Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site oliven.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!oliveb!oliven!danw From: danw@oliven.UUCP (danw) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: robber barons Message-ID: <737@oliven.UUCP> Date: Mon, 3-Dec-84 18:21:09 EST Article-I.D.: oliven.737 Posted: Mon Dec 3 18:21:09 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 5-Dec-84 00:49:07 EST Organization: National Cobalt Testing Range Lines: 26 [] >Exactly. "private security firms are answerable to their customers". >It seems to me that both Libertarians and their opponents forget some >basic facts of history. In the 19th century the "robber barons" controlling >the oil, mining and other industries had their own private security firms-- >they served their customers very well and massacred hundreds of union >members who were fighting for such radical ideas as: A brief view of the history books of the period will also give, numerous accounts of the national guard, federal troops ,local constabulary etc. being called out to massacre union members. This was NOT a period of history that could be described as Libertarian , OR lassez-faire capitalist. The Republican party evolved into its present form during this era - selling favors to Big Business. The abuses so ablely described above were , as always, the result of the corruption of the governmental process. Only governments can perpetuate monopolies by 'robber barons' on anyone else. To try to lay the failures of that era at the feet of the Libertarians, is intellectual dishonesty of the highest order. danw