the perfect microcosms of government-managed society

[Metric]

[ QUOTE ]
And this is why the ring must be cast into the fire.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's an excellent metaphor.

[Copernicus]

'It's not that "only government" can generate these conditions -- it's that government is so universally good at implementing and enabling them wherever they take control"

Except the government doesnt control concessions prices.

[adanthar]

[ QUOTE ]
Except the government doesnt control concessions prices.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prices at airports are high because airport food is a monopoly and because labor costs/rent is higher than usual (security measures increase cost/the airport charges a premium due to the monopoly factor).

In AC-land, unless everyone and their brother has their own miniature airport, one airport services X square miles (economy of scale suggests the latter). Therefore, consession prices change not one iota, unless the airport skimps on security (entirely possible) or someone opens a competing airport next door whose main attraction is that the Burger King is 2 dollars cheaper.

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Except the government doesnt control concessions prices.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prices at airports are high because airport food is a monopoly and because labor costs/rent is higher than usual (security measures increase cost/the airport charges a premium due to the monopoly factor).

In AC-land, unless everyone and their brother has their own miniature airport, one airport services X square miles (economy of scale suggests the latter). Therefore, consession prices change not one iota, unless the airport skimps on security (entirely possible) or someone opens a competing airport next door whose main attraction is that the Burger King is 2 dollars cheaper.

[/ QUOTE ]

Almost totally agree except airport food (newsstands, bookstores, souvenir stands etc) isn't a monopoly, at least at large airports. There are options, just as there are options at upscale malls that charge more than their sister stores at lower overhead malls.

[Metric]

[ QUOTE ]
'It's not that "only government" can generate these conditions -- it's that government is so universally good at implementing and enabling them wherever they take control"

Except the government doesnt control concessions prices.

[/ QUOTE ]
Of course not. They don't control health care prices either. They merely set the stage for a system where you're guaranteed to get boned.

[bills217]

[ QUOTE ]
The concept of self-defense is deemed unthinkable. God help you if you don't remove your nail clippers before you hit security. <font color="red"> by eliminating weapons of self-defense you also eliminate weapons of offense, obviating the need for weapons of self-defense. </font>

[/ QUOTE ]

Copernicus' War on Self-Defense FTW! Hopefully it will go as well as the War on Drugs.

[Richard Tanner]

[ QUOTE ]
The concept of self-defense is deemed unthinkable. God help you if you don't remove your nail clippers before you hit security. <font color="red"> by eliminating weapons of self-defense you also eliminate weapons of offense, obviating the need for weapons of self-defense. </font>

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh? Cop, this doesn't make any sense. Taking away the peoples ability to arm themselves is the last thing anyone but a power hungry tyrant would want to do. The balance between power and accountibility is the key to running a successful government.

Cody

[Metric]

[ QUOTE ]
In AC-land, unless everyone and their brother has their own miniature airport, one airport services X square miles (economy of scale suggests the latter). Therefore, consession prices change not one iota, unless the airport skimps on security (entirely possible) or someone opens a competing airport next door whose main attraction is that the Burger King is 2 dollars cheaper.

[/ QUOTE ]
The OP was not exactly a plug for ACism in airports, but merely a warning to those who tend to believe on a wider, more general scale that "what we need is for the government to run things and fix problems" (hence the term "perfect microcosm" in the title). That said, AC certainly would foster an airport system which would be much more likely to self-optimize in creative ways to the desires of consumers than the current system (which simply never will).

[BCPVP]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The concept of self-defense is deemed unthinkable. God help you if you don't remove your nail clippers before you hit security. <font color="red"> by eliminating weapons of self-defense you also eliminate weapons of offense, obviating the need for weapons of self-defense. </font>

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh? Cop, this doesn't make any sense. Taking away the peoples ability to arm themselves is the last thing anyone but a power hungry tyrant would want to do. The balance between power and accountibility is the key to running a successful government.

Cody

[/ QUOTE ]
What in Copernicus's posting history would lead you to believe he doesn't want a power hungry tyrant in charge (one who implements policies he agrees with, of course).

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The concept of self-defense is deemed unthinkable. God help you if you don't remove your nail clippers before you hit security. <font color="red"> by eliminating weapons of self-defense you also eliminate weapons of offense, obviating the need for weapons of self-defense. </font>

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh? Cop, this doesn't make any sense. Taking away the peoples ability to arm themselves is the last thing anyone but a power hungry tyrant would want to do. The balance between power and accountibility is the key to running a successful government.

Cody

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm talking only about the confined and relatively controllable situation of boarding an aircraft, not self defense in general. You cannot allow non-professionals to be armed on an airplane, and that includes the pilots. Air marshalls armed with non-lethal weapons that wont penetrate the fuselage is as far as you can go.