Does deregulation ever work?

Savings Loans were deregulated in the 1980's and many went under costing taxpayers over $100 billion.

Airlines were deregulated which lead to airlines flying fewer routes, congested airports, most flights are late, and most of the major airlines...

near bankruptcy.

Our current mortgage industry problems were also fueled by deregulation.

Deregulating the media has allowed a smaller number of corporate entities to buy up our newspapers, and radio/tv stations so we have access to narrower and fewer viewpoints than we used to.

Deregulating energy allowed Enron to manipulate the supply of electricity in California and Texas leading to brownouts, higher prices and increased profits. Isn't the free market supposed to lead to lower prices? Where I live I used to be able to buy my electricity from one country; now there are a bunch of companies selling the same electricity and while they all promise the best deal changing companies never results in a smaller electricity bill.

I still hear people saying we should deregulate this or that. Is there any example of where deregulation actually worked to the benefit of consumers rather than to the benefit of corporations?

From what I've seen, no. It's simple really: capitalism means that people are trying to make the largest profit possible. The public mantra of it's better for consumers sure, is true only if there are low barriers to entry OR a technology change happens that forces companies to adapt actually treat customers better in order to survive.

My long distance bill has shrunk, it's not from deregulation, though it's b/c of competition from email, VOIP, and other technology alternatives. So they have to sell you cheaper minutes to get you to continue paying the prices. However the deregulation of the ATT monopoly didn't get consumers anything, specifically, while the government spent tons of money to accomplish the goal of breaking up the monopoly AND things like the MCI meltdown resulted following the break up, which simply wouldn't have been possible had the company stayed one larger regulated monopoly.

So, I'd agree - and I think the capitalism fallacy that's toted as this is the best way to do stuff only benefits the uber rich, aristocracy in the US (eg, those with generational wealth that will do anything to keep rules in place which ensure their family's continued dominance).

I cannot think of one industry that has ever gotten better through deregulation. And when I say better, I mean for the consumer. Deregualtion always benefits industry while screwing the people. But the right-wing spin machine always tries to portray government as inept and unable to do anything effieciently. And that once you relieve the burden of regulation, it will magically make everything better for everyone. Look what has happened to oil prices mostly due to loosening of regulations for speculators. Government is only inneficient when it is run by conservatives, who, I think, purposely govern badly so they can point at governemnt and say, see, I told you so.

Adding a profit motive does not automatically make things more efficient. Ususally it only makes things more expensive. But they use fear of... Socialism. Ohhh, not that!!! As if strictly regulating key industries is going to lead to the downfall of the American way of life.

What a bunch of nonsense, but some people are completely clueless.

The only industsy that I see that needs deregulation is education. In the last 15 years primary education I nthe uS has become more and more regulated. This forces teachers to teach for tests instead of teaching a more well rounded course. If you look at college entrance exam (still complelty unregulated in private universities), there has been a significant negative impact in recent years.

Deregulation of any industry must be done with the greatest of care. Such as with health care, we all the what capitalism has done with the cost of health care, but in turn we do have a regulated health care system, socialist health care - it's called the VA and just the horror stories coming from military personel that wait 6 month for a follow up on a gun shot wound to the head is a sign that deregulated health care is (currenlty and sadly) the better choice.