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> Sometimes I feel I'm the only one on HN who is in favor of free markets. Most people are for free markets that have no negative externalities. The problem is
by naasking 4y ago
> Sometimes I feel I'm the only one on HN who is in favor of free markets.
Most people are for free markets that have no negative externalities. The problem is that very few, if any, markets have no negative externalities, therefore they cannot be completely free.
- WalterBright 4y agoIf you follow my posts, I have dealt with this issue many times. For example, pollution. The leftist viewpoint is using the banhammer along with the government micromanaging it with regulations. The free market viewpoint is to "internalize the externalities" by taxing the pollution. Want less CO2 emissions? Tax the C content of fuels. That will work far, far better than all the "ban ICE car sales by 2035" and other blunderbuss approaches.
- naasking 4y ago> The leftist viewpoint is using the banhammer along with the government micromanaging it with regulations. The free market viewpoint is to "internalize the externalities" by taxing the pollution. Internalizing the externalities requires stringent regulations. That is a leftist position too. > Want less CO2 emissions? Tax the C content of fuels. If only it were that simple. This disproportionately impacts poorer people. This is why you create incentives for manufacturers to create alternatives, like EV, and then you can carbon tax fuels when those alternatives are available.