Monday, September 12, 2005

Better than FEMA

Eric H at GrimReader approaches disaster releaf using Hayekian thinking. Maybe we don't need big government afterall.

A hurricane is a great big problem. If Hayek is right, lots of people working on small pieces of the puzzle will solve it more efficiently than a central authority. From that standpoint, FEMA is an idiotic idea. On the other hand, lots of people working the puzzle without coordination are likely to duplicate effort and overlook some problems. In a market, the price mechanism solves this coordination problem, but there is no price mechanism here.

Let me suggest this, though. I know that some insurance companies offer kidnapping insurance for South-bound travellers. I also know that some search and rescue operations are starting to charge wayward hikers for their services, and you can get rescue insurance. Is anyone providing disaster insurance that includes rescue attempts?


Read the rest of his analysis here.

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