Fred Baker wrote:
The key thing in that definition is the lack of government intervention in its various forms. That's D'Arcy's point. Where there is government subsidy, regulation, or other intervention, it cannot be described as a free market.
I have always understood the issue to be the presence or absence of unfettered competition. Competition is good. It's lack is bad. Government can be one source of fettering. So can monopolization. So can post-purchase lock-in. Anything that restricts the ability of the consumer to make on-going choices for alternate sources of products and services. Which is to say, anything that alters the incentives of companies to provide better products at better prices. We ought to stop saying 'free' and instead say 'competitive'. d/ -- Dave Crocker Brandenburg InternetWorking bbiw.net