I am impressed. My expectation was that there will be some good answers to my questions but the result was much better.
Thank you for taking the time to answer.All are really good answers and thought provoking. Especially the idea, which showed up few times, of a libertarian working for a state to undermine it from the inside. I am not sure if this would work more than one electoral cycle but it is a thought.
Also interesting to see, that some of you find a role for a libertarian working for the state providing a public good , i.e. healthcare, which in your view creates value to the entire society. I wonder who should be able to choose those public goods that should be provided by the state and cannot be provided as efficient by the private sector. I can only really think of the justice system being one, for the rest if freed from taxes the private sector can provide services with superior value to those provided by the state.
Regarding the conflict of interests, I do not see one if a libertarian is working as a policy maker and promotes policies that would lead to a smaller state. There is a grey area in my view when we talk about libertarians working as employees for the state.
However, to me conflict of interest does not arise only between a libertarian/liberal and the state. It is present within an institution, or for those people that work for the state and private sector in the same time. Conflict of interest is in my view access to privileged information and using it to further your own well being.
I asked the question about the conflict of interests because I see too many examples in Romania of people either working for a private institution and heading a public body or working for a public institution and in the same time be a board member in a private company where the state has some shares.
Thank you again for your views. Is good to see that there are some people out there that see value in a smaller state.
The original post here:
I am a bit busy this morning but I do have two questions for you.
Do you think that libertarian/liberals/supporters of a minimal state should work for public institutions?
What does conflict of interest mean to you?
To be clear, I am in favor of a small, very small state.
Let me know what you think.
