Upaya on Foldvary and defining “the Market”
Upaya has a post that makes a good companion to Fred Foldvary’s latest editorial on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and what it teaches us about the state.
Particularly noteworthy on Upaya’s post is this segment:
When libertarians express an easy “let the market handle it” attitude, many non-libertarians will reasonably assume that this means “let for-profit commercial exchange handle it.” …getting utilities out of the hands of government is a good idea, but should they be transferred to big utilities corporations (who are likely very well connected politically) or should they be turned into consumer co-ops? From a libertarian perspective these are both shifts from state to market [emphasis added]. Indeed, as radical libertarians (left, right, or center) will be quick to point out, the consumer co-op solution is probably the more free market solution. And yet, the consumer co-op might be considered by some to be more of a “community-based” (read: grassroots and cooperative) rather than “market-based” (read: corporate, greedy, and competitive) solution. Foldvary helps to point out that the sphere of non-coercive, voluntary social activity includes commercial exchange, but also charities and “association in equality.” Hence, it seems useful to think and talk in terms of voluntary coordination, rather that (always) “the market.”
Well said.
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