Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 42

Thread: What is the definition of a "Free Market"?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    5,006

    Default What is the definition of a "Free Market"?

    One of the statements in our mission statement is...to advance and defend God given liberty...by promoting free markets...

    So, the question popped up: What is a free market? And are there any free markets in the world? Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    5,771

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Lapland, TN
    Posts
    13,400

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dmatic View Post
    One of the statements in our mission statement is ....
    Who is "our"?

    O.W.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    5,006

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Oscar Wilde View Post
    Who is "our"?

    O.W.
    Our local Tea Party Patriot group.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    5,006

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Samuel Adams View Post
    No government interference, period.

    Buyer beware.
    By interference, do you mean price controls and regulations, or even the assurance of honesty and enforcement of just weights and measures as well?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    WA Coast
    Posts
    4,774

    Default

    In the simplest sense, it is an economy in which the government does not set prices and wages. But since all governments regulate in ways that affect price and wages, it is aspirational rather than absolute. This is similar to the concept of freedom in general. Having a government that makes rules is in direct opposition to freedom, but we trade away a certain amount of freedom for safety and stability.


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    5,771

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    14,164

    Default

    Buyer beware? SELLER beware too.

    Around here you see the free market peeking out from under the rubble of the government controlled economy in various ways. A lot of "illegal" food trucks parked on the road around payday as someone tries to make a little money, or the fishermen sell their catch on the side of the road in front of their houses.

    I never go to one of those food stands the first time I see it. I want it to know it's been in place for awhile and plenty of other people are eating there too. Why? Because if they were selling bad food nobody would stand for it. The answer to getting food poisoning or finding out you've been eating dog meat wouldn't be, "I'm going to report you to the government" but instead it would be losing some teeth when the angry public catches up to you.

    More often than not the government protects bad businesses from the people they've screwed over. I don't know exactly what a free market looks like since they haven't existed in the United States since before I was born. But I have seen glimpses of what markets look like outside of government control and I tend to prefer those.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Lapland, TN
    Posts
    13,400

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dmatic View Post
    Our local Tea Party Patriot group.
    Ah ... a great marketing jingle. Sounds good but I don't believe ya'll'd be the first to try 'n hang your hat on it.

    Quote Originally Posted by dmatic View Post
    our mission statement is...to advance and defend God given liberty...by promoting free markets...
    Liberty, "free market", same same and baring strong arm imposition are naturally occurring phenomena.

    Somehow, someway, someone convinced a significantly larger portion of peepses to surrender the fruits of their labor to further empower that someone ... little girls can't sell cookies or lemonade on the sidewalk in front of their homes without storm troopers showin up to demand permit. Ya got your work cut out for ya.

    O.W.


  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Fly-over country
    Posts
    8,189

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Samuel Adams View Post
    No government interference, period.

    Buyer beware.
    Allowing cheating is alright? At am minimum, I'd be cool with enough careful government supervision to avoid the corruption of weights and measures.

    Supervision of the government too. I favor enough government control that would prevent most of us becoming serfs.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •