Free Market Round-Up

For the next few weeks I'm taking What's Wrong with the World Wednesday in a new direction. It's been an increasingly negative place, and though I know people will yell at me no matter what I say, I thought I would focus on some positives and try to be solution-oriented. So, here's a teaser for What's Right with the World Wednesdays: Free Market Round-Up. Also, I want to hear from more readers - what confuses you about the economy? Do you have trouble figuring out who the bad guys really are? Are you worried about your future? What steps are you taking to ensure your financial and personal liberties are secure?

Momma, what's a Freakmarket?
I'll begin by clarifying some misconceptions about the free market. What the heck is it anyways? Even if you are "against the free market," can you explain to me your logical reasons why? Or are you just ranting, fearful, and looking to vent your anger?

Undeniable Free Market Success Stories
There are myriad examples of free market success. From saving the elephants to keeping rivers clean, the free market along with its friend, private property rights protections, can go a long way to help the environment and protect consumers.

When the Free Market Fails
The free market can fail. Of course. But we have to be clear on what aspects are failing, and where regulation or lack of regulation has caused problems. Sadly, a lack of comprehension of basic economic thought leads people to shoot one-liners like, "Corporations are responsible for greed, waste, and the recent financial collapse." I hope to help clear up what the heck all that gobbledegook means.

Let's Fix the Problem, Not Blame
Politicians are the players who can cause the fastest and most sweeping changes. Unfortunately, because there are only two sides to the political coin, there is a lot of pitting ideas against each other and sizing them up. I write about this all the time. That will never end, so we have to accept it as part of the debate and solution process. But I hope to attempt to move beyond the blame game to solutions that work in reality.