WHAT is a 'Free' Market?

[TOM4CWB]

PrairieSodBuster,

" How many of you who want to be "free" are willing to do without everything the government provides and really be free marketers? If everyone all agrees to do the same I'm there. However if you want to have only certain "benefits" and only play the way that you want. Then you are not a free marketer. Everything has rules and responsibilities. Being a true free marketer means you are completely on your own, no government help of any kind."

I dispute your logic.

Without rules; there can be NO market.

If the EU and US; let alone China and India... subsidise and distort international grain and livestock markets... how can there be a 'free' market for Canadian growers and our produce?

So what, are you PrairieSodBuster, actually trying to say about the CWB?

Are you trying to tell us the CWB is a subsidy?

[SASKFARMER3]

I agree tom with you, prairie boy if you think us farmers are subsidised buy the CWB you must be smoking some pretty strong stuff. Never never have the CWB subsidised farmers. It helped mother England over and over and helped out special buyers but to help farmers come on that's a stretch.
Let the smoke out don't hold in as long buzz wont be as great. Cause your smoking something.

[Fransisco]

Of course we need rules.

Property rights for instance. How could we possibly enjoy our property without them.

We also need the courts to enforce our contracts and settle disputes.

Its one of those kooky twists of logic, so prevalent on the left, to claim that being in favour of something like a voluntary CWB is akin to anarchy.

[jdepape]

I agree Fransisco - to me, a "free market" is one where market forces provide meaningful information and incentives and you are free to respond appropriately.

A market that provides an incentive to deliver wheat now but doesn't allow you to is not a free market.

[Fransisco]

Then there is the flip side where people think that the more rules you have the more civilized your society will be. That's simply not the case. Sometimes its stupid rules that lead to anarchy. Like the kind this guy talks about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWw7H4m389o&feature=player_embedded