Free Markets and Regulation

I posit that the free market doesn't allow for the improvement of choices. Neither does centralization of Government.

Tedhnological expansion and improvement of intellectual occupations do this.

Yes, Free Market is not perfect.
While greater choice does not equal a happier society (try measuring happiness anyway), it helps to reduce confrontation. The more you regulate, the more incentives you give to rebel against the system. A higher degree of freedom is expected to be more politically stable even if it doesn't guarantee a beter lifestyle.

>>2159811
Behavioural Economics has sought to clarify such problems in its investigation of the manner in which information is shared and not shared between consumers and sellers.

I do not understand how Free Marketeers can continue to rely on this underlying assumption throughout all methods of debate.

Surely what we should be driving towards is a greater standard of living or longevity of such living not greater choice!

If I were to tell a Free Marketeer that we ought to restrict the ability for one to murder another, they would wholeheartedly agree! "Of course!" they would say! But when it comes to say restricting the ability for an individual who holds position in office to not be allowed to move from the public sector to the private sector after his retirement, they cry out that we are restricting their freedoms!

Well, I very much would like to tell you, it matters not to me if the freedoms of such an individual are restricted if they got into the job knowing such a thing would take place and knowing that such a decision would serve as a conflict of interest!

That isn't to say I am against the Free Market, only to the manner in which the debate is taken.

>>2159803
THIS

FREE MARKET =/= GREATER CHOICE

eventually it always ends up with a few big companies

The 'free market' that libertarians fap so much to also relies on the violent enforcement of property rights to divide men between those who own the means of production and those who have to sell their labor.

>>2159882
And?

>>2159882
Way to miss the point of the thread, Che.

>>2159842
>what we should be driving towards is a greater standard of living or longevity of such living not greater choice!
I agree with you on that example you gave. If it is known that said restriction will take place.

Greater choice = more competition = higher quality and lower price = happier society

>>2159932
It seems you haven't understood the OP.

Your post contains within it a great deal of assumptions about the nature of people and is written in a manner that assumes these things are fixed rules.

If greater choice and competition equates to happier society, why is the Eastern world much happier, family orientated and less likely to commit suicide compared to its Western counterparts? This is a known fact displayable in many studies.

Why don't you explain that? Would you rather a happier society or a society with greater choice for cheap goods when the very point of having greater cheap goods is to create happiness?

You do realise what problems you are leading into, correct?

>>2159953
Yes, now I understand my mistake, I should have said "society with a greater standard of living" instead of "happier society".

As a materialist, I believe that material prosperity is more important than happiness. People that live in South Korea may be less happy than people that live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but ask yourself, in which of these two countries would you rather live?

>>2159780
>every debate on the Free Market always hold the underlying assumption that greater choice = better society or that greater choice = happier society
You are just talking to the wrong people. That may be the most common mainstream experience but if you talk to anyone who is even a little bit socialist you wont find any of that. I agree with you it is a generally stupid assumption, but not everyone by far abides by it.

>>2159953
>why is the Eastern world much happier, family orientated and less likely to commit suicide compared to its Western counterparts
South Korea and Japan are eastern and have the highest rates of suicide in the world - which eastern country do you mean?

>>2160172
Those are capitalist countries, retard. He clearly meant Eastern non-capitalist countries.

>>2159953
>>2160172
This suicide meme had to stop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate

South Korea #2
Japan #17
United States #50
Canada #70
China #94
UK #105
Saudi Arabia #170 (The Lowest)

I don't know about you guys, but I see almost no pattern between east vs west, capitalism etc. Stop over simplifying

>>2159932
Greater choice = more competition =/= free market at late stage