[ExI] Under the libertarian yoke

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2008/5/11 Samantha Atkins <sjatkins at mac.com>:

> How would this cartel of companies manage to keep all would be
> competitors from underselling them if they had no state power
> (legalized force) backing them up?  If they are truly charging more
> than costs plus reasonable profit (as defined by what any other
> producer would require) then they would open themselves to competitive
> pressure to change their position.

For a start, they might have most of the oil, or whatever it is.
Rival, smaller companies could be either offered a place in the cartel
or have their operations sabotaged. The illicit drug trade is a good
example of how all this might work. And despite the discussions about
Kritarchy, I still don't see how a legal system with power of
enforcement could be maintained without the risk of creating
anti-libertarian laws. You would have to rely on everyone doing the
right thing, which would obviate the need for a legal system in the
first place.



-- 
Stathis Papaioannou