Dairy freedoms

Excerpts from a productive Twitter conversation with the Canadian Dairy Lobby.

@EricCrampton I believe in freedom too, just don't believe I can/should impede freedom of others! All good things in moderation...
— Ron Versteeg (@RVersteeg1) July 24, 2012

@RVersteeg1 And the freedom for a farmer to have a cow and sell its milk without having to buy permission from a cartel?
— Eric Crampton (@EricCrampton) July 24, 2012

@EricCrampton Does not override the freedom of a majority of Canadian farmers to get a fair price for their milk....
— Ron Versteeg (@RVersteeg1) July 24, 2012

@RVersteeg1 What of the freedom of a majority of milking machine manufacturers to get a 'fair' price by setting their own cartel?
— Eric Crampton (@EricCrampton) July 24, 2012

A good answer would have talked about cyclical weather effects hitting ag but perhaps not other industries; I'd then have pointed to potentials for insurance or hedging, and that plenty of industries face cyclical demand but haven't managed to establish a government-enforced cartel.

If freedom means "the freedom to get the price I want by making it illegal for anyone to compete with me", we've moved completely to EngSoc.