Satire: Libertarian Reluctantly Calls Fire Department

[HazardPerry]

Thanks to The Onion for letting me unwind a bit:


CHEYENNE, WY—After attempting to contain a living-room blaze started by a cigarette, card-carrying Libertarian Trent Jacobs reluctantly called the Cheyenne Fire Department Monday. "Although the community would do better to rely on an efficient, free-market fire-fighting service, the fact is that expensive, unnecessary public fire departments do exist," Jacobs said. "Also, my house was burning down." Jacobs did not offer to pay firefighters for their service.
original (http://www.theonion.com/content/node/32825)

:p

[Myerz]

Let's keep local government and Federal government where they should be.....that is the whole point of this correct?

[Andrew-Austin]

Anyone find the idea of having private fire fighting corps a bit unrealistic?

Whats next? Private national guard troops? Sure that will work out.

[mwkaufman]

Anyone find the idea of having private fire fighting corps a bit unrealistic?

Whats next? Private national guard troops? Sure that will work out.

There have been and are plenty of private fire fighting corps.

[rory096]

Anyone find the idea of having private fire fighting corps a bit unrealistic?

Whats next? Private national guard troops? Sure that will work out.
It's a satire.

[HazardPerry]

It's a joke guys...The Onion is a satirical newspaper. Relax.

[chipvogel]

They already exist

Saving million-dollar homes (http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/08/23/news/top_story/119026.txt)

[Spike Kojima]

Anyone find the idea of having private fire fighting corps a bit unrealistic?

No, I think that would work out quite nicely without government involvement.

[Revolution9]

It's a joke guys...The Onion is a satirical newspaper. Relax.

They once did a piece during the Clinton years about "The Americans With No Abilities Act" Very newsy "There are millions in America with no abilities and now there is a safety net. blah blah.." Well damned if Congress didn't get hit with mounds of mail asking how they can get their cut form the new legislation.. The treatment of Election 2000 was brilliant with all the third world "yup in flames" metaphors and Gore hunkering dow in his armed Tennessee camp etc..

Best
Randy

[atilla]

Anyone find the idea of having private fire fighting corps a bit unrealistic?

Whats next? Private national guard troops? Sure that will work out.

scottsdale, arizona. they are paid for out of the public till, but it is a private company.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?d=t&s=RURL traded on the nasdaq stock exchange

[Fox McCloud]

I'm one that wishes nearly everything was privatized....the highways? I'd like them to be too, but I honestly think it's too late for that now; the whole entire system is pretty much complete; it's only now and again that new roads are built.

Still, they could semi-privatize it, and I think that'd be very effective; they could have multiple competing companies vie for the ability to pave the roads and such, and it'd be payed for by the state.

I also think that the military should be more privatized (not totally) just a little more...it'd help out research, and it would allow the militia to get their hands on tanks, APCs, MRLSes, etc.

[ThePieSwindler]

While i think discussing privitization of certain "public goods" is interesting, its wholly unrealistic in the sense that once government is down to that size (if it ever gets there), i dont think we will be incredibly worried about things like roads and firemen. The real reason small government is a problem isnt because of its size (it can provide some nice functions), but because government ALWAYS tends to grow, especially democratic government. Until then, we have alot more to worry about than discussing this...

[peter_lifton]

Whats next? Private national guard troops? Sure that will work out.

Libertarian's don't believe in the privatization of the military, police department, etc.

[eldeeder]

I dont think certain things (like firefighting) should be a for-profit based organization. I dont think the feds should be able to tell a community how to run their FD.

[Ron LOL]

Anybody getting worked up about this post should stop donating to the campaign and start saving for a sense of humor instead.

[webaform]

I dont think certain things (like firefighting) should be a for-profit based organization. I dont think the feds should be able to tell a community how to run their FD.

What about No Fireman Left Behind and no-bid contracts for Motorola?

[angrydragon]

The private firefighting companies are outperforming the public ones.