zlacker

Ethically, you are standing on firm ground. Unfortunately, he’s talking about free markets, where price and demand are set by the market, free of any government interference. Those who truly believe in the Free Market believe that buyers will ultimately see through deception and poor conduct and make purely rational and pragmatic decisions.

This being the Real World means pure free markets are impossible and in fact dishonesty and chincanery can utterly distort markets, leading to all sorts of perverse outcomes.

Ironically, for a free market to operate well, you must have reasonable constraints on market participants.

>>chris_+(OP)
> free of any government interference

This is incorrect. Free markets rely on enforcement of contracts, property rights, and prohibitions on force and fraud. This requires a government.

For example, stealing from your neighbor is not a free market operation. Neither is delivering someone a Ford when you sold it as a Ferrari.

>>Walter+Iq
You selectively quoted me. I actually wrote:

> [in free markets,] price and demand are set by the market, free of any government interference

I said nothing about contract enforcement, property rights or prohibitions on force or fraud.

>>chris_+vB
You also wrote in the next sentence:

> pure free markets are impossible and in fact dishonesty and chincanery can utterly distort markets

My point stands. Dishonesty and chicanery are not condoned by the free market, because they're fraud and theft.

>>Walter+rh1
That's a fair comment.