[ExI] Under the libertarian yoke was Re: Next Decade May See NoWarming

[Lee Corbin]

Stathis writes


> 2008/5/5 Emlyn <emlynoregan at gmail.com>:
> 
>>  Interestingly, the major commercial players in markets sometimes
>>  behave in the "superrational" manner, working towards and welcome
>>  regulation - ie: externally imposed restrictions.

You may call it "superrationality" but I call it an unwillingness
to face the free market. The major commercial players, 
instead of having to lower prices to beat out the competition,
seek out and get government "regulation" instead. And guess
who become the actual human regulators?  None other than
the most "knowledgeable" people around, namely, those in
the very industry!

(This is so typical of what happens when government gets
involved. "Corruption" is not too harsh a word, here.)

> > The great example of  this must be supporting the state's
> > monopoly on force.

Well, maybe. But still, this latter is an unfortunate exception
that simply so far has been necessary for progress and
civilization.

Stathis replies

> Yes, in conflict with ideological purity. If there's one thing to be
> learned from the history of political movements it's that ideological
> purity should not be allowed to get in the way of doing the right
> thing.

One certainly has to agree with Stathis here!  Sticking consistently
to an ideology is one thing, but when the direct results are 
extreme and statistically meaningful horror, then your ideology has
to take a back seat. While surely we all agree with that, we'll
continue to disagree about when the thresholds for "extreme"
and "statistically significant" have been crossed.

Lee