I heard Rachel Maddow ask this question at the end of her show on Monday – as i recall – and thought about it.
So I – being quite busy otherwise – and not being a fabulous writer, yet – made an attempt to answer that question.
comments welcome.

Maybe this story about the repubes and their red balloon will explain..

One fine warm sunny day Anne and her friends decided to go ballooning.
Off they went then to the “ballooning park”.
When they arrived, many many other people were there as well.
The balloons were there floating up almost within reach but also well tethered well
to the ground.
Everybody seemed to be really enjoying themselves except the crowd by the red balloon.
Over there, you could see lots of commotion and hear lots yelling and it looked pandamonius.
Except for the few balloons already aloft, all the other parties were preparing themselves
to embark in a casual and orderly fashion – except for the people at the red balloon.

Anne and her friends were milling about looking at the different balloons and suddenly,
“Hi. I’m Mr Blue. I can answer your questions about ballooning when you’re ready”.
Anne immediately stopped gazing about and quickly turned her attention to him, “Thank
You. I do have questions.”
“OK” replied Mr Blue, “and here is an instruction book to go along in case there
is something you didnt ask and need to know”
Anne accepted the book, “Thank you. I will probably have several questions if it
isn’t too much trouble”.
“No trouble at’all – ask away.” Anne briefed the book and began asking.

Meanwhile there were inflating machines everywhere filling the balloons in preparation
for many launches.
Anne and friends milled about and also asked Mr. Blue about rising aloft and how
to get back to which Mr. Blue responded – “Well, don’t follow the example of those
at the red balloon.

They refused the instruction book and said that they intended
to rise to a much higher authority who would guide them when called on.”

Anne and friends found a balloon they liked, “We’ll take this one if its available”.
Mr Blue said “You got it. And to be sure that if something goes wrong, here is my
cell# that you can call from the air to me on the ground. In case – just in case.”

Mr Blue smiled. “You are going to enjoy your trip up, about and back. And safely.
Having read the rules and following the rules we established over the years – and
asking good questions particular to your expedition here. You will make the right
decisions”.

Meanwhile back over at the red balloon, people were sounding a bit frustrated and
in a big hurry.
They even hooked up a second inflator to fill it quicker.
A lot of people are piling into it as it starts rising – all scrambling to get in,
even hanging on the sides.

Nodding to the stormy crowd at the red balloon, Mr Blue said, “Those people arent
going to be properly seated when that thing lifts off.
I dont think things will go well for them after they get up there.”

People over at the red balloon were still jamming themselselves to get on while the
balloon was looking to overinflate. You could here them yelling – “Hey! I paid more
than him. He has to go!”

Anne gazed back at the red balloon… “Are they actually going to get off in that
overcrowded fiasco?”

Shaking his head, looking amazed, Mr Blue said.. “The tall guy there barking all
the orders had a wod of money in his hand like he sold them all tickets. I think
he’s really going to take them for a ride – if you know what I mean.”

That tall person at the red balloon – you could hear them shouting “HEY WILLARD!”
And then Willard blared out- “Bring that inflator with us! We’ll need it!”

In a louder voice from the same raucus crown and over the clamors of hollering and
shoving “it takes up a lot of room for passengers”.
Willard yelled back “We need that inflator. Throw those people off!”
The voice returned “But they already bought tickets.”

Like a captain in a seastorm, Willard hollered “First get those others outta here!
After that.. You’re fired!”

The red balloon was filling so fast that it was stretching, rising quickly, people
scrambling and hanging all over the place.
There were people in head first – their legs draped over the side – lots of yelling.
Rising quickly, the tethers snapped and the ropes recoiled into snakelike shapes
with snaps like sharp wips.

Anne shook her head. “They look to be in an awful hurry to get off the groud.”
Mr Blue astonished.. “Those tethers were forced out, prematurely. The lack of rules
and order pervented those people from getting in broken tethers prevented them from
getting things in order before they lifted off. i will be surprised if they make
it back alive.”

The people in the red balloon were desparate for the ride, there were even people
hanging on to people, now dangling in the air holding arms and legs. You could hear
Willard yelling – “Make room for that inflator!! Throw those people out! Cut those
people loose!!”
Then another voice yelling.. “We need more hot air!! Keep blowing. Keep blowing.
More more!”

Anne and her friends watched. “Reminds me of hail bob.. How is that allowed here?”
Mr Blue said “Well, that red balloon is a privatized balloon. All the other balloons
here are public. We have rules- they dont. I would guess their idea and rationale
of free enterprise is ‘if only a few people get hurt or killed then its better than
more people getting hurt or killed.’ And sadly, dismissing the past lessons learned,
they’re probably ok with the tragic results.”

Just at that moment – as the red balloon was zooming up into the air at a high rate
of speed, you could see a few people drop of as they hurled toward the ground yelling
as they fell. And in the background high up but audible,

Willards voice hollering
to the people on the way down “NO REFUNDS!!”

Mr. Blue said “Well Anne, can you imagine that guy in charge of anything else? Like
a country? What he might do with say a national railroad or other public benefit
or property? We put rules in place because there will be those born or new to this
who havent suffered the pain of the mistakes of others and shouldnt need to. It’s
all here in the rulebook.”
===END===

At some point later, we will portray
captive audience.
pricing theory.
competitive paranoia.
profit traps.
being born into a a world owned by a few
capitalism… communism’s twin brother.
sharing vs pecking order
profiteering… modern day piracy
the “republican opportunity” scam
bashing government to steal public ownership
when competition goes out of control
hording vs cash flow