The markets that are most free

[Fred Hansen]

I was responding to someone in another thread Here, and the person I was responding to pointed out (quite rightly) that we were hijacking the thread. So I thought I would take his last response to what I was saying, and continue the discussion.

"A little bit pregnant?" It's called a mixed market economy. Most countries today have some kind of regulation of markets. That would make most countries today socialist including the USA, the most powerful economy in history. You might want to rethink your definition of socialism unless you want to give "statists" a resounding endorsement.

Whew! Thanks for proving my point in record time!

I think that most people understand that the United States has had the most free economy - for the longest number of years - than that of any other country on Earth. And yet, despite not being the largest country, nor the oldest/most established, nor the largest in population, despite all of that, we have "...the most powerful economy in history."

Thank you.

 

[Tamara]

That would make most countries today socialist including the USA, the most powerful economy in history.

Well, we aren't a socialist country, but we do have a lot of socialist government meddling in the market. If we can run this fast dragging that ball and chain, imagine how successful we could be without it.

"...yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way." -Noted Right-Wing Whacko, Hank T., 1849

Besides, the freedom to acquire stuff, own stuff, and dispose of stuff as you see fit is one of the most basic freedoms there is, whether you're Bill the grocer or Bill Gates.

 

[Halcon]

True, but I don't think that because some privatization is good it follows that total privatization is better.

 

[glock glockler]

Halcon,

Aside from the military, I curious which markets you've observed that function better with govt meddling as opposed to free markets? It seems to me the markets where we have the most govt meddling (healthcare, education) are always the sectors of the economy with the most problems and that are in a perpetual crisis. The tech markets, OTOH, have almost not govt meddling and seem to be the ones with the most progress.

 

[Ben Swenson]

Glock,
Why not the military? Don't like the idea of hiring Admiral Bob's Global Security or General Jim's Defense Systems for all of your security needs? Any particular reason other than sheer convenience that our national identity (and thus, our "right" to protection by our military) has to be based on physical location or location of birth as opposed to basic beliefs?

 

[Tamara]

glock glockler,

Aside from the military, I curious which markets you've observed that function better with govt meddling as opposed to free markets?

Medicine, mail/parcel delivery, and education, of course. These are all examples of things that are so much more reliable when run by the gov't.

 

[Halcon]

Most services have been performed by both private and government entities at one time or another. Even the military has been privatised at times: the use of privateers in the early US, and mercenaries in Europe until the 19th century. Both were discarded in favor of full time standing militaries (and now volunteer militaries). Anyway, we have a useful track record to see what functions the government does well, and what functions the market does well.

I think I mentioned the travails of private prisons in another thread; the national road system is another good example. The free market did an abyssmal job of building and maintaining roads for much of the country's history. Well into the 20th century road conditions were generally horrible in rural areas; roads were seen as a local/state responsibility. It was left to the "meddling" federal government to build our interstate highway system.

 

[atek3]

The free market did an abyssmal job of building and maintaining roads for much of the country's history. Well into the 20th century road conditions were generally horrible in rural areas; roads were seen as a local/state responsibility. It was left to the "meddling" federal government to build our interstate highway system.

You sir might want to re-read your US history. I'd recommend the book "The Voluntary City". Toll roads, one of the "for profit" road systems in early American history were hobbled by state laws. Laws, for example, that required the toll road owner to allow people to travel the road without paying.

As a democrat, you probably favor interventions in the labor market. Would you state emphatically that Federally regulating hours, wages, and conditions has improved the overall standard of living in this country, and if so, how?


atek3

 

[Halcon]

Lots of local roads were provided for, sure, but interstate roads and roads in the rural areas were in a terrible state.