[Autolykos]

Understand that you're not just baiting here -- you're dishing out chum to hungry sharks.

Quote by: sdbest Even the most modest research effort produces an extraordinary number of scholarly articles debunking the Conservative and Libertarian notions of the efficacy of "Free Markets", for example ECONOMIC MYTHS by David C. Korten.

I think it would be more accurate to say "an extraordinary number of scholarly articles claiming to debunk the Conservative and Libertarian notions of the efficacy of 'Free Markets'". Currently I'm reading the "Economic Myths" article that you linked to. A review of it will be forthcoming.

It seems that faith in free markets correcting most human problems is just that "faith." And, like faith in a god, there seems to be little empirical evidence--but lots of theory--to justify absolute faith in something (like gods) that has never existed, can never exist, and which, if it did, would wreck havoc on the lives of most people.

Now this is interesting. I can't speak for others here, but personally I have no faith in anything, including free markets. Rather, I simply consider free markets to be the natural outcome of human beings interacting with one another peacefully. The alternative is to initiate violence, which brings (or attempts to bring) government.

I don't claim that free markets will correct human problems. Actually, I'm not even sure just what you mean by "human problems". Everyone seems to have a different idea of what is a problem and what is not. What is important is recognizing that solving one human problem (in one person's view) can give rise to others (in other people's or even the same person's views), meaning that there are no absolute problems and solutions. Rather, they exist as trade-offs. One does not need faith to recognize this apparent fact.

However, in the same breath, you claim that free markets have never existed and that, indeed, they cannot exist in the first place! If that is so, then why spend your time and energy chasing a shadow? You undermine your own claim by arguing against free markets in the first place, which implies that you think they can exist.

- Rob