Minarchism

Roderick T Long’s article entitled, “Corporations versus the Market; or, Whip Conflation Now” explores the link between the free market and the rise of big business and corporations. Specifically, Long questions the motives of libertarian free market advocates of simultaneously legitimizing plutocratic corporations. He begins by pointing out that a completely free market and big business are at odds, utilizing many examples of government intervention propping up corporations and their businesses. Long addresses the question of who or what is responsible for the conflation of free market ideals and the interests of big business and corporations. To conclude his essay Long points to the colloquial use of the word capitalism as a source of confusion. He states, “... this term is somewhat problematic; some use it to mean free markets, others to mean corporate privilege, and still others (perhaps the majority) to mean some confused amalgamation of the two...” (Long). Long rightly points out that the crux of the issue is a conflation of terms or definitions misused by libertarians. Long calls for continually pointing out the inverse relationship between a true free market and the total power of corporations and big business. I argue that clearly defining these terms when speaking about them would have avoided this question of libertarians implicitly advocating for corporate plutocracy all together. Furthermore, Longs analysis of the parties responsible for the conflation of the…

however, a definitive aspect of Nozick 's model is the belief that the state should never play a redistributive role when it comes to the acquisition of wealth. Nozick argues that state intervention would be a coercive role to adopt and suggests that disadvantaged members of society must rely on "voluntary charitable acts" on the behalf of the rich (Nayak, 1989, p.2). This viewpoint appears at odds with the theory of justice that Nozick advocates, especially with regards to the notion that…