ok well... the thing is when you get into governmental interventions more often than not we see failures. IMO a truly free market without federal regulations would improve competition in nearly all markets. the problem is that governmental intervention has allowed the corporate few to rape its customers while widespread dissidense is occuring. In a truly free market any company that is prercieved as rapind its clients or even a slight taking of advantage would be discarded and ultimately deemed unprofitable further deturring others form attempting to take advantage of customers. You have to realise that half of your purchases are based on experience or second hand experience from a customer. If people are unhappy with a service the void will be filled with some one else looking to make money. thats why a free market works. it actively protects itself from unnecessary cost spikes and unsavory characters. in any form of gov't there will always be the 1% that controls 80% of the wealth. only in a true free market are those people recognized as crooks and expose their pitfalls hoping to encourage competition... rant and rant some more i will... yoda i am...
I pretty much have to wholeheartedly disagree...
In a perfect world, your ideals about the "free market" may be so, but in this world, I don't think so...without any govenment regulation our country would be even more of an oligarchy than it already is and the products/services offered & work environment would suffer bc of it, and so would quality of life... THIS HAS BEEN PROVEN IN BOTH RECENT AND IN EARLY INDUSTRIAL AMERICAN HISTORY...
If not for early govt regulation (anti-trust laws, min. wage laws, child labor laws, 40-hr work week, etc.) American capitalism would have evolved into the patron/clent system it has nearly become today much sooner.
Do you honestly believe that without oversight and regulation, that mega corporations of today (which, at one point in our recent history were not even allowed to exist bc of the havoc that monopolies and trusts wreak on a truly free market) would not just fuck us over for every extra dollar they could make?? You believe that because someone could provide a better service or product, that they will actually be able to COMPETE??
Welcome to the 21st century....That doesn't happen anymore. If it did, paper would be made of hemp and we would be driving the hydro cars that GM Exxon and Chernobyl will not allow on the market.
I find your ideals of the free market and "choices" naive--, for one--we do not dictate the market--the market dictates us.
When I drive across the country I see the SAME SHIT from coast to coast--the same gas stations, restaurants, retail stores....
Becasue of laissez-faire govt regulations, mega corps now control pretty everything on the market---they ate up small business and the american dream.
I think you mistake the Bush administrations complete ignorance on how to run anything--inc. & esp.the SEC--with failed govt intervention. The problem is that there was NO intervention for eight years.
Capitalism favors only those with capital. And behind every great fortune, there lies a great crime. You do the math.