To paraphrase Lenin, in politics there are no ideologies, only expedience. Free markets are useful to promulgate when you're in the process of consolidating pow

To paraphrase Lenin, in politics there are no ideologies, only expedience. Free markets are useful to promulgate when you're in the process of consolidating power, as they remove the barriers to the monopolistic capture of various parts of the social and economic fabric. Once things have frayed to the point that people are on the edge of revolt, you have to march in authoritarianism to "properly" direct their political hostility.