Comments on: The View from the Bearded Mirror Universe

By: Political Philosophy « Indistinct Union

Political Philosophy « Indistinct Union — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:45:15 +0000

[...] a prelude, consider the following from Will Wilkinson which opened some mental doors for [...]

By: Kevin B. O'Reilly

Kevin B. O'Reilly — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:52:17 +0000

“Libertarianism in one country”? What the heck is that?

By: Micha Ghertner

Micha Ghertner — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:06:23 +0000

if the government is the primary landowner then it get the right to say what goes on and what amounts to payment.

Absolutely correct. If the government is the rightful, ultimate landowner. But it isn't. So the rest of your argument doesn't follow.

Further, without the coercive monopoly that governments enjoy, it is much more difficult to centralize power and land ownership. This is where Kevin's response enters the picture. With thousands of competing land owners as opposed to a single central monopoly, the use of Exit as a check on power is much greater than the use of Voice (i.e. elections).

By: Kevin B. O'Reilly

Kevin B. O'Reilly — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:52:17 +0000

“Libertarianism in one country”? What the heck is that?

By: mghertner

mghertner — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:06:23 +0000

By: mk

mk — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:42:00 +0000

Tom, Here's my dream for health care.

Blast from the past. I had forgotten it, but that was a truly awesome post. Deregulation, direct monetary subsidy and computer science, sounds like a good cocktail to me.

By: Will Wilkinson

Will Wilkinson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:11:18 +0000

Tom, Here's my dream for health care.

By: Tom Jackson

Tom Jackson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:56:54 +0000

Oops, I meant to say “What would health care look like?” and “It seems to me” …. I wish comments could be edited after posting. Sorry.

By: Tom Jackson

Tom Jackson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:54:52 +0000

I take Kevin's point that ideally all welfare should come from voluntary contributions, but it also seems to be that in the meantime we'd be better off with a negative income tax and Earned Income Tax Credit if in return all of the other programs of the welfare state were abolished, i.e. Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, food stamps, industrial plants required to say “Mother, may I?” before they shut down, etc. etc.

Will, are you going to write a liberaltarian book to flesh out your vision? Where would health care look like under a liberaltarian regime?

By: Gil

Gil — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:18:51 +0000

Hey M. Huben! Like your site.