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256 points reubensutton | 8 comments | | HN request time: 1.062s | source | bottom
1. matthewfelgate ◴[] No.21627478[source]
We have a solution for which companies should operate: it's called the free market.
replies(1): >>21627676 #
2. yaa_minu ◴[] No.21627676[source]
The fact that you're being downvoted shows how much of a socialist hell-hole HN has become.

No one is forcing people to drive for uber and no one is forcing the rider to use uber. In my city, Accra, Taxis were so expensive until uber came to the market and forced down the price.

The only system that puts the consumer (read: common man) first is the free market (if and only if politicians would allow it to work).

replies(2): >>21627946 #>>21628012 #
3. lidHanteyk ◴[] No.21627946[source]
Let's see how much of a capitalist you are. Why do you believe in the Efficient Market Hypothesis? What evidence do you have in its favor?

I humbly suggest to you that, if P!=NP, then the Efficient Market Hypothesis (any flavor!) cannot be true, as otherwise we could program markets to solve NP-complete problems in P time.

Edit: Remember, downvote means "you are right and I must hide your argument lest it show others my folly". That's how the free marketplace of comments works.

replies(2): >>21628281 #>>21635122 #
4. MrAlex94 ◴[] No.21628012[source]
I disagree. The UK could be viewed as more "socialist" than Ghana, but it is consistently ranked as more economically free: https://www.heritage.org/index/visualize?cnts=unitedkingdom|...

Also, with the tactics Uber has historically used - in a "proper" free market, would they not become a monopoly? And then they could charge what they please, ending up in the same position that previous taxi companies have been in.

replies(1): >>21628243 #
5. yaa_minu ◴[] No.21628243{3}[source]
> I disagree. The UK could be viewed as more "socialist" than Ghana...

Yes, Ghana has been through a lot of dictatorship rule until recently when we saw the light of reducing government involvement in people's lives. But why does that matter here?

>Also, with the tactics Uber has historically used - in a "proper" free market, would they not become a monopoly?

How so? it's very easy to start a ride-hailing service. In fact, I've lost count of how many of them we have here in Accra. Uber itself has been forced to reduce its charges by other competitors like Yango[1], Bolt(Taxify) and even ironically the traditional taxi providers.

These days, I don't even bother to order uber or Yango or Taxify because the taxis are responding to the competition.

[1] https://yango.yandex.com/en_gh/

6. yaa_minu ◴[] No.21628281{3}[source]
No, let's look at it from a more philosophically objective point of view.

Why do you think that the millions of Londoners who voluntarily chose Uber over traditional taxi services should be denied the freedom to choose what taxi services to use?

replies(2): >>21628841 #>>21629956 #
7. Jommi ◴[] No.21628841{4}[source]
If tfl sees Uber not operating by the same standards as others do, then of course they should be punished. Londoners are ofcourse free to use any other other app based ridehailing companies that so comply with tfls regulations.
8. dang ◴[] No.21635122{3}[source]
Please don't take HN threads further into ideological battle.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html