Modern infrastructure is not built by markets. University materials research is not driven by markets.
It kind of is, though. Modern infrastructure is built by companies. Universities acquire materials, labor, as well as share knowledge through marketplaces of ideas and information.
“Market” is really just a construct describing social interaction. You can’t really blame it for a problem since all it is is a description of reality.
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Consumer goods are delivered through market distributions for nearly every post-industrial society on earth.
The government could distribute widgets, but it doesn’t.
Construction crews, materials purveyors, architects, electricians/plumbers… All come through the market system. That’s why Americans have to turn to Spain or Japan every time they float the idea of expanding HSR. That’s why only two companies in the world build civilian airliners. That’s why our telecom network is an oligopoly.
Teqball’s a lot of fun.
frisbird@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Th exception proves the rule. Department of Transportation is not market driven. DPW is not market driven. Army Corps of Engineers is not market driven.
And that’s just the US. Look to the rest of the world and you’ll see that most infrastructure is not market driven at all.
And even in the cases where they have to get private companies to do the build, the INFRASTRUCTURE ITSELF is not market driven, it’s the talent that’s market driven.