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Split Thread Libertarianism

Cain said:
War between competing defense agencies costs a lot of gp (and lives -- another way of saying gp), so rationally self-interested corporations have an incentive against fighting. It's the free-market at work.
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So the real question is -- once rationally self-interested corporations work together to gain an advantage in the market, is it still a free-market?
 
rocketdodger said:
So the real question is -- once rationally self-interested corporations work together to gain an advantage in the market, is it still a free-market?
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Yes, absolutely.
The spelling just change to monopoly.

Unfortunately those evil governments tend to interfere with the free marked/monopolies with something called anti-trust laws.
 
gp = gold pieces :-) Although, in an anarchistic world you could have some trusted institution, such as a bank (hold your laughter), print money.

Rocket-dodger:
So the real question is -- once rationally self-interested corporations work together to gain an advantage in the market, is it still a free-market?
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When corporations cooperate rather than compete you get a cartel, but cartels should be allowed to form as freedom of association. Hah! I'd like to see them try it because another corporation will swoop right in, charge lower rates, and take away their business.

Robert Nozick took anarchism seriously in Anarchy, State, and Utopia, but argued a minimal state could arise through non-coercive means and stick around as a natural monopoly (anarchist Rothbard mocked this as the "immaculate conception of the state"). Libertarians must always contend with the problem that there are some people who say they will provide their own security and therefore do not even want to pay taxes to the minimal state. Jonathan Wolff has an excellent book (link below) criticizing Nozick and libertarianism using the example of John Wayne types.

http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Nozick...8563/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1248369210&sr=8-1

Did this thread shoot off of one about taxes? A quick point on taxes and those minarchists (such as Ayn Rand) who want "voluntary taxes"/donations or lotteries. Taxes are a good thing. You want the state dependent on the broadest possible swath of the citizenry so that it remains responsive and accountable to the citizenry. If it relied on donations or natural resources (e.g. Saudi Arabia), then it invites corruption and autocracy.

There are reasons why in the most recent issue of of Foreign Policy oil-rich-tax-grabbing Norway ranks as the most stable state in the world and free-market Somolia is the most failed state. Which country (or "country") do people on the Von Mises site and Reason Magazine criticize and which one do they praise? Libertarians are historically illiterate, economically indoctrinated and politically naive... which would all be OK if so many of them weren't morally loathsome.
 
When corporations cooperate rather than compete you get a cartel, but cartels should be allowed to form as freedom of association. Hah! I'd like to see them try it because another corporation will swoop right in, charge lower rates, and take away their business join the cartel and the associated larger profit margin.
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Fixed.
 
Cain said:
When corporations cooperate rather than compete you get a cartel, but cartels should be allowed to form as freedom of association. Hah! I'd like to see them try it because another corporation will swoop right in, charge lower rates, and take away their business.
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Because that’s how the Tucker Torpedo became the most popular car in the world…
 
FlamingMoe said:
Finally, we see the true opposition to libertarianism come out: take the most crazed position you can find, and label it "true Libertarianism."
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Yeah, like I had to hunt really hard for that particular crazed position. In a political position that is essentially a writhing, twisting mass of really stupid statements you have successfully managed to identify ... a stupid statement.

Tell you what. I'll be happy to provide a criticism for a rational Libertarian position, as soon as you can show me one. Just put it in line behind the unicorn.
 
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ponderingturtle said:
psst.

I don't think he was being serious...
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Yeah, I know. But the TT always struck me as a notable failure of the free-market fairies. Nice car, brilliant innovations, but basically run out of business by the behind the scenes actions of the big three before the bugs could be worked out.
 
Cain said:
When corporations cooperate rather than compete you get a cartel, but cartels should be allowed to form as freedom of association. Hah! I'd like to see them try it because another corporation will swoop right in, charge lower rates, and take away their business.
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Dude, I think you need to broaden your economic education.

Please, go and look up the following terms and what they mean:

entry barrier
predatory pricing
limit pricing
implications for game theory for cartels
 
I have moved some posts to AAH for bickering. Please don't continue it here.
Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: Professor Yaffle
 
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