Has there ever been a compiled, comprehensive, and detailed list of successes of the free-market in specific industries across the world, past or present?
I know the computer and entertainment technology industries are often (vaguely) cited and understood; but has anyone ever bothered to compile a complete archive, if you will, of study on this particular subject?
I think such a thing would be a rather valuable resource for free-market advocates, libertarians, and 'Austrians' in general in our push toward a freer society, but I don't think I've ever come across any such list in my own studies.
Cabal:I think such a thing would be a rather valuable resource for free-market advocates
If any list is to be compiled, it is only a list of alleged market failures so that one by one, they can be debunked as needed.
A list of market successes is a completely misguided idea. Such a list would grant market opponents way too much undeserved credit, as if there was actually an alternative to the market economy that you need to make a list of "proven" successes for the market.
There is no alternative to the market. Socialism is "no economy at all"(Mises), and the third system (Interventionism) is nothing but a sabotaged market economy. But it is still a market economy. The question then is, as Mises puts it, who should be master? I'm not going to make a list to convince others that I should be granted control over my own property.
I don't think it would be possible.
Just consider the number of times and locations in which bread has been sold over the course of human history. That alone amounts to trillions of transactions and thus free-market successes.
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"Even when leftists talk about discrimination and sexism, they're damn well talking about the results of the economic system" ~Neodoxy
I agree with DD5, a list of so called "market failiures" would be much more useful.
Why not have both, market failures and successes? Compiling a list of successes isn't giving anyone credit, it's simply providing empirical evidence for further support of the libertarian economic position. Fact of the matter is that we don't have free-markets regardless of the substantial evidence of interventionist and socialist failures, so it stands to reason that broadening our evidence vault to also encompass positive outcomes certainly can't hurt our position.