The Free Market
Those who believe in the free market claim, and can usually prove, that it
provides the most benefits for the most people. Their advice:
provides the most benefits for the most people. Their advice:
Education
– Privatize the management of public schools.
– Admit students on the basis of achievement, not color, nor athletic ability.
– Group students according to achievement, not age.
– Hire teachers for ability, not credentials.
– Pay schools for results.
– Let parents choose the school for their kids or teach them at home.
– Admit students on the basis of achievement, not color, nor athletic ability.
– Group students according to achievement, not age.
– Hire teachers for ability, not credentials.
– Pay schools for results.
– Let parents choose the school for their kids or teach them at home.
Foreign affairs
– Show the wisdom of ‘trade, not aid’.
– Show how capitalism intertwines the economies of countries and lessens the
–chance of war.
– Show that it promotes political stability, which is basic to attracting investment.
–Capitalist countries progress more quickly than others. People inside
–authoritarian countries learn of this and press their governments for more
–capitalism.
– Show how it helped Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan.
– Show the damage caused by socialism.
– Show how capitalism intertwines the economies of countries and lessens the
–chance of war.
– Show that it promotes political stability, which is basic to attracting investment.
–Capitalist countries progress more quickly than others. People inside
–authoritarian countries learn of this and press their governments for more
–capitalism.
– Show how it helped Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan.
– Show the damage caused by socialism.
Health
– Explore the usefulness of the unlicensed health clinics used by the poor.
– Allow nurses, when qualified, to treat patients. Allow dental hygienists, when
–qualified, to work on teeth.
– Allow the free market to bring down the cost of health care.
– Allow nurses, when qualified, to treat patients. Allow dental hygienists, when
–qualified, to work on teeth.
– Allow the free market to bring down the cost of health care.
Housing
– Phase out rent control.
– Allow urban homesteading and cheaper, basic housing.
– Privatize public housing.
– Allow urban homesteading and cheaper, basic housing.
– Privatize public housing.
Labor
– Allow right to work, work at home, and automation.
– Phase out the minimum wage. Wages would seek their natural level. This would
–pull down union wages and save consumers great amounts of money.
– Allow many of the working class to leave school at 14 if they have jobs, as it is
–their orientation to go to work and start a family earlier than middle and upper
–classes youth. Laws requiring the 11th and 12th grades were supported by
–unions to keep the young from competing for jobs.
– Hire competence, not credentials nor color.
– Let employers decide when to retire workers.
– Show how the decline of unions has helped.
– Phase out the minimum wage. Wages would seek their natural level. This would
–pull down union wages and save consumers great amounts of money.
– Allow many of the working class to leave school at 14 if they have jobs, as it is
–their orientation to go to work and start a family earlier than middle and upper
–classes youth. Laws requiring the 11th and 12th grades were supported by
–unions to keep the young from competing for jobs.
– Hire competence, not credentials nor color.
– Let employers decide when to retire workers.
– Show how the decline of unions has helped.
Minorities
– Show how capitalism helps minorities who are underrepresented politically by
–giving them economic power and representation.
–giving them economic power and representation.
Privatization
– Show the success of private management of fire departments, parks,
–transportation, mail, schools, hospitals, and charities.
– Promote private justice through ‘rent-a-judge’, mediation, and arbitration.
– Privatize regulation. Private inspectors would bring order to the chaos of local,
–state, and federal codes. A manufacture would choose among private inspectors
– like Underwriters Laboratories which inspects electrical equipment. The private
–inspector would be more honest as his company is liable for mistakes. To avoid
–penalties or loss of business, the company would have to do a good job. The
–public would get the benefits of high technology and life-saving drugs made safe
–by private inspectors; not what we have now high-cost public regulation with no
–sense of safety, and in some areas, a lot of bribery.
–transportation, mail, schools, hospitals, and charities.
– Promote private justice through ‘rent-a-judge’, mediation, and arbitration.
– Privatize regulation. Private inspectors would bring order to the chaos of local,
–state, and federal codes. A manufacture would choose among private inspectors
– like Underwriters Laboratories which inspects electrical equipment. The private
–inspector would be more honest as his company is liable for mistakes. To avoid
–penalties or loss of business, the company would have to do a good job. The
–public would get the benefits of high technology and life-saving drugs made safe
–by private inspectors; not what we have now high-cost public regulation with no
–sense of safety, and in some areas, a lot of bribery.
Social programs
– Lower the minimum wage to create thousands of jobs for mental patients,
–runaways, dropouts, delinquents, derelicts, addicts, minorities, refugees,
–students, the handicapped and the aged. As one governor said, ‘The best social
–program is a job’.
– Consider setting welfare payments below the wage of the lowest worker to get
–people to look for work – as was done in 18th century England.
– Require those on welfare to work part or full time at volunteer or paid jobs.
–runaways, dropouts, delinquents, derelicts, addicts, minorities, refugees,
–students, the handicapped and the aged. As one governor said, ‘The best social
–program is a job’.
– Consider setting welfare payments below the wage of the lowest worker to get
–people to look for work – as was done in 18th century England.
– Require those on welfare to work part or full time at volunteer or paid jobs.
These three steps would help the poor by making them more responsible.
There would be fewer youths with free time and no work habits to fall into crime.
– Let social agencies make a profit. This would bring better management.
– Let business hire the homeless for sub-minimum wages plus room and board.
– Let the homeless settle where they could use cast-off material for building
– Let business hire the homeless for sub-minimum wages plus room and board.
– Let the homeless settle where they could use cast-off material for building
–shanties.
– Find out why some prisons are almost self-sufficient.
– Find out why many poor immigrants pass our poor.
– Show how capitalism makes the disadvantaged responsible, and how socialism
–does the opposite.
– Find out why many poor immigrants pass our poor.
– Show how capitalism makes the disadvantaged responsible, and how socialism
–does the opposite.
U.S. economy
– Show where less government involvement promotes better goods and services,
–like appliances, shopping centers, and cars.
– Show where more government involvement causes poor goods and services:
–shoddy postal service, poor elementary and secondary schooling, and poor long
–distance train service.
– Phase out tariffs with friendly countries. This would lower prices and force
–industries to face the realities of the international market.
– Reduce the capital gains tax. America’s is the highest in the modern world.
–like appliances, shopping centers, and cars.
– Show where more government involvement causes poor goods and services:
–shoddy postal service, poor elementary and secondary schooling, and poor long
–distance train service.
– Phase out tariffs with friendly countries. This would lower prices and force
–industries to face the realities of the international market.
– Reduce the capital gains tax. America’s is the highest in the modern world.
Misc
– Show how the free market could probably help the: nursing shortage, water
–shortage, solid waste disposal, protection of wildlife, medical care, insurance,
–illegal immigration, lack of science and math teachers, drug abuse, ‘amateur’
–sports in college, etc.
– Deregulate, lower taxes, and cut back government.
– In farming phase out government involvement, as price supports have brought
–surpluses and price controls have brought scarcities.
– Allow paralegals, where qualified, to do the work of lawyers.
–shortage, solid waste disposal, protection of wildlife, medical care, insurance,
–illegal immigration, lack of science and math teachers, drug abuse, ‘amateur’
–sports in college, etc.
– Deregulate, lower taxes, and cut back government.
– In farming phase out government involvement, as price supports have brought
–surpluses and price controls have brought scarcities.
– Allow paralegals, where qualified, to do the work of lawyers.
Most government functions were handled by the private sector at the turn of the
century. Returning to this would break up public monopolies. It would utilize people who
are less credentialed but often more able, as in private schools.
All of this is opposed by bureaucrats and unions as it threatens their jobs and
turf. It’s also opposed by many liberals in the media and academia who are leery of
profit and feel solutions should come from government. #
