Comment by Nevermark
2 days ago
You are confusing several things.
First, train cars are not a precious limited resource. Someone having a car creates no impediments to anyone else.
Second, nothing is being taken from a public sphere - these are one off historically interesting cars being maintained by private individuals at no cost to the public, instead of being scrapped by private companies.
So in fact, something that would be wasted is continuing to get use.
Third, many of these cars are being made available for use to anyone, not just their owners, to help cover their costs. More options for everyone is in fact, a real public good.
The world is full of injustice but it’s worth not confusing someone having something others don’t with someone using wealth to suppress or harm others.
There is nothing here to “fix”. No imbalance or obvious benefit here to justify repressing others. Overreactions to injustice are, unfortunately, a common source of injustices themselves.
I share your concerns for others, and also feel deep frustration with the status quo of increasingly unaccountable wealth-driven compounding of economic, political, social, health, educational and legal inequality.
I’m not confusing anything, I just disagree with you.
It’s not an economic argument, it’s an ideological one. Public goods should serve the public. No amount of money can change that.
> It’s not an economic argument, it’s an ideological one.
I see. Other's shouldn't make economic choices based on economically created benefit or harm, but to submit to your ideology.
Yet, these were never public goods. And they are more available to the public now.
Reality doesn't conform to ideology. The latter only helps when it contributes to understanding, instead of limiting it.
The fish is blind to the ocean. All of your arguments are soaked in the ideology of economic primacy. From where I stand, it seems like you’re the one that refuses to understand the argument that doesn’t agree with your ideology.
And to be clear, I couldn’t care less if you own a rail car, but you shouldn’t get to use public infrastructure to operate it.
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