Nationalisation: TOC's or silicon valley firms?

[squizzler]

This question is prompted by current concern over the degree to which Silicon Valley (California USA) based firms are being allowed to dominate social and economic sphere of UK society. Many argue convincingly that this is only because the implicit subsidy of not paying their fair share to tax of course, but maybe instead of asking for fair tax, why not just nationalise the ones that are perceived as indispensable UK society.

So, if you had to nationalise key industries, would you choose the railways or would you nationalise the UK operations of Silicon valley IT firms? You would only nationalise the stuff that happens in these shores of course, same as if you nationalised Northern Trains you would not take over all of Deutsche Bahn. I presume that in Silicon Valley terms this means any UK operations, assets and all data pertaining to UK citizens.

The TOC's would be expensive to nationalise, but so too would silicon valley firms. Arguably the latter would not be as expensive as people might think, because they pay so little tax. Tax is a reflection of the profit declared by the business, and the compensation for nationalisation will be based on the profit of the business, so these firms have reduced their taxable income will also have reduced the compensation for taking over their operations, no? I am certainly fascinated to know how nationalisation of these two sectors compares. I am sure neither would go down without a fight: whilst the rapaciousness of silicon valley venture capital is all the rage nowadays, logistics sector is a hard man's game and I'm sure the rail operators would be equally savvy in pushing back against nationalisation.

 

[Esker-pades]

The capitalist market works well for technology. It feally doesn't for the railway.

I would nationalise the railway and regulate (to an extent) the freedoms of the technology firms.

 

[squizzler]

The capitalist market works well for technology. It feally doesn't for the railway.

Leaving aside the railways ARE technology and a darn sight more technologies go into railways (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, metallurgical technology, thermodynamic engineering, etc) than go into a silicon valley outfit. And on top of that the railways also had to master information technology which is the core theme of silicon valley. Leaving that aside for a moment, on what basis do you feel that the capitalist market is working better for silicon valley style IT than it is for railways?

Silicon valley IT firms use public funded research (the DARPA funded internet, the CERN funded World Wide Web, not to mention decades of defence funded computer development back to the days of Alan Turing) and use it to extract our wealth. At least the Victorian railway network was built by private capital.

I would nationalise the railway and regulate (to an extent) the freedoms of the technology firms.

Again, why? In terms of current performance, I am confident my person (or goods) are safer on a railway train than my personal data is with any of the silicon valley businesses.

 

[Esker-pades]

Leaving aside the railways ARE technology and a darn sight more technologies go into railways (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, metallurgical technology, thermodynamic engineering, etc) than go into a silicon valley outfit. And on top of that the railways also had to master information technology which is the core theme of silicon valley. Leaving that aside for a moment, on what basis do you feel that the capitalist market is working better for silicon valley style IT than it is for railways?

Leaving that aside...

Silicon valley IT firms use public funded research (the DARPA funded internet, the CERN funded World Wide Web, not to mention decades of defence funded computer development back to the days of Alan Turing) and use it to extract our wealth. At least the Victorian railway network was built by private capital.

A: It is our choice to use services
B: There can be choice on services that do basically the same thing, something which doesn't really exist on the railways (certainly not properly)

Again, why? In terms of current performance, I am confident my person (or goods) are safer on a railway train than my personal data is with any of the silicon valley businesses.

You seem to have entirely ignored my bit about government regulation.

 

[dcbwhaley]

Any attempt to nationalise thye UK end high tech firms would simply lead to them relocating elsewhere, probably RoI. Their assets , which are largely personnel, are far more mobile than the Ralilway's.

 

[Pigeon]

Again, why? In terms of current performance, I am confident my person (or goods) are safer on a railway train than my personal data is with any of the silicon valley businesses.

And even more intrusive and comprehensive collection of your personal data by the government...? Especially given the attitude of the current PM.