ownership. And then there are the unquestioned assumptions, the main one being that business is more efficient at running things like railways and public utilities than government is. And not only railways and utilities: many on the right are touting privatization of health care in order to improve efficiency! This when many sources in the US report that in the private health care system, about 30% of the money paid by the patients goes to administrative costs ... a proportion vastly higher than in govt. run systems, including those in the US, which are far from the most efficient.