The issue with these “standard libertarian” arguments is that its model of government is the Federal Government of the USA. For smaller, less diverse nations, that operate less on clear incentives and more on a shared sense of culture or “shared common sense” (sensus communis) it is easier to develop a kind of public opinion, public consciousness that goes beyond media driven incentives.
In the USA the Utah government used to have a good track record of regulating things the way Mormons like them to have regulated. This is of course problematic on its own, but it is probably an entirely different set of problems.
The Feds, which US Libertarians generally mean under the term “government”, are a particularly unusual kind of government, because it is not really based on a shared culture. The cultural overlap between Utah Mormons and NY Rationalists is fairly low. At best you could say it is arising from the negotiations between Utah Mormons and NY Rationalists and everybody else how to make a set of rules and a system of services that benefit all. Since this is almost obviously impossible because you don’t even agree in what “to benefit” means, don’t be surprised to find out it does not work well. But toss in a thought experiment of a Hispanic Republic of Southwest Texas and you will find it would work better.
Re: http://lesswrong.com/lw/h3/superstimuli_and_the_collapse_of_western/ “The regulator’s career incentive does not focus on products that combine low-grade consumer harm with addictive superstimuli; it focuses on products with failure modes spectacular enough to get into the newspaper.”
The issue with these “standard libertarian” arguments is that its model of government is the Federal Government of the USA. For smaller, less diverse nations, that operate less on clear incentives and more on a shared sense of culture or “shared common sense” (sensus communis) it is easier to develop a kind of public opinion, public consciousness that goes beyond media driven incentives.
In the USA the Utah government used to have a good track record of regulating things the way Mormons like them to have regulated. This is of course problematic on its own, but it is probably an entirely different set of problems.
The Feds, which US Libertarians generally mean under the term “government”, are a particularly unusual kind of government, because it is not really based on a shared culture. The cultural overlap between Utah Mormons and NY Rationalists is fairly low. At best you could say it is arising from the negotiations between Utah Mormons and NY Rationalists and everybody else how to make a set of rules and a system of services that benefit all. Since this is almost obviously impossible because you don’t even agree in what “to benefit” means, don’t be surprised to find out it does not work well. But toss in a thought experiment of a Hispanic Republic of Southwest Texas and you will find it would work better.