I sense as part of the dereg movement a belief of some kind of altruism in corporations. As you note, and as I beleive as well, that is surely not their movitivation.
So what about consumers? Their only protection in a deregulated environment would then be the relief of the courts. Courts which take years to resolve cases and then usually via settlement with no wrongdoing acknowlege. Behaviors would change as a result of financial losses incurred through the settlements paid, but those changes would be years, if not decades, in the making.
I also do not see any wrongdoing in creating an entity such as a corporation within our economy. But we shouldn't ascribe human motivations to them (such as altruism or.....free speech through campaign donations). They will always favor the bottom line.
So what about consumers? While I agree we should all be ever vigilant about the products and services we use, we depend on regulation to feel "safe" in doing so. Would that disppear in a deregulated environment?
I know you likely don't beleive in NO regulation. But the dance around how deeply those regulations go seems to be working as intended. Sometimes it swings too far and has to be reeled back.
