On Wed, 6 Oct 1999 12:26:48 EDT Paten241 at aol.com writes:
>In a message dated 10/5/99 11:06:50 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
>kayak3 at bouldernews.infi.net writes:
>
><< as anyone on the list debated libertarians? >>
>
> I have had it out with L's once in a formal debate and often on the
>net.
>The first problem I have is I consider Libertarianism not so much a
>political
>theory as a mental health problem. Having said that they are quite
>vulnerable, in my experience, in asserting *a free markets* ability to
>inform
>social policy. The examples of failure are so ubiquitous you can tie
>them in
>knots for hours
> They also seem quite perplexed regarding concepts of (personal)
>freedom
>when asked to consider Necessity.
> It seems it might be timely, in light of recent news stories, to ask
>the
>L's about the Markets inability to provide healthcare. The market
>can't
>manage to provide either quality or access.
Their stock reply to this argument would be that the markets can't deliver because of all the government interference in them through such means as Medicare, Medicaid, government regulation of health care, tax incentives for HMOs etc. A libertarian would argue that it is government intereference that has blocked the markets from doing thei job efficiently. I think that one could reply that perhaps the removal of all this government presence in health care might permit the markets to operate more efficiently but at the cost of depriving even more people of access to health care since it is after all more efficient for markets to deliver goods and services for those who got the bucks while withholding them from those without lucre.
Jim F.
>
> rp
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