To: Rarebird who wrote (197657 ) 3/24/2023 1:04:45 AM From: sense Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 217942 Free markets are an abstraction. They work in theory, but not in practice . Again... exactly the opposite is true.. Not "an abstraction" at all... just a simple enough set of "the right" rules... But, still, "the right rules" need to be enforced... and as any "rule" being enforced... that requires broad social agreement... and, probably, an educational system that doesn't have its head up its own ass... advocating to "tear it all down" ? Communists, capitalists and kings... don't want people to be free... and don't want truly free markets. Free markets, as in the United States today, are far more often implemented "in theory", than in practice... and, there is no broad social agreement in the U.S. any more. Democrats today even refuse to enforce the most obvious and common sense laws... including those other than the immigration laws... when "the law" itself is the definition of our social agreement. Not shockingly... those electing Soros branded prosecutors... get the anarchy they voted for... as the laws are not enforced ? The "brand" of "free markets" is well enough regarded... that there are many "knock offs" seeking to usurp the brand... and those on all sides lying about what a free market is and what it means and requires... Capitalists are the worst in that... as they try, on one hand, to convince others a free market is one in which there is no state intervention... so that no rules are applied to them as they impose fraud, monopoly and obstructions to market participation... and, as they speak thusly on one hand, on the other... also co-opt and use the power of the state to advantage themselves at others expense... licensing their frauds... granting themselves monopolies... enforcing "the rules" only partially, to benefit themselves, and obstruct competition... But, where-ever the basics HAVE been put in practice... as where-ever the trends in play are "moving things the right way" instead of miring down in the opposite trend... the "right rules" have been transformative... and quickly make their beneficiaries a source of others envy. Predictably enough... relative trends in change are easily identified and the results also easily observable... Hong Kong having provided a model for a long time prior... along with a sharp contrast... China's "miracle"... not all that miraculous given the trend in the "huge" changes made... And, the same was true once of the U.S. - from early days... and, then, incrementally lost... from 1812 on, growing increasingly wealthy, and as often, increasingly corrupt in parallel... until 1974... from which point corruption has more rapidly overtaken the source and benefits of wealth... "No fraud"... means "no corruption"... and, particularly not in that 10% for the big guy... ? But, for now, alas... pretty much everyone "heading the wrong way"..