From: DS
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2016 4:43 PM
To: Walter Block
Subject: Re: Question about private roads
Good evening, Professor Block.
I´m currently reading your book “The Privatization of Roads and Highways: Human and Economic Factors” and I wonder if it is possible to develop a plan for the privatization of a country’s roads and how long (years or decades) it might take to materialize. I ask this because I am interested in making a proposal of this type for the country where I live. Currently, many of the country’s roads are under concession and most civil engineering projects are done under the figure of Public-Private Partnerships.
I am studying fifth year of economics at La Salle University (in Colombia, this career has a duration of 5-6 years). Currently, I´m writing my thesis, on Free Banking, under the direction of Professor Fernando Chavarro, one of the few Austrian economists in the country. In my school there are none.
Dear DS: Thanks for your kind words about this book of mine. Sorry, I really cannot answer your question as to how long it would take to implement the privatization of roads in Colombia. But, good luck on your proposal. I’m delighted with your initiative. If I were appointed benevolent dictator, and had widespread support, I suppose it would take me a few weeks to bring this plan into fruition. Back to reality, I think it more likely that roads would first be privatized in countries more receptive to free enterprise than yours. I’m not a big fan of public private partnerships. That is really what (economic) fascism is all about.
I’m delighted that you have a professor who is an Austrian economist. I googled Professor Fernando Chavarro, but all of his publications are in Spanish, and I couldn’t access his e mail address. Would you please ask him to e mail me, and tell me if any of his publications have been translated into English? Also, I’m not really a big fan of free banking. See on this:
Salerno, Joseph T. 2912. “The Selgin Story.” July 11; http://bastiat.mises.org/2012/07/the-selgin-story/
Rothbard, Murray N. 1992. “Aurophobia: or, Free Banking on What Standard? A Review of Gold, Greenbacks and the Constitution, by Richard M. Timberlake,” Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 97-108; http://www.mises.org/journals/rae/pdf/rae6_1_4.pdf
Bagus, Philipp and David Howden. 2011. Fractional reserve free banking: Some quibbles. Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, 13(4), 29–55.
2:04 pm on December 2, 2016
