Free Markets

Michael,

As far as I'm concerned you just conceded the argument.

you wrote, "You have been seriously misinformed. A free market is not anarchy. A free market is not "the absence of government".

This is just another way of saying there is no such thing as a true free market. I always say the last time we had a free market we lived in caves. You are right. Markets need government. Without some basic rules they can not function. So as soon as you make one single law to help markets I can turn around and use your "outraged that your violating my rights" argument against you. For example if we decide our government wants markets the first thing we might need is a legal system to respect business contracts and such. I would say. How dare you violate my rights and force me to pay for a legal system to support your business. GET IT?

you wrote, .."In a free market, there is complete seperatation of economics and state..."

Well HELLO, that's what I'm talking about. Are you trying to tell me we have this separation?? The PhARMA example shows we don't.

You wrote, .."It is worse than false to unilaterally declare that corporations must exist for the benefit of society. No man has the right to declare that others must work for his benefit."


NO NO NO...its worse then false to assume Corporations have a right to exist AT ALL in our democracy or under our constitution unless we say they can exist. Once we allow for their existence THEY OPERATE under the rules WE make for them...don't like the rules??? Then don't incorporate. This is a country of people not corporations.

You wrote,

"As an advocate of free markets and capitalism, I am adamantly opposed to such programs. But the root of this problem is not the existence of corporations -- the root is the notion that the government must regulate the economy, must have the power to create welfare programs like Medicare."

This argument falls apart for the previous reasons I stated. If we as a people want Medicare we have a right for it to exist. I'd love for every Republican to run on a platform to dismantle Medicare. And absolutely government can regulate the economy because true free markets DO NOT EXIST. Sure if you don't want the government regulating your business then conduct it without the use of Treasury made, tax payer supported notes of Legal tender, do it without patent protection and without the courts to enforce your collections and contracts. In other words do it from your cave and we won't bother you one bit.

You wrote,

"It seems to me you are switching arguments here. Previously you claimed that income disparity exists because corporations force income redistribution. But surely you see that corporations do not have this power -- only government has it."


This is a perversion of my argument. A perversion of fact. You want to make the problem the government when in fact it is corporate abuse of the government that is the problem. Your solution requires the dismissal of the very government that business and corporations are dependent on. Your blaming the bank for what the robber took.


Finally you wrote,
"If you are upset by such things, you should be advocating the repeal of all the laws that give government the power to create monstrosities such as Medicare. "

Repeal representative democracy? Sorry don't think so. Again be my guest running on such a platform.

"You should advocate that government’s function be strictly limited to the protection of individual rights, and that government be prohibited from economic interference or regulation."

The camels back is broken. The above statement would require us to go live out of caves once again. You want NO government control of business?... then no business. You can't have it both ways.

Always remember OF, BY and FOR the PEOPLE and you can't go wrong.