I going to do my damndest here to define the phrase “free and open markets” as used by the neocons and the Chicago School of economics. But don’t worry, I’m not an economist, so there’ll be no equations, no graphs, no attempt to optimally balance supply and demand. Just think of me as a no-nonsense regular guy who knows what he knows and doesn’t need no college-educated fancy pants to confuse him. You know, the kind of guy half of America would like to have a beer with. And is manly enough to end a sentence with a preposition.
So, here’s my basic definition: a free and open market is a system in which “the state” has no business interfering when the biggest boy takes the smallest boy’s lunch money every day. The bully in this system is merely acting in his own self-interest. He takes what the market will pay. And if the bully ends the year as the richest kid in class, that’s proof that the cream rises to the top. Hey barkeep, gimme a refill.
Of course, some of you communist namby-pambies will whine that it isn’t fair for the big kid to pick on the little kid. The world isn’t fair, so just shut up. The fittest survive (except in the story of creation). Those who pound their swords into plows will be plowing for those who don’t. Now is that clear enough for you tax-and-spend liberals? In case your head is too filled with book-learning to understand simple facts, let me wrap it up nice and neat in an American flag for you. You see, because of our Christian forebears and all the capitalist stuff they did, Amurka now has more bombs, more tanks, and more soldiers than anybody else. That means we are the strongest, we survived, and we get to collect our free market share.
Let’s look at a few of the great successes of the Milton Friedman school, shall we? . . . um, er, I mean, jump on down below the fold to see what I’m telling you. Wait, is there a fold on dd? Ah hell, I’ll just have to let it go. How does W keep that bs persona going?