Privatizing Roads (by Walter Block)

A panel discussion with Walter Block, sponsored by the Federalist Society, University of Tennessee College of Law, 26 January 2009.

Block's book:
http://www.mises.org/store/Privatization-of-Roads-and-Highways-P581.aspx

Block media:
http://mises.org/media.aspx?action=author&ID=443

LUDWIG VON MISES INSTITUTE - CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 3.0

Category:

Education

Tags:

• roads
• walter
• block
• anarchy
• socialism
• privatization

[locjeb]

You really don't think so?? Name one thing government is good at besides stealing, killing, lying, and causing and prolonging economic depressions

[locjeb]

In a real free-market economy monopolies dont exist without the assistance of government intervention. Read Dominick Armentanos books on anti-trust; you can get one for free in pdf form, just google armentano antitrust

For the sake of argument though, lets say that you did somehow manage to take control of the entire water supply of CA. If you then began to charge a much higher price for water, that would cause entrepreneurs to come in and compete in supplying water at much lower costs

[Seravat7]

I'm still watching, but I'm hoping he'll bring up the 'HOV' lanes: RESTRICTING a lane during rush-hour, and he people who pay the highest share of gas-taxes don't get to use it.

[TimothyADonaghue]

I love the work of Walter Block. He is such an eccentric.

[LibeRevolution]

privatize everything

[IntellectualPopulist]

He missed the free-rider problem, which is the real argument against it.

[zoogle1]

@lashkaretoiba You would probably pay on highways, but you have to remember how many people use a highway in a day. The price would be as cheap as possible or a competitor will build a new road because he can undercut prices. There would also assuredly be VERY cheap public transit on highways. Small roads may make deals with businesses regarding roads going to their business, I dunno. but you can be sure all parties involved will find the most efficient way to make profit, so it will be cheap.

[StatismIsACrutch]

Everyone on Earth needs to watch this video. I've seen almost every video of Mr. Block's on YT and he sums up the entire philosophy of Libertarianism in less than 15 minutes. If you don't agree with him then you aren't a peaceful person.

[VictoryCough]

I think he explains this a little more clearly than reading an article by Hoppe!

I really wish I could go afford to attend a private university. Art Carden teaches at Rhodes here in Memphis and Block at Loyola in New Orleans. I would love to take one of their classes.

[jrgenkratz]

@lashkaretoiba Some material for starters: daviddfriedman (dot) com (slash) The_Machinery_of_Freedom_ (dot) pdf, freekeene (dot) com (slash) files (slash) marketforliberty (dot) pdf, mises (dot) org (slash) resources (slash) 1893 (slash) The-Private-Production-of-Defe­nse.

[jrgenkratz]

@lashkaretoiba I am not very familiar with the American legal system, so I do not know what the pro bono rule is. I did some googling but didn't find anything with any particular relevance to this discussion. And yes, it would involve private courts and judges, whose services are purchased by protection organisations and insurance companies. Possibly, but who really knows that the most efficient system would be.

[Nielsio]

@lashkaretoiba Check out my video 'How Could A Voluntary Society Function?'.