In Which I think about Economics

Political thought for the day: for some US citizens, much as they worship the ideal of a free market and think socialism is this terrible thing, the majority of people in the US have never, and will never, experience a true free market.   We do not have usual places we can just go and sell anything*, and buy anything, with haggling a necessary skill for the transaction.  For all that 'the market' is an entity that will fix prices, we as free marketeers do not usually even think to make the price something that everyone at least compromises on.  When prices are written on things, we tend to either buy something or not on the basis of that price.  This rather interesting essay in light of the recent fights over internet freedoms does illustrate that customers interactions with movie studios may be many things, but negotiable isn't one of them.  It's an all or nothing deal, and consumer unhappiness has thus far not resulted in mystical invisible hands being waved to produce cheaper movie tickets or fewer DRMS.   Rather, in free market America, movie studios look to the government to enforce their monopoly on movies. In Tanzania, however, which has dabbled in the terrible terrible socialism which will destroy American values and healthcare or something, there are shops and restaurants in which the price might be whatever it is when I get tired of arguing about it, or might just get suddenly reduced because I am friends with the seller, or something.

Not, of course, that there aren't a ton of other cultural factors influencing how economic transactions work, but it's still interesting to think about.

*except for maybe flea markets?  I don't really know.  Ebay comes close, but buyers negotiate more with each other than the seller.