“5) The job of clean and health food has been done, without the need for government ‘watchdog’ agency
I can agree with each of your points without agreeing with your conclusion. Certainly, a free market will weed out substandard products (including diners with poor sanitation). That does not mean that the ‘free market’ solution is the best.
One of the greatest weaknesses of a free market solution is that it is essentially reactionary requiring some time to do it’s work. During that time, a diner with poor sanitation can cause all sorts of mischief. The free market can only react to information. A public health department can pre-emptively prevent illness and death.
Another weakness of the a free market solution is the quality of information available to the decision maker. Where does one new to an area get the quality information necessary to make informed decisions on the quality of a food service?
Sure, I can go into a diner and conduct my own health inspection. Why should I want to spend an hour or so doing these inspections when I can see the posted results of a public health inspection? That of course assumes that I would also want to spend the time to develop the training necessary to do my own health inspections.
This is one of the weaknesses of the libertarian approach that tends to automatically assume that a non-public solution is almost always best.
Do you also buy into the belief shared by some libertarians that we can replace our police, fire, and court systems with free market solutions?
Thank you for actually responding to my points DugwayDuke: I think this is much better than insults anyday..(on both our parts ;).
I disagree with you that, even though (the market is reactionary), I believe these issues have been addressed:
1) as I stated, I do not believe people are stupid (whether they are foolish sometimes is another point..), but becuase they are smart. Owners ~know~ that if they put forth an unclean substandard (in a true, or real free market) will give them less business, therefore it’s in their interest to put forth a clean healthy product, if they don’t the customer base (demand), “the invisable hand” will ensure they are weeded out! By the time a new customer enters into a market most restaurant should have been weeded out (in a true free-market without any barriers to entry and exit into the market) that do not produce a healthy food product. If you want the best restaurant, I am sure instead of inspecting every one yourself, you could probably ask a “local”.
With ALL due respect, I disagree that the “public” option beats the “market” option, I have faith in the marketplace.
Also yes, I believe that many functions of Police, and firemen could be “privitized”, yet not the Court Systems. That has been a legitimate function of the government (world governments) since Biblical times-in the Bible Moses was given the authority to Judge, and hand down Judgements (legal) by God, and he further delegated that power to magistrates (local judges, and rulers).
So I still believe this (for Justice) which is a legitimate function of civil government, should be retained by the government and not privitized in ANY way.