Can You Disprove the Free-rider Problem?

[Xerographica]

Wikipedia is easily the most efficient/effective way to help people learn about economics. Whenever somebody does a search for an economic term...it is usually the first result.

For a while now I've been creating entries and contributing to entries that can help people learn about libertarian economics. The problem is...I'm really the only one currently doing so.

It hasn't really bothered me enough to say anything about it...but I've recently run into a couple editors that have absolutely no interest in reliable sources. To make a long story short...I've been blocked for a week.

Wikipedia is based on consensus...aka democracy...and right now it's two against one. So, here are the two ways that you can help disprove the free-rider problem:

1. Register at Wikipedia and give me a hand improving the entries that are relevant to libertarian economics
2. Let me know if you're doing something that is more efficient/effective

One of the incompetent editors is now gunning for the entry that I created for legal plunder. I think that the idea of legal plunder is something that everybody should thoroughly understand...don't you?

If you have any questions about how Wikipedia works...or doesn't work...then I'll be happy to try and answer them. Basically, everything you contribute should be supported by a reliable source. You don't necessarily have to mention the source when you make a contribution...but you do need to be able to do so should somebody challenge your edit.

[erowe1]

Good idea.

But what does the thread title have to do with this?

[Xerographica]

Good idea.

But what does the thread title have to do with this?

1. We all agree that Wikipedia can help people learn about libertarian economics
2. We all agree that the more people that understand libertarian economics...the more we'll all benefit
3. Will members of the Ron Paul forum contribute to the Wikipedia entries on libertarian economics?
4. If yes, then it will help disprove the free-rider problem
5. If no, then it will help prove the free-rider problem

[dannno]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Keith and stuff]

No, you cannot prove that the free-rider problem doesn't exist. Look at food stamps. Look at SSDI. Look at unemployment. Most of the people I know on unemployment, milk it. In fact, the government designed the program to be milked. That's why there has been extension after extension after extension. Some people can make more money on unemployment than if they had a couple part-time jobs. So they decide to be free riders. Some people don't even bother looking for a job. They have seasonal unemployment. They go on it for 2-3 months every year than go back to their job when it starts up again. They are free riders.

This is a very common problem with government welfare. The best way to improve the issue is to make qualifications for welfare stricter and the amount of time you are allowed to be on shorter. As long as government welfare exists, the issue will never be solved.

[hazek]

LOL free rider problem. One merely needs to look at free to play games to understand that here is no such thing.

[CT4Liberty]

Why do you need to "disprove" the free-rider problem?

You cannot disprove it, because it is real and does exist. There are free-riders in any system and that fact does not change the liberty argument one bit, in fact it may actually be beneficial as less government = less opportunity to ride for free.

[hazek]

Why do you need to "disprove" the free-rider problem?

You cannot disprove it, because it is real and does exist. There are free-riders in any system and that fact does not change the liberty argument one bit, in fact it may actually be beneficial as less government = less opportunity to ride for free.

Well yea, that's exactly what I meant. Freeriding in games exist but games figured out how to monetize that. I'm playing World of Tanks, a free to play game and yet the company is getting massive amounts of money and doing extremely well because some players decide to spend some money on extra goodies that aren't available to everyone. And I'm pretty sure this can be applied to any freerider problem there is.

[Xerographica]

Why do you need to "disprove" the free-rider problem?

You cannot disprove it, because it is real and does exist. There are free-riders in any system and that fact does not change the liberty argument one bit, in fact it may actually be beneficial as less government = less opportunity to ride for free.

What's the liberty argument?

[awake]

The "Free rider" is simply the "free man". It goes like this: To provide effective governemnt services everyone must be enslaved by taxation lest one man be able to enjoy his god given liberty and spend as he wishes.

Free riders don't exist in the private market - just people are allowed to ride free in some circumstances.

The 'Free rider argument is just another bone headed argument for those who love slavery to use to apologize for themselves.