>>40
"For two, there are genuine market failures that more free market cannot solve. Externalities, missing markets (e.g. the market for clean air),"
In a libertarian society, if you could demonstrate that a corporation was doing serious harm to the people in their polluting activities, compensation/punishment would be dealt out by courts.
"Do you, for instance, imagine that an individual consumer is going to be able to afford even a part of a missile shield?"
Libertarians acknowledge the need for a military to defend the nation.
"National defense is one example of a very important service that the free market does not seem able to provide on its own."
When we say we 'support a free market' being libertarians, this just means we 'generally' support a free market. See above. Libertarians acknowledge the need for some degree of government, such as the need for a military, police, courts, etc etc. The essential things.
"Private fire services were one reason that the Chicago fire was so bad; houses without coverage were ignored and then presented a hazard to the rest of the city. By the time all the fire services were mobilized, it was too late."
See above.
"Even should a freer market provide an overall pattern of economic growth, looking at averages can be misleading. Medians are more typically a better indicator of how most people are doing. Do you think, for instance, that the common good (i.e. total utility) is really served if ten people earning $20,000 a year have their salaries slashed in half while one person earning $110,000 has their salary doubled? There may be an overall growth of $20,000, but it would dubious at best to claim that people are overall happier for it."
The point is not to do what makes people happier, but to do what is right as often as you can, while still maintaining a stable and somewhat reasonable society. Within reason, property rights should be respected, for example, and people should be allowed to keep all that they earn beyond the smallest amount of taxes necessary to fund the most basic functions of government.
Sure, it might make people happier if we took some rich guy's money, and distributed it among ourselves, but would that be right? That is just stealing/mob rule. Where are you going to draw the line? Or will you?