Tim May <tcmay@got.net> writes:
A third possibility, and one which deserves a longer essay by someone, is the role quasi-private organizations play. To cut to the chase, organizations like the American Bar Association, American Medical Association, etc.
I think one of the possible scenarios is that all tobacco companies, present and future, will have to become members of a "private" self-regulatory organization - sort of like NASD.
These "guilds" are an interesting case of self-policing where there is no option for opting out. (I don't believe it is possible to practice law or medicine without approval/licensing from these kinds of organizations/guilds.)
It is a CRIME is most jurisdictions.
Licensing in general is something I think is getting out of hand.
Actually, licensing is a neat idea that leads to more efficient markets. E.g., New York State licenses plumbers, contractors, barbers, etc; if you enter into a contract with an unlicensed party for one of these services, it won't be enforced by the state court. E.g. you can't sue the unlicensed bricklayer for laying your bricks crooked, and he can't sue you for not paying. :-) Here the state just says, if you want our jurisdiction, you play by our rules and you pay a fee. --- Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps