Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site uwvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!uwvax!paul From: paul@uwvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: How to Argue with Libertarians Message-ID: <962@uwvax.ARPA> Date: Thu, 30-Jun-83 12:48:09 EDT Article-I.D.: uwvax.962 Posted: Thu Jun 30 12:48:09 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jul-83 11:14:49 EDT References: <455@grkermit.UUCP> <144@tty3b.UUCP> Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept Lines: 18 The premise of this article was that, in the past, free market enterprise went amok (robber barrons, etc.) and this led to the natural creation of gov't regulatory agencies. This was not really the case - at least it is not nearly as clear cut as the writer suggests. To a large extent gov't regulatory agencies, such as the ICC, were formed because they were *wanted* by certain big businesses (such as railroads) in order to then gain market advantages (such as state charters, exclusive monopolies, etc.). Therefore it seems like gov't itself created a huge problem. Rather than eliminate the agencies which caused the problem, though, gov't responds by giving more power to itself to solve the problems it created. The history of the rise of regulatory agencies in our market place seems to favor libertarian arguments, not disfavor them.