A law that guarantees equal access and equal opportunity to all is not a perversion of the market system, it is an expression of the market system. And the rule of law is not anarchy, but its opposite. PS And kudos to you for a civil post and for not being intimidated by the censors on this list. Jerry West wrote: > David Horowitz wrote: > > The difference is that the law interfered with the market and enforced > segregation. Which is precisely the point.When the market is allowed > operate what happens is that the Greensboro lunch kitchen bigot refuses > black business, and his competitor who doesn't beats him out. > > JW reply: > > It seems that you presuppose that the people of Greensboro were opposed > to segregationist laws and would have gladly dined in integrated harmony > had the law allowed. > > I would suggest that law or no law, the lunch kitchen bigot (or not) > could have weighed the number of bigots who were likely to eat there > against the number of others had he integrated and picked the higher > number (rational capitalist decision), a point that Peter Levy also > made. Another option is that the owner weighed the income to be made > from integrating against the cost of being bombed, burned and shot at by > his neighbors (again a rational capitalist decision, as well as a more > primal one that goes beyond pure economics to a case of physical > survival). Not that I say that either of these were the reason, but in > theory they are possible alternatives. > > As for your point that the market works when the law insists on equal > opportunity, one can argue that any law that regulates the market, > particularly as to who one must or must not sell to, is a perversion of > the free market system. Both laws mandating segregation as well as > those mandating integration in the market place render that market no > longer free and under the control of non-market forces. > > Truly free markets and free enterprise are features of anarchy. David, > are you favoring anarchism? :) > > -- > Jerry West > Editor/publisher/janitor > ---------------------------------------------------- > THE RECORD > On line news from Nootka Sound & Canada's West Coast > An independent, progressive regional publication > http://www.island.net/~record/
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