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Free-market liberalism has been the dominant ideology for almost 200 years. If it hasn't solved poverty yet, there must be something wrong with the argument tha
by cia_plant 17y ago
Free-market liberalism has been the dominant ideology for almost 200 years. If it hasn't solved poverty yet, there must be something wrong with the argument that it will inevitably solve poverty.
- CWuestefeld 17y agoIf it hasn't solved poverty yet, there must be something wrong Or, perhaps it hasn't really been tried. I would challenge you to cite an area where the market really is free. I don't think there's any industry for which you could make this claim. But the areas that have come closest are also the ones that have shown the greatest advances, and the most productivity. While I'm afraid of derailing off the topic of solving poverty, I think it's important to point out how the free-market fallacy is central in the current healthcare debate. Those in favor of universal healthcare argue that the free market system has failed. The funny thing is, the current healthcare industry is just about the least free market in America. In particular, bizarre insurance regulations, following salary controls (put into place by FDR, but doesn't it sound familiar today?) set up an environment where it's virtually impossible for an individual to obtain health insurance, with insurance now being almost entirely provided by either the employer or the government. This wasn't because of the free market -- it's because of meddling of government.