[754] in libertarians
[sethf@MIT.EDU: Re: Zimmerman case]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (damartin@volta.mit.edu)
Fri Feb 24 15:53:23 1995
Reply-To: damartin@volta.mit.edu
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 95 15:50:47 EST
From: damartin@volta.mit.edu
To: sethf@MIT.EDU
Cc: libertarians@MIT.EDU
> I'd believe that a lot more if I saw Libertarians reflexively
>denouncing patents and "intellectual" property as attempts to thwart
>competition, instead of focusing almost exclusively on any Government
>presence. But I think that doesn't happen, because it's a very touchy
>argument - Libertarianism deals a lot with the importance of property,
>and to grapple directly with the property-rights and redress arguments
>being used in these issues would be to admit that businesses can misuse
>these philosophical constructs, and persecute individuals in the
>question for greater control and profit. That goes to a place
>Libertarians don't want to be, questions of corporate evils (if someone
>can claim a property violation that doesn't exist because it increases
>their profits, what other philosophical property claims might be
>similarly shaky?). The concept of "abuse of private power" is almost
>regarded as an oxymoron.
> at fault. In short, Libertarians view their government as the sleasiest
> cheat around.
> And don't think of businesses as cheats at all.
Actually, many libertarians recognize that businesses can be
just as bad as anyone else when it comes to abusing power. Many
businessmen CLAIM to be free-market capitalists, but when things go
bad, they go running for government protection just like everyone
else. A perfect exmapl eis the US car companies, who want free trade
when it comes to importing cars they make in Mexico, but change their
tune when it comes to import quotas on Japanese cars.
As far as patents, we actually had a seminar on this issue
last year. The problem is that libertarians belive in intellectual
property rights, but aren't sure on the best legal mechanism to
define/enforce them. Raymie actually posted a good argument about why
patents are NOT a proper mechanism for protecting intellectual
property. The patent issue just doesn't come up as much because it is
not the sort of issue that most voters care about (compared to drugs,
crime, taxes, OJ, etc.) So, libertarians do believe in intellectual
property but don't necessarily think that patents are the proper way
to protect it.
-David Martin
