Is Demand Really in the Drivers Seat?

[Hoofhurr]

I think you are spot on Vllad. Similar arguments can be made for any high investment technology that's far removed from the end-user. I love how specific your example is. I definitely think that free markets develop towards predictable conclusions that are not in the best interest of the consumer or perhaps the overall health of an economy. The tendency for free markets to result in monopolies is one. The tendency for free markets to be short sighted and tied to annual returns is another. The tendency for free markets to put huge sums in the hands of relatively few people who for all intents and purposes aren't bound by laws and likely disconnected from your average person's ethics. Money does much more to control how policy develops than a ballot so it stands to reason that those with more money have more voting power. Those with more voting power have more influence over the way markets develop.

The free market is a powerful tool for an abundance of reasons but I question those that think it can answer all our problems and should be given free rein to do so.