@Theriac @mrundkvist Its not so simple. See this graph of UK rail use: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_of_the_privatisation_of_British_Rail#/media/File:GBR_rail_passengers_by_year_since_1830.png British Rail thought its job was "managed decline". Private operators thought otherwise. And compare UK private rail with German nationalised rail: https://zbir.deutschebahn.com/2024/en/interim-group-management-report-unaudited/product-quality-and-digitalization/punctuality/

Telephones run by the GPO were a national joke. You had to wait months to get your phone connected. Connecting any 3rd party equipment was illegal. Today I have multiple companies competing to lay gigabit fibre to my door.

@Theriac @mrundkvist OTOH if it's publicly owned then there is no regulator, just a government department marking its own homework and probably declaring its failings a state secret.

You can't win.

@Edwin085 A slightly shabby empty corridor leading round a curve past a large doorway. On the left of the corridor is a wallmounted barrier extending over about a third of the width. On this barrier are the words "DO NOT".

@simon_brooke I see 2 problems here.

The 1st is collective action: a single capitalist who takes this view will see his workers spend most of the extra money on stuff from other capitalists.

The second is that capitalists believe their own propaganda about GDP growth being driven by profit rather than prosperity, so most oppose measures such as minimum wage that might solve Problem 1.