Re: 1990 Film: "Total Transportation", Southern Pacific Marketing is essential in truly competitive markets.....
Author: bn
Date: 03-17-2023 - 09:05
I like your summary quite a bit, Bob.
But I am not sure about the part where, "we the people through our elected representatives decided ditch free market competitive capitalism." Did we voters have much say? Democrat Bill Clinton signed NAFTA, which lifted barriers to big business.
But I love your thesis that the railroad map was fine right after Staggers. It incentivized aggressive marketing and good service.
BOB2 Wrote:
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> The truly "free market" and increased modal
> competition envisioned under the Staggers Act was
> actually working well for railroads, employees,
> and consumers. Then for some strange reason, "we
> the people" through our elected representatives
> decided ditch free market competitive capitalism
> for monopolistic oligopolies. And, we let the
> major railroads divide the country into two major
> bi-coastal oligopolies (complete monopolies in
> many rail markets),