Letters to the Editor
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Liberal Socialist?
Hi Farhad,
I was prompted to write in response to your comment:
But Europe has something America lacks -- consumer protection laws. Last month a court in France forced Orange to promise to sell an unlocked version of the phone there when it hits store shelves later this month.
What I read is: what you think, ie a more socialist view, is more important than either the buyers or the sellers rights. I don't really agree with the premise that bureaucrats, or yourself, make better decisions than the market. I agree that some parts of cell phone contracts are a bit too much, but each company does that at its own peril.
If Apple/ATT makes a crappy deal, then you have choice to buy elsewhere. Just like in real life, you can't really force someone to do something they don't want to do. Allowing every company to set their own rules, with-in the law, is what makes the economy work. We do have consumer protections, just not some of the ones you want.
I think if you were to propose that we should change the regulations, that would be fine. Personally, I'm not really convinced that they do it any better in Europe. I don't buy that rhetoric, but there are some changes I would support.
Best Regards,
-jon