Its funny that people lament the excesses of competition and long for a world of co-operation. Yet when businesses collude they think its a dirty word.

I think we should abolish the ACCC. I think collusion is fine whether done by businesses or workers. The only time it bothers me is when the cartel is instituted by laws that ensure that it is perpetuated and where players are "forced" to join the game.

Freedom of association should mean freedom to work together or not.

Let individual liberty guide our policy making and we will all be richer for it. And not just materially

Terje do you not understand the difference between co-operate and collude?

Yes. Collusion is a form of co-operation that crosses corporate boundaries and has been criminalised by various laws.

So if BigSuperMart owns 20 stores across town then it can legally co-ordinate the marketing, price setting and behaviour of those stores.

However 20 independent stores can not work together to do the same because its called collusion.

So criminalising collusion is a way in which we can entrench the market power of larger players and encourage mergers between smaller players

Remedial English for you Terje

Collude: To act together secretly to achieve a fraudulent, illegal, or deceitful purpose; conspire.

Cooperate: 1. To work or act together toward a common end or purpose.
2. To acquiesce willingly; be compliant: asked the child to cooperate and go to bed.
3. To form an association for common, usually economic, benefit: When buyers cooperate, they can make large wholesale purchases at a discount.

Terje - knowledge of English D minus
- credibility zero.