What is a Free Market?

I recently read an opinion article that included description of a free market, and I was quite shocked. It explained that a free market would make a person “responsible for building and maintaining his own roads” and “dig [his] own well and septic tank as well as build [his] own personal wind turbine to produce [his] own electricity.” I don't think anyone could be in favor of a market that was basically every man for himself. But this depiction doesn't describe anything that has to do with a free market.

Any market is made up of individuals interacting with each other and making choices. Often we talk about a market as some sort of entity of its down driving around willy-nilly and sometimes causing mayhem. But there is no such animal. That would be like saying if you live in North Carolina then there is only one way of life or one way of thinking. Our market is actually millions of people working together to find the best way to get what they want by giving something to someone else.

Wait – How can a market function with everyone running around just trying to get what they want? Well, most people realize that whether you pay for something with taxes or if you purchase it from a business, there is no such thing as a free lunch. This is what drives someone to open a burger restaurant or start a car wash or just provide their labor as an employee so that they can provide a product or service to others. In turn, they will receive compensation in the form of money that they can use to get what they want. It takes some people longer than others to figure it out, but eventually most people realize that the best way to get what you want is by giving.

When buying gasoline, most people choose a station that gives them the best price. But when buying a steak, most people buy from whoever is giving the better quality. When people work at a job that they enjoy and that pays them well, they give more of their attention and dedication to their employer. McDonald's isn't the most successful fast food chain because they take more of your money, they're more successful because they give the most convenience and consistency. When you purchase a Big Mac, they are required to give you a burger, the convenience and the consistency are given freely.

What does this have to do with a free market? Let's contrast the opposite – a restricted market. In a restricted market, the spirit of giving is removed. For example, in the hotly-contested Obamacare bill, health insurance companies are required to allow a child up to 26 years old to ride on their parents' policy. There is no spirit of giving in such a requirement, but you will pay for it with either taxes or premiums, whether you have any children or not. This is an example of taking, not giving and it is a very clear difference.

Free should not be confused with anarchist. Government is desirable and necessary in any market. A well-functioning government provides a guarantee of safety and penalty for fraud. Most countries rife with poverty are home to violence, corruption, or both. No matter how much the governments of these countries try to manage their markets and monetary policy, their conditions will never improve until they are strong enough to rid themselves of violence and corruption.

Believing in the free market is the recognition that anything worth having is worth earning. It is also the understanding that the best way to earn something is to give of yourself first, and then you can receive, and often more than you have given.

License Plate Agency: A Happy Place

As I approached the counter to renew my tags for this year, the woman on the other side greeted me with an unfeeling, blank stare. She asked if she could help me with about as much enthusiasm as someone asking to be poked in the eye. While handing over some papers, I explained that I needed to renew my tags. She began clicking away at her keyboard and staring into her monitor, but there was still no human reaction from her whatsoever. She turned from her computer and looked upon me with disdain. “You need to have an inspection first. Number four,” she scolded while pointing to the rules. After handing over my inspection papers, she explained that my VIN number had been recorded incorrectly and that the inspection papers would need to be fixed first. I thanked her and walked away.

As I headed toward the inspection station, I pondered why this woman had treated me so coldly. After all, she is basically doing government work. Aren't we told that the government wants to help us? Why didn't this woman seem enthusiastic to help me at all? Doesn't she have a good job? Shouldn't she be living a happy life, doing the government's work? Being a good person? What was wrong here? Even though this particular office is contracted out, it is far from the model of a free-market enterprise. Regulations are strictly in force for their operations, many details dictated by the state. Perhaps the woman had dealt with many unhappy, demanding, frustrating customers earlier that day. There was no one in line when I arrived, but maybe earlier she'd had some unhappy customers. Why should the government have any unhappy customers? Isn't all this license plate renewal stuff supposed to be good for the citizens, in our best interest? What is there to be unhappy about it?

I honestly don't understand it. Here is a woman doing the government's work, sitting in the same place for eight hours a day, five days a week, pushing the same buttons on the same computer. And this woman makes no particular effort to care about me at all, and treats me like an idiot. I could teach my five year old daughter how to do her job. A complete moron could do her job. But there she sits with her government rulebook full of regulations as proof of her superiority. And these regulations are her only concern. No concern for me as a driver, for the safety-readiness of my vehicle, or for me as a customer. What private business in their right mind would turn me away because I misspelled my name? But if I leave one number out of what is obviously the VIN to my car, it is rejected.

After some careful thought, I realized that I am completely wrong about all of this. This woman wasn't cold or disdainful. It was me, projecting my Tea Party feelings of frustration and anger on her. As a conservative I'm just so full of hate that I can't see anything else. This woman obviously has the perfect job which keeps her content. She serves many happy citizens every day because as we all know, the government exists to make us happy.

Government is a great health care administrator

America: Choice is Freedom

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson and our other forefathers produced the Declaration of Independence, the foundation of our country, our freedom, and our Choice. As a free nation, we declared certain truths to be self-evident and of the natural order, that we have the inalienable Choice of our life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

This Choice is what defines American freedom. The Choice of the People is above the choice of any government. The American Government was created to "provide new Guards for [our Choices'] future security." The existence of a government is to solely provide this security, the Choice of the individual People.

It is our Bill of Rights which spells out in detail this right to Choice. The rights of the People guaranteed, apart from the responsibilities given the Government in the rest of the Constitution. This Bill of Rights guarantees us the choice to our faith, the choice to our speech, the choice to press and publication. The People are given the right of choice to bear arms, so that we may provide our own protection to our Life and our Liberty. This freedom of Choice is to be free from hindrance of our Government, so we are guaranteed due process and protection against unreasonable searches and self-incrimination. And the rights not specifically given to our national Government are reserved for our States and our People.

These freedoms are Choices. We have the freedom to speak, but we are not required to do so. We have the freedom to arm ourselves, but we are not required to carry a gun. Our Government provides protection for these choices through our many laws. The idea is that these Choices will be protected, except where they may infringe upon the Choices of other People. The freedom to choose is of the Natural Law. It is self-evident regardless of political persuasion or religious ideals.

It is these Choices that we the People wish to protect. It is when these choices are disregarded or diminished that we, the People, become most angry.

It is widely accepted that the American health care system needs quite a bit of work. But the causes, extent of the problems, and how to address these problems make for extremely polarizing debate. Most Americans welcome the benefits of the reform that is currently being debated. Provide a way to insure those with pre-existing conditions. Prevent insurance companies from dropping coverage at will. Limit health expenses and reduce costs. Provide easier, more affordable ways to get health insurance. Change the medical environment that encourages cost explosion. Who wouldn't want these things? Why are half of Americans against these changes for their own benefit?

In our current system, we do not have a lot of choice over our own health care. It is the insurance companies' choice if we get coverage and how much we get. It is the health providers' choice how much it will cost. It is our government's choice how the insurance companies and the health providers operate and in which States. These are the things which we reject. These are the things that must change. Choice must be returned to the People.

With the plan presented by the Congress, this choice has been reduced, ignored, even trampled upon. Politicians are having a hard time giving benefits away, and many do not understand why. We the People demand the Choice, it is our right and our freedom. For anyone else, including (or especially) the Government to take the choice away from the health care system, only to give it to themselves instead of the People, is a violation of our Declaration of Independence and our Bill of Rights. When the Government is ready to return the Choice to the People, they will have my full support, and the support of many others.

Note: For those who thought that this would be an article about abortion, I want to address the confusion about abortion and choice. Let me be clear. Abortion is the complete negative, the opposite of choice. For 92% of women who have abortions, it was their choices which led to their pregnancy. The science that a baby not yet born is in fact a living, unique person, with their own DNA, is indisputable. For the other 8% of women who were victims of rape, incest, or health conditions, it was not their choice to be in their position. That choice was removed from them and it is a grievous evil. It was also not their child's choice to be created, that opportunity is not provided to any of us. But to remove the choice of life from a living child is also a wrong, against the Natural Law, which cannot make up for any other wrong. For this reason it is important that all of us do whatever we can to help those women around us who are in desperate need. These are not problems which can be solved by laws or governments, but by People.