There is a distinction between free-market principles, and the way people on the right use free-market rhetoric to justify redistributing less money from the we

There is a distinction between free-market principles, and the way people on the right use free-market rhetoric to justify redistributing less money from the wealthy to the poor. There is nothing that I have said that would rule out a highly progressive tax system, and a generous welfare system. In fact that is exactly what I would recommend. I don't think the US is particularly free economically. It is true that most developed countries have higher minimum wages and, for example, more powerful unions, but this is not, in my opinion, why they have less inequality. They have less inequality because they have more progressive tax systems, and more generous welfare systems. Also the US has more cultural diversity, and many people (e.g. living in poor rural areas) could earn more money if they were willing to choose a very different lifestyle.