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Things seem to have died down so it's time for more questions. I'll start with an easy one:
Let us say that the US successfully made a shift to libertarian political and economic theory in the late 40s during reconstruction and it spread throughout Europe and many other industrialized countries. Things seem to be going well, though the space between classes seems to be increasing. Meanwhile, the greatest threat to our species suddenly rears its ugly head for the first time in several hundred years; the smallpox pandemic begins.
In the real world, the Pan American Health Organization and other government and international non-profit organizations were responsible for the eradication of smallpox. Tax dollars ended up footing a great deal of the bill. I have always considered this one of the greatest achievements in human history and a testament to what mankind is capable of when we are forced to set aside our petty arguments and face a true threat.
What would have happened in a world where most of the economic and political power was libertarian? Would a vaccine be possible when different companies were hiding any progress from one another lest they lose the opportunity to make an incredible profit off a cure? Even if a vaccine were created, would poor people be able to afford it?
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