Who is my neighbor? A lesson from the Fire Department.

[substitute]

Today I’d like to talk about the fire department

Comments

[eris_devotee]

I love this post, but I do want to mention... at least in Illinois, more than half of our fire fighters are unpaid volunteers (this is the list of all volunteer fire departments in Illinois)

As for how that fits into your analogy - I'll let you figure out.

[substitute]

Yes, I deliberately left out volunteer firefighters, despite knowing a few personally. A township or county with volunteer firefighters only isn't any less committed to the ideas above. They just have less money.

There are fewer volunteer departments every year. I liked the sticker I saw on one part-time fire truck: MY TRUCK, MY GAS, TO SAVE YOUR ASS.

Bomberos Internationale

[mcfnord]

In Puerto Vallarta, the fire department will erradicate your killer bees... for free!

~via snuh

[mr_flippant]

[springheel_jack]

It's interesting to note that this sensible argument cuts no water with libertarians, who would be happy by their own ideological lights to get rid of the fire department.

[jamie_miller]

I wonder if libertarians are in favor of decriminalizing child pornography? Aren't those laws an unconscionable interference in the free market? Won't "natural market forces" cause child porn to wither up and die on its own?

[springheel_jack]

good job with the criminalization-- since then, child porn has all but disappeared! and sick people get the help they need!

OH WAIT. the state puts the few sickos it catches together in prisons, it doesn't reform anyone, it lets them out with little to look forward to, and then it forces them to group together geographically (try drawing 1000 ft circles around every park, school, etc. and see what's left).

and now our children are being labeled Sex Offenders by the state for taking photos of THEIR OWN BODIES.

there are problems that aren't solved by free markets, that are ALSO NOT SOLVED by governments, no matter how totalitarian they get.

[springheel_jack]

Murder's still around too. Let's decriminalize that.

Also breach of contract. That one might actually hit home.

[besskeloid]

*applauds until palms are all sore*