US Government sells the federal helium reserve

[rfwoodvt]

The private sector is not always the most efficient manager.

Go read Adam Smith. The "invisible hand" only works where you can have true competition. It does not apply to monopolies. Nor does it work well when for public goods that can't be directly measured in dollars such as ensuring a stable supply of helium to support research and medical needs.

Of course all those things that prevent true competition are mostly possible only through government involvement/meddling/interference.

 

[rmssetc]

IKR? Just sell it off to the highest bidder and then complain that all your medical and technology grade helium is somehow, by some magical unknown mysterious force of economics, in China.

Nah, the helium won't get to China by way of some magical unknown mysterious force of economics...it'll get there via inflated "weather balloons".

 

[Still Kicking]

IKR? Just sell it off to the highest bidder and then complain that all your medical and technology grade helium is somehow, by some magical unknown mysterious force of economics, in China.

Reminds me (in reverse) of the old joke: How did our oil get under their sand?

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I say we pump it into the US Senate and House of Representatives whilst in session so all of our politicians can sound like circus idiots...

Oh, wait... nevermind.

 

[MidOH]

I’m no economist but why would (temporarily) increasing the supply also increase costs?

Why would this be the current POTUS’s fault when the process was begun under a split congress 11 years ago?

Is it available to us?

 

[bdog94tiger01]

If there is no Helium at all (for private use), a CCR is useless.

Would probably accelerate research into hydrogen as a diluent...