From: Jeffrey Behrendt (jabehrendt@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Jul 31 2001 - 17:55:01 MDT
Mike Lorrey wrote:
>Jeffrey Behrendt wrote:
> >
> > Mike Lorrey wrote:
> > >Libertarian governments would do the same, focusing on the payment of
> > >externalities. For example, gas taxes should pay for the externalities
> > >of the costs of oil and gas spills as well as pollution and the cost of
> > >maintaining the roads and waterways upon which that gas is expended. A
> > >libertarian government would actually use the money for the intended
> > >purpose rather than to fund a welfare state.
> >
> > What incentive would a libertarian have to use the tax money it collects
>to
> > pay for externatlities? Would it not be more rational for the
>government to
> > put the money into some welfare program that would win it votes in the
>next
> > election?
>
>If it did so, it wouldn't be libertarian, now, would it?
Well obviously! Maybe my point was not clear. My point is that you are
expecting the libertarian government NOT to act rationally in its own
self-interest. This contradicts what libertarians want -- they want people
to act rationally in their own self-interest. Why would you expect a
libertarian government to act altruistically, when you would not expect a
business to act altruistically?
Jeffrey Behrendt
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