http://libertyunbound.com/article.php?id=449
Bridging the Two Libertarianisms
Carl S. Milsted, Jr.
What does the nonaggression principle really mean for libertarianism?
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People routinely send mail by government post, drive on government roads, rely on government food inspections, walk on government sidewalks, and enforce contracts in government courts.
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I once heard on Free Talk Live http://freetalklive.com/ one of the host expressed the paradigm: “Name one program that works? And, if we can agree it does work, how much does it cost? How much should it cost?”.
So let’s look at your examples:
- Mail: Even with funny accounting — they don’t count the cost of capital assets like real estate and equipment depreciation — the cost is absurd. And, they have to enforce the first class mail franchise with a law enforcing their monopoly. (The famous one dollar minimum for express delivery services.) It’s laughable when the USPS compares themselves to FedEx for package delivery since in some areas they subcontract to FedEx. And, let’s talk about lost mail. We have very little statistical information but that doesn’t mean they are flawless.
- Roads: In New Jersey, the roads are a disgrace. And, we had a gas tax trust fund that was raided by the goofenors of both parties to fund their pet projects. We have no way to know if there is a better way since no one is allowed to try a different way. We can look at the road in Disney World and other amusement parks that are in relatively perfect condition. Hard to imagine that a consortium of WalMart, UPS, and others couldn’t do as well. As a proxy, look at the Air Traffic Control System, that is run totally be the Federal Gooferment. Vintage 1950 computing causes massive delays. The roads are comperable. Where’s the innovation like in computers that makes roads better.
- Food Inspections: We can point to the fact that most “inspections” are either not done or don’t protect the people. A recent press story said that the gooferment accepts 10 or 20 times the level of filth in meat than McD’s does. We have no idea how much this “gooferment inspection” costs, but are people relying on that or the fact that they trust WalMart to sell them good stuff.
- Sidewalks: Sorry, but those are foisted on the property owner. Even when the gooferment destroys them, the land owner gets stuck fixing them. (I know personal experience.)
- Courts: That’s why we have Judge Judy on TV. The gooferment’s courts are backed up and capricious. And, heaven help you, if the gooferment has an interest in the suit. Sue the gooferment in it’s own court and be surprised at the result.
And on, and on, and on.
I have yet to see a gooferment program that works. Or even not working, do it at a reasonable cost.
I notice that the author didn’t cite: schools, dmv, health insurance, health care, foreign policy, DoD, and on, and on, and on.
My solution is to be pragmatic.
Let’s have an exit plan. It may take decades to “unwind” these programs, but let’s start.
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Reinke Faces Life 