I got to thinking that a lot of people stereotype libertarians as just wanting to legalize drugs and/or prostitution. It’s pretty easy to get that idea when those are the points the media pushes if anything concerning the liberty movement comes up in the news. Usually the outspoken advocates of those points are the most entertaining to interview and ‘most entertaining’ is usually better for ratings.
Talking about free markets, where willing people can have free exchange without somebody from the government looking over your shoulder, or meddling in the transaction, isn’t as newsworthy as a ‘hey dude’ guy that’s focused on one tiny part of what’s possible.
Just as an example, say you’ve got a dairy farmer, and he’d like to sell his milk to customers he knows and that appreciate him, instead of some big dairy. Also say there’s a family that would really like to buy that farmer’s milk. Depending on the state you live in, it might be possible or it might be against the law. 20 states completely forbid the sale of raw milk, several are legal, but are regulated how the sales are done. The US government forbids the transport of unpasteurized milk across state lines. So I guess milk is a controlled substance too.
In a free market, people would be able to buy and sell as they choose, without a nanny interfering.
What a great thing that would be.
The first thing that came to mind when I was writing this was the milk issue. If you’re interested, here’s a site that breaks down the laws.
As long as a transaction is voluntary and it’s completion doesn’t violate anyone’s property rights, it should be free to occur.