G.T.
I am embassesed for you, who owns the business indeed, who makes the money for the business? The worker of course. Give this subject a miss, and go on to something you "know" something about. A reread of Bushbred's last post may help you realise that your attitude is so unAustralian, that you are probably from German heritage.

Productive workers do create wealth, and they get paid for doing so. The employer gets paid his share for putting it all together in to a final product. So why is intervention needed, again?

Besides, none of this changes the fact that a business owner owns their business, and nobody else has a right to dictate how that may be run.

Great article, Tristan

Thanks, daggett - I appreciate that. It's nice to think that one's work means something to some people.

G.T.: Firstly, whilst I think I might know why you're still trying to debate this twit, I think you're hitting your head on a brick wall. More than anything, he seems to be trying to wind you up.

Anyhow, as to your response to my question...

Isn't this example a little different to most scenarios though? The problem with a road is that your driveway only connects to that one road, so there's no possible alternative (tunnels, overpasses, etc. could be I guess, but it would seem like they'd be quite difficult and expensive and I wonder if anyone would really go into such a venture). As such, the owner of that road sort of has you over a barrel. Of course, you could always sell your house and move, but who would want to buy into such a situation, so how would you sell without taking a massive loss?

In new suburbs or cities, it would be much easier to do, and people could perhaps set up collectives. However, I'm still a little dubious about whether these would really be entirely voluntary, or rather, if entirely vountary systems could or would function adequately (especially if a few people in key locations proved uncooperative).

Also, I think another objection might be that human nature being what it is (especially in this country!), a lot of people would probably get sick of a free market system and would actually want "government". That would be all well and good if they left everyone else alone, but unfortunately, just like religious zealots, it's never a case of leaving people alone.

I'm sympathetic to the libertarian cause, but I think there are still problems with aspects of it. I don't have any solutions or alternatives though, only more questions.