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Libertarians...
Oct. 6th, 2003 10:11 amI'll admit that there is something terribly seductive about the libertarian ideal of minimal interferance in your life. I'm certainly socially libertarian - I reject the idea that government should actually do much or interfer much in my lifestyle.
However, I get quite shocked reading some of the hardline Libertarian ideas put forth in places like Samizdata.
There is a debate going on their about education. The Libertarians here would like to remove all formal education because... wait for it... the market would provide better education because people understand the marginal utility of education better than the state?!?
Right... because kids are rational enough to know that their economic future is dependant on school?
Most of the economic arguments presented start with either "The market works" or "I have something, you have something, we trade."
What if we don't want to trade, or, heaven help us, the market works as well for this as it has done in the provision of old age pensions, healthcare and pollution control...
These are, it should be noted, the same people who will often propose that there should be no formal airline certification because the market will select the safest airlines better than regulation.
I think I need to go and lie down now.
However, I get quite shocked reading some of the hardline Libertarian ideas put forth in places like Samizdata.
There is a debate going on their about education. The Libertarians here would like to remove all formal education because... wait for it... the market would provide better education because people understand the marginal utility of education better than the state?!?
Right... because kids are rational enough to know that their economic future is dependant on school?
Most of the economic arguments presented start with either "The market works" or "I have something, you have something, we trade."
What if we don't want to trade, or, heaven help us, the market works as well for this as it has done in the provision of old age pensions, healthcare and pollution control...
These are, it should be noted, the same people who will often propose that there should be no formal airline certification because the market will select the safest airlines better than regulation.
I think I need to go and lie down now.
