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A comment on France could nationalize big companies if necessary: finance minister. Parent comment

Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by Guest42 on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @02:33PM (#22608399)
Price regulation works effectively for water and car insurance and hasn’t led to black markets (at least that I’m aware of).
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by WalterBright on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @03:46PM (#22609451)
Price regulation of water has resulted in rationing and shortages. Car insurance prices aren't regulated around here.
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by Guest42 on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @04:03PM (#22609648)
It’s not perfect but it prevents a scenario where Fortune 500 companies buy up as much as possible and use their position as a source of profit growth.

What country do you live in?

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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by WalterBright on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @04:27PM (#22609936)
If prices are allowed to float, Fortune 500 companies can only buy up supply if they will be willing to pay the market price.
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by pbhjpbhj on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @05:23PM (#22610602)
What about a bimodal model, people have a right to a reasonable volume of water. Companies have to both pay for the water (at the price-fixed rate) and have to acquire a right (like a ration token) to have water. People then would always be able to afford to buy enough water to sate them, but companies need to buy their tokens in order to get water. Most people would probably sell their tokens back to the water company, who would sell them on at a profit. But equally you could save them for times of water crisis when the token price soars and pay off your own water bills.

Tell me why this is stupid.

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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by WalterBright on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @07:06PM (#22611609)
That proposal is just a complicated and inefficient bureaucratic reinvention of a supply & demand marketplace. Just let S&D do its thing and take its course, and people will get water.
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by int_19h on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @01:21AM (#22613870)
Some people will get water. And some will get priced out of the market.
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by WalterBright on Wednesday March 18, 2020 @02:42AM (#22614226)
Higher prices INCREASE the supply. I.e. MORE people get water.
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by int_19h on Thursday March 19, 2020 @03:43AM (#22625409)
Or same people get more water.
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by AnimalMuppet on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @03:27PM (#22609176)
Car insurance is price regulated? In what country (or countries)? I'd be surprised if it is where I live...
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by Guest42 on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @04:01PM (#22609623)
All of the US, each state has a department of insurance

edit: wouldn’t let me reply, I know they regulate existing product prices and that new products need to be filed and that states have different laws regarding coverage limits and litigation details

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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by AnimalMuppet on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @04:02PM (#22609643)
Do they regulate prices? Or just coverages?
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Re:France could nationalize big companies if necessary: fina... by rukittenme on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @02:59PM (#22608777)
And it doesn't work for housing and about a million other goods and services that have been subject to price controls.

Just look at California's water shortage issues. Water prices are basically fixed so huge farms suck up all the water to irrigate a desert while ordinary people are told to stop bathing. Seems like an externality of price regulation, no?

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