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Libertarian History/Philosophy

"You Don't Need a Medallion to be a Libertarian Taxi"

Nick Gillespie | 10.7.2013 4:55 PM

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Somewhere, Harry Chapin is weeping.

This is a very funny video from Brian Sack's The B.S. of A. program on The Blaze. Both libertarians and people who hate libertarians will find it very entertaining.

For more vids from the show, go here.

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Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

Libertarian History/PhilosophyMedia
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  1. Hugh Akston   12 years ago

    I don’t get it.

    1. Agammamon   12 years ago

      Government licensing and regulation are all that stand between you and poor customer service and shoddy products.

      Oh, and getting ripped off because you didn’t negotiate the price before consuming the service.

      And private police will be willing fail to intervene in a crime if you don’t pay them, unlike now where they fail to intervene *while* paid and get to enforce penalties against consensual acts.

      1. Austrian Anarchy   12 years ago

        Oakland is warming up to private cops, crowdfunded to boot:
        http://slashdot.org/topic/clou…..vate-cops/

        1. Sevo   12 years ago

          Oakland’s options are pretty slim by now; the lefties are trying to turn it into D-town but haven’t quite succeeded.
          Oh, and according to a comment on an article this morning, the poverty is caused by the shipyards closing down in 1945. Yep, 68 years ago.

          1. Paul.   12 years ago

            There are people in the midwest that attribute their poverty to the collapse of the U.S. Steel industry.

            1. Brian   12 years ago

              Of course. Steel demand plummeted once the shipyards closed in ’45.

              The rest is the fault of the free market.

              1. Austrian Anarchy   12 years ago

                Yes, they are all connected. Peter Joseph has some hypnosis videos explaining it all.

      2. -Umbriel-   12 years ago

        Oh, and getting ripped off because you didn’t negotiate the price before consuming the service.

        Which nicely sums up the state of modern health care.

    2. Y   12 years ago

      It is what’s known as a farce:
      “A comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.”

      The common critique of libertarian governance played out as its detractors say it would come to pass. The skit shows how unlikely it is that rational people would act this way by throwing it in your face full force. Thus a farce.

  2. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

    Always subscribe to Tom’s Police Department.

    1. albo   12 years ago

      I prefer World Beat Security. They cover traffic laws on Cruiseways, the roads I use.

  3. Banjos   12 years ago

    That was great, sadly the satire will be lost on not only Progressives but a lot of libertarians as well.

  4. Austrian Anarchy   12 years ago

    DC rush hours are ruled by non-tokened cabs. Sort of amazing that the whole slug system operates unmolested by the authorities.

    1. Swiss Servator, Kneel to Zug!   12 years ago

      The apparatchiks depend on it to get to work…

    2. IceTrey   12 years ago

      I don’t think DC has a medallion system. “Reason” has done articles about it.

      1. Austrian Anarchy   12 years ago

        The “DC Beltway” is more than just DC.

  5. Paul.   12 years ago

    “And where on earth would that be?”

    Funny? Yes.

    Accurate? No.

    Do you know how often I have to tell the cab driver where my address is.

    Notice how clean his car is?

  6. Paul.   12 years ago

    I’m not sure I get this video. It’s kind of funny, but strangely at odds with reality, and I’m not sure what the point was.

    Libertarian taxi charged more than medallion’d taxi. Not accurate. That’s the problem that Medallion taxis have, libertarian taxi charges too little.

    The guy got his ride for free because he refused to pay. What was the message there?

    But yeah, I smirked the whole time I watched it.

    1. A Secret Band of Robbers   12 years ago

      Don’t take it as a parody of libertarian ideas so much as a parody of certain libertarians. I picture Sheldon Richman being exactly like this.

      1. Paul.   12 years ago

        I like the cab driver’s speechifyin’, I thought that was funny.

  7. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

    Always negotiate the price up front.

    1. Paul.   12 years ago

      Or your ride is free!

      1. IceTrey   12 years ago

        Ass, Gas or Grass no one rides for free!

      2. Ketogenic Paleo   12 years ago

        Only if you can sprint well

  8. Simon Jester   12 years ago

    They have this already, its called Uber and its no joke. If its in your city and you take a cab regularly you wont believe how much better this is. Try it ASAP, you will save money and get a better experience with ubers, or you can spend a few dollars more and get a black car. When Ubers show up many of them have free cold water bottles and other perks. You rate the driver so they treat you well wanting a good review, no tips. (They review the customer too) I am not associated with them in any way other than being a customer.

    1. PM   12 years ago

      Funny you should mention that, because the cab companies are trying to put them out of business.

  9. Tman   12 years ago

    I also don’t get it. Was I supposed to laugh because the libertarian cab diver is an idiot?

    Oh wait, I get it-

    HAHAHOHO LIBERTARIANS WANT TO PRIVATIZE EVERYTHING THEY SO CRAZEE.

    ..yawn.

  10. anon   12 years ago

    I wonder if the authors of this video realize just how few laws/regulations actual taxi drivers abide by. Just because they rent a medallion does not mean that the government actually controls what happens inside the cab.

  11. the other other alan   12 years ago

    “Grudgingly.”

    Not bad.

  12. Citizen Nothing   12 years ago

    Very, very funny! (Too bad so many of my fellow libertarians seem to be humorless douches.)

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