Hi Joe, I write at http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/02/24/war-wins-in-california/ : Gene, all of Kubby's examples involved market-based responses to large-scale aggressors with a single return address -- e.g. corporations that sell tuna caught by killing dolphins. When I've asked him about air and water pollution problems that have no obvious return address, his answer has been pretty muddled. The best answer he's been able to come up with is that guys who drive polluting SUVs won't get laid, because Priuses will be more chic. Meanwhile, my view of Silicon Valley is blocked by smog every weekday morning. Geoanarchist economist Fred Foldvary has a much better answer: http://knowinghumans.net/2008/01/tax-bads-and-untax-goods-with-green-tax.htm l I just don't agree with Steve that it's optimally libertarian to give a green light (so to speak) to all aggression where the damage it causes is less than the cost to the victim of targeting, contesting, winning, and enforcing a tort claim against the aggressor. He calls pollution taxes "the fox guarding the chicken coop", but his alternative is to declare open season on chickens. The idea that we should abolish state law enforcement because cops aren't perfect is a great for establishing one's radical credentials at the faculty club, but it's not very serious public policy. Kudos to George Phillies for standing up to global warming deniers and to Kubby's idea of effectively defaulting on the federal debt. Kubby claimed the idea of suspending payment of interest on the federal debt is supported by Reagan administration economist Joe Cobb, but I don't see that idea mentioned on Cobb's blog. I doubt Cobb would endorse that idea. I'm cc'ing this to him to see.
