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"But what happens when the only business fails?"

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Blueline976 Posted: Thu, Jun 3 2010 4:41 PM

So I seem to get this question a lot:

"Say, in market anarchism, there is a small town with a single agency providing X-service (let's say fire-fighting). What happens when that agency goes out of business?"

I've pointed out the unlikelyhood of a single business providing a service to the person asking, or at least why I think there might not be a single business providing a service, but I seem to stumble on this seemingly simple question.

Any solutions, readings, etc?

It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. - Carl Sagan
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Nielsio replied on Thu, Jun 3 2010 4:44 PM

?

Then clearly nobody wants it.

Think about it. You are the monopoly provider of some good that people actually want. However inefficient you are, or however crappy your products are, people will still buy it (assuming they really want it).

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Don't think there will be just one business. It was Jeffrey Tucker that said that in Auburn there were no donut shops. And sure enough, a donut shop open up for business and made big profits. Then other people noticed and another donut shop opened, and another. So if there is profit to be made I'm sure someone will jump at opportunity. Also agree with Nielsio.

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Nielsio:
?

Then clearly nobody wants it.

Think about it. You are the monopoly provider of some good that people actually want. However inefficient you are, or however crappy your products are, people will still buy it (assuming they really want it).

Yes I've pointed that out as well.

I think what he is asking for is the chain of events after the business fails, and I can't really answer since I have no way of knowing.

The question this guy specifically asked is: "Say it goes out of business for unimportant reasons. Now what? What if there's a fire the next day?"

viresh amin: I have pointed that out as well.

It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. - Carl Sagan
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there is no solution, the citizens are doomed !

Where there is no property there is no justice; a proposition as certain as any demonstration in Euclid

Fools! not to see that what they madly desire would be a calamity to them as no hands but their own could bring

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haha, hopefully a unemployed firemen is still in town. 

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is he licensed to operate a heavy fire truck? we can't have him do anything till he is inspected

Where there is no property there is no justice; a proposition as certain as any demonstration in Euclid

Fools! not to see that what they madly desire would be a calamity to them as no hands but their own could bring

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Sieben replied on Thu, Jun 3 2010 4:56 PM

Its physical and human capital are still around. Entrepreneur(s) put it to the best use possible.

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It seems like if a single agency went out of business for some odd reason, that would be even more incentive for an new entrepreneur to open up shop since there would temporairly be no competition and an existing clientale in the area.

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"clientele"
 

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Is this really the best they can come up with? Use a little logic.

My personal Anarcho-Capitalist flag. The symbol in the center stands for "harmony" and "protection"-- I'm hoping to illustrate the bond between order/justice and anarchy.

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Does anyone know how the supermarket industry works? Because it seems to me that the answer to this question lies in looking at how the supermarkets work -since they are faced with an analogous problem all the time: What if a market goes out of business for accidental reasons, what if everyone is hungry tomorrow? However this latter business, solves this problem is probably going to be a clue as to how the firefighters could sovle theirs.

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