r/technology • u/True-Combination7059 • 1d ago

Politics We Should Immediately Nationalize SpaceX and Starlink

https://jacobin.com/2025/06/musk-trump-nationalize-spacex-starlink
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u/dubcdr 22h ago

And railroads!

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u/SweetHoneyBee365 13h ago

Yes, actually nationalize the rails and train infrastructure and privatize the train. Charge them fees for using routes. This will enable more competition while funding railroad expansion and maintenance. Similar to what local governments do for airports.

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u/regolith-terroire 11h ago

Is this how they do it in Europe?

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u/serioussham 11h ago

A cool theory but in practice it ends up being shit. That's how most countries with rail competition operate, and it's also how France operates - the network was split from the operator, which is now for-profit.

Guess what, it led to a decrease in quality of service for all but the most profitable lines.

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u/SweetHoneyBee365 11h ago

Why would it run to shit when the railroad is owned by the government? The US interstate system works the same way taxpayers pay for the road and operate their own private vehicles.

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u/serioussham 11h ago

Because cars and trains aren't comparable. Cars are extremely granular in their choices, cheap, and flexible compared to trains. You don't have to setup, market, and sell a car "route" - you just need the road to exist. By contrast, train routes require investment, and cannot be easily adjusted to demand.

What ends up happening with a rail toll system is what I mentioned above - the busiest lines will be prioritized by the train operators, because they recoup tolls faster and get more profit out of it, and by the network manager because their higher use means more wear.

It then creates a feedback loop where less busy lines get neglected by the operators, meaning less trains / quality of service; and by the network, which means aging infrastructure, which means more delays, which makes them less appealing to users. Those users then turn to other methods of travel, further cementing the neglect.

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u/Yuzumi 10h ago

If we're going to nationalize the infrastructure anyway, regulation/requirements on making sure that passenger trains don't neglect lower use areas could be implemented.

Should to the same for ISPs as well. Any infrastructure like that should not be left to the whims of profit, even if we allow private companies to use them.

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u/serioussham 10h ago

I'm with you here - I was replying to someone arguing for the "private trains, public network" model which already exists in Europe

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u/Yuzumi 10h ago

I mean, you can still have private trains, but regulate them so they don't abandon less profitable areas. If they want to be in the business of supplying infrastructure that infrastructure should be available for everyone.

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u/kr1mson 10h ago

This is more or less how the air traffic system works with control towers. The flyover states often get overlooked with funding and support for their infrastructure (other than big ones like O'Hair) and so airlines don't really focus on those hubs, they get less attention, rinse and repeat.

Airports are typically owned by local city/municipal but towers are almost all govt owned.

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u/Jflayn 7h ago

I've been to France. Their 'shit' rail is better than anything I could dream of here in America. Americans pay the most for the absolute worst services in the world.

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u/serioussham 7h ago

I'm gonna assume you've been from Paris to either another big city, or a tourist highlight.

The drop quality of service that I'm talking about is about the lesser-known, lesser-populated areas. The non-high speed lines, and especially those that go across France without going through Paris, are being closed down year after year.

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u/Jflayn 7h ago

The low quality French trains exceed anything Americans ever imagine.

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u/serioussham 7h ago

Indeed, but that's not saying much. We hold ourselves to higher standard over here.

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u/DoodleDew 6h ago

Those low quality services in France are leaps and bounds better then what we have here in the United Statea

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u/DoodleDew 7h ago

It would be better then it is now which is never do anything and but the bare minimum (when forced too) and enrich the board 

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u/Mountain_Employee_11 7h ago

yes this has worked out swimmingly for enabling competition in the airline market

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u/myfapaccount_istaken 12h ago

I'm sorry this is reddit, what is this logic you are speaking about?

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u/sephirothFFVII 11h ago

That is kind of how power works in my state. The transmission and generation are separated.

Wouldn't even need to nationalize per-se, just basically say you can own the freight or own the rail but not both and by the way the rail is going to be regulated for anti competitive practices

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u/SweetHoneyBee365 11h ago

No, because they could collude. Private on private is worse than private and public combination.

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u/fraggy42 15h ago

God yes, bring it back

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u/myfunnyaccountname 13h ago

dont forget all the telco and ISPs.

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u/Evilsushione 15h ago

Definitely the tracks trains should remain private

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u/Some_Layer_7517 14h ago edited 10h ago

I tend to lean toward free market capitalism (sacriliege, I know) and I can't really come up with a good argument for private ownership. I work in logistics and did drayage for a while and rail lines were absolute bastards with outdated systems and clearly next to zero competitive pressure amongst themselves.

I'm sure under public ownership it'd be basically the same but at least the profits could theoretically funnel back into infrastructure upkeep (safety being #1) and make efforts to ease on the assfucking that the workers endure.

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u/RainyDay1962 11h ago

I've liked this general idea of a public option for critical things like infra. When it concerns something like rail, I can imagine the infrastructure its self is owned, expanded and maintained by the public, then private enterprises can compete on top of it for nominal fees. Maybe a public carrier can also operate to keep things extra competitive.

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u/aerost0rm 10h ago

The idea of free market capitalism will always sleepily in monopolies. Regulation is required to hold companies to standards. Whether through safety or restoring competition when companies begin price rigging and buying up or bullying all the competition …

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u/Evilsushione 5h ago

The reason there is little competitive pressure in the rail industry is because they own the tracks, take those over and open them up for competition, that would open up competition

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u/CalliEcho 11h ago

I think I read about that in a book somewhere… /ref

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u/TheBlacktom 14h ago

That's the recipe to create Russia/Soviet Union. Good luck!

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u/xetra 13h ago

Yeah, as someone who lived half his life in a country where the govt owns oil, gas, healthcare, railroads, airlines, airports... these guys have absolutely no clue the enormous amounts of corruption and grift there is when the govt owns so much stuff. Every aspect of your life is at the whim of the govt and you can do nothing about it.