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From: deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: American movies abroad [was Re: International Language.
Message-ID: <1995Jan16.150636.22440@midway.uchicago.edu>
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Reply-To: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago
References: <D2D07J.4sD@spss.com> <1995Jan14.183417.5937@midway.uchicago.edu> <D2H8s8.4En6@austin.ibm.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 15:06:36 GMT
Lines: 39

In article <D2H8s8.4En6@austin.ibm.com> olivier@glasnost.austin.ibm.com writes:
>
>In article <1995Jan14.183417.5937@midway.uchicago.edu>, deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff) writes:
>> 
>> Efficient use of resources.  Why isn't the money being spent on bolstering
>> other industries in which France can better compete instead of being
>> wasted on protectionism, which any economist will tell you backfires in
>> the long run?
>
>It's not a matter of protectionism, it's a matter of anti-trust regulation.
>Even the American independant film industry is suffering.

The American film industry is just coming out of its most successful
decade ever.  If it is "suffering," then it's only by contrast.

What I can't fathom is where y'all're going to find the evil
monopoly to use your anti-trust legislation on.  "Hollywood," producer
of "American movies" is being kicked around as if it were a unified entity.
Needless to say, it's not; furthermore, not all of the major studios
are even owened by Americans.  Columbia, I believe, is still property
of Sony.
>
>Unfortunately there is no such concept as a supranational anti-trust law
>and quota is just an idea to implement it.

I'd say that's a good thing, considering what is being proposed is a
nation-specific rather than a company-specific anti-trust law.  The
former doesn't exist, as well it shouldn't.

>And cartels (witness the supranational concentration in all major industries)
>is a concept, which any economist will tell you backfires in the long run.

If cartels act with the same amount of hubris as national governments,
the free market determines their demise.  The "backfiring" is on
them, not the public.
-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
