TGIF: The State Is No Friend of the Worker
The election season is upon us, and we’re hearing the usual political promises about raising wages. Democrats pledge to raise the minimum wage and assure equal pay for equal work for men and women. Republicans usually oppose those things, but their explanations are typically lame. (“The burden on small business would be increased too much.”) Some Republicans endorse raising the minimum wage because they think opposition will cost them elections. There’s a principled stand.
In addressing this issue, we who believe in freeing the market from privilege as well as from regulation and taxes should be careful not to imply that we have free markets today. When we declare our opposition to minimum-wage or equal-pay-for-equal-work legislation, we must at the same time emphasize that the reigning corporate state compromises the market process in fundamental ways, usually to the detriment of workers. Therefore, not only should no new interference with the market be approved, but all existing interference should be repealed forthwith. If you omit that second part, you’ll sound like an apologist for the corporatist status quo. Why would you want to do that?
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This highlights the real problem with libertarianism - the sequence of denationalization.
ReplyDeleteSure, we oppose the welfare state. Does that mean we argue for the instant removal of all welfare supports, even for people who still have to pay taxes on everything they buy?
We oppose taxation. So, if USGOV turned around tomorrow and announced that "the 1%" no longer have to pay any tax on capital or income, we would cheer, right? Perhaps not.
The order of events is the thing. Walter Block thinks that ANY reduction in taxation is a pro-liberty step, even though corporate capitalism very often takes the form of "less taxes for my friends, more for my foes". Quasi-monopolies can be established through libertarian means!
As if there could be a market without the state. Elimination of the state would merely allow business to return workers to their "natural" state Slaves.
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