There is competition in many cities as there are many different taxi companies. If you don't think so, you are free to start your own taxi company and prove your point.

The fact is that in many kinds of markets there really is a role for government to play so that costs and consequences of business practices don't get passed off onto the public. This is one of those situations, where regulations and requiring ALL businesses to play by the same set of rules makes sense. Anarchy for the benefit of a few, isn't really a compelling argument.

"Are the number of doctors limited in a city?"

Have you ever priced the cost of getting a medical degree or looked a the percentage of applicants accepted into medical schools? We are talking about the need for licensing. Once licensed, the number of drivers is a separate issue that should be determined by supply and demand.

Those "scare tactics" happen to merely be pointing out that bad things DO HAPPEN when drivers are unlicensed. Call them scare tactics and sloppy thinking if you like, but it doesn't alter the fact that there have now been many crimes perpetrated by unregulated Uber drivers and many accidents. The public has a right to protect itself from those you use sophism to evade reasonable legal requirements for doing business. In my opinion, failing to consider the consequences of anarchy, is sloppy thinking.

It will be interesting to see how the US government responds to a South Korean request for extradition of Uber corporate officers for conspiracy to break the law.

So your argument is that because insisting on doctors getting a license it creates an artificial scarcity. Well in fact it does, for very good reason. Now it just so happens that a bad driver can just as easily kill his passenger as a bad doctor, so there are very good reasons for public safety to insure that certain licensing requirements for operating such a business are in place.

So yes, it does cause a certain measure of scarcity, but there are very good reasons to believe that the trade off is worth the cost. Like virtually, everything in life, there are tradeoffs.

You also point out the weakness of your own argument by saying "we would end up back with some sort of relatively stable model", Precisely, because allowing unlicensed free-lancers in a a business that actually has significant liability and safety costs, that shifts that burden on to everyone else. This is precisely how and why we got regulated taxi services in the first place. Thousands of lives were destroyed before it happened, so necessary regulation its not a trivial matter. Societies that permit some not to play by the rules that others must follow ultimate bear the costs of broken and abused rules. Now you may not see a problem with your wife being raped by a unlicensed driver with criminal intent, or being robbed when all you wanted was to get from point A to point B, or spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair because of an accident the driver had no insurance for, and you are content to just "take your chances". However, the rest of the public doesn't need to be compelled or forced to subsidize your good luck (so far).

Exactly. Who needs a licensed brain surgeon anyway?

Looks like an exciting business opportunity awaits in Uber-Medicine.

Its pretty clear that New York and other cities just need to simply pass a law making it a crime to drive for Uber without a taxi license, proof of fitness to drive, and proof of liability insurance and give out rewards to anyone turning in an unregistered, unfit or uninsured driver. Everyone will then get free rides from Uber and the city's transportation costs will be solved.

With 11 million potentially deportable and $28,000/arrest, that would come to $308 billion. Perhaps the modern GOP will now legalize marijuana so they can sell the supposed $66,000/hr they earned through seizures. The problem with the latter figure is that its not clear if the drones had anything to do with these particular siezures, nor does it say exactly how the the government will recoup the value of the seizures if they don't sell it themselves. Then again, its a great reason to invest in Boeing stock.

So obviously the all those solar arrays that power much of the economies of Germany and Denmark, not exactly known for their sunny climes, must work by magic.

If that were true, how do you account for countries like Germany and Denmark getting nearly 100% of their power during summer months from solar and still not managing to be among the world's strongest economies relative to their population size.

Think of it as the price per electron, since without electrons moving from one place to another there is no electricity.

The more you use, the more you pay. Rates should be set by law on a per electron basis, with those receiving paying those who are producing. There is no reason to permit some users to forced to pay more per electron than others. Why should users be forced to pay to make some other user's per electron cost cheaper at their expense, simply because some producers can provide fatter campaign contributions than others?

"It makes sense that in case of solar, you pay transport cost both ways."

Why does this makes sense? If the role of the consumer/producer is reversed, then so should be the charges. After Citizen-United, corporations are people, so the reverse must also apply. Why should I as a corporation have any less rights than another corporation? Why should industry sponsored politicians make it illegal for me to benefit from my energy production and at the same time make it a requirement that I should doubly subsidize another corporation for theirs?

"They pay for maintenance on the lines, which is where the cost of delivery comes from."

No, actually their customers pay for that, they just act as a middle man for a profit. The real question, with regard to public utilities is what is a reasonable fee and who should be allowed to set it.

" Hydro makes everything easier. "

Not for fish and other aquatic organisms.

"You know, we would have a healthier society, if I actually did have veto power over what my money got used for."

Sounds like a candidate for elective office. Now all you have to do is be convincing.

No they should leave that to the Chinese, so that all future technological developments and economic progress take place overseas. We need to use our government to protect corporate monopolies and the 1%. The last thing we need to do is invest in the future.