Free Market

Much to the chagrin of republicans, the free market was never a license to take whatever you can from whomever you can. While many on the right would like markets to be completely unregulated, past history has shown that greed trumps economic nature. Alan Greenspan finally came around and admitted that there is a need to regulate markets. Whether the 1929 depression or the 2008 recession is proof of the power of greed over market’s self regulatory power, it should be obvious to everyone that there is a need for controls to prevent thievery and other market manipulation. The mortgage crisis, banking failures, insurance and investment crashes were all the result of loosening or eliminating regulations that should have prevented these catastrophes. It is interesting how the voices that continually cried for less government when riding high began to plead for government assistance when the bottom fell out of their ventures. No one really needs government when things are good, but when there is a need for government, the need is for competent government. Republicans’ continual plea for less government were the first to act for help when it was necessary to bail out banks, wall street, and the auto industry. It is past time for those on the right to acknowledge their dependence on the resources of government and stop their damaging rhetoric which totally lacks truth. Quit confusing free speech with free markets.