...the oh-so-wonderful pursuit of our own individual self-interest, the same way its huge antlers doomed the gigaceros (for the individual male gigaceros, bigger antlers were always a net advantage against competitors in the "struggle for life", but they assured the species inability to adapt as a whole).
Some actions have externalities and should be subject to pigouvian taxes to internalize the externality. Few people, including libertarians, dispute this point. Once harmful externalities are properly taxed/penalized, then it is no longer harmful for individuals to pursue their own self interest.
You are also correct that signalling (e.g., growing large antlers) generates harmful externalities. Thus, we should tax signalling activities such as obtaining a college degree, wearing a suit or writing in a moleskin.
> Some actions have externalities and should be subject to pigouvian taxes to internalize the externality. Few people, including libertarians, dispute this point.
I'm not so sure about the later, apparently dreamdu5t and many other libertarians find all and every sort of taxes unacceptable. Thanks for the Arthur Pigou reference.
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...the oh-so-wonderful pursuit of our own individual self-interest, the same way its huge antlers doomed the gigaceros (for the individual male gigaceros, bigger antlers were always a net advantage against competitors in the "struggle for life", but they assured the species inability to adapt as a whole).
Some actions have externalities and should be subject to pigouvian taxes to internalize the externality. Few people, including libertarians, dispute this point. Once harmful externalities are properly taxed/penalized, then it is no longer harmful for individuals to pursue their own self interest.
You are also correct that signalling (e.g., growing large antlers) generates harmful externalities. Thus, we should tax signalling activities such as obtaining a college degree, wearing a suit or writing in a moleskin.
> Some actions have externalities and should be subject to pigouvian taxes to internalize the externality. Few people, including libertarians, dispute this point.
I'm not so sure about the later, apparently dreamdu5t and many other libertarians find all and every sort of taxes unacceptable. Thanks for the Arthur Pigou reference.