I'm having an argument on a Swedish Marxist blog about wether laissez faire has been tested or not. I'm arguing that it really hasn't. He argues that it has in Manchester in the 1800s and in New York in the 1920s and that it didn't end well. Immediately I realized I didn't have the knowledge to engage in such a discussion, but there I am.
Now I need your help. I cannot imagine that there are valid examples of failed "real" laissez faire installations. Can there? My world is shaking under my feet just thinking it. Gimme some ammo I can fire back at this Marxist, please.
Save me! =)
There is no ruler who can compare in virtue with a condition of non-rule -Pau Ching-yen, 400 AD
Rhetoric/Framework: http://mises.org/Community/forums/p/12358/273479.aspx#273479
Great info: http://mises.org/Community/forums/t/15824.aspx
Thanks! Truly good stuff. Not on the exact target of Manchester and NY enough to be picked as an "Answer", but still, those threads are like a goldmine of great information.
Yeah. Don't let him dictate the terms of debate with you. You can probably find examples of where people used their freedom to exclude minorities or oppress people. The human race isn't perfect. The free market doesn't fix all your problems overnight, but it will do it over time.
Yes working 48 hours a week in an assembly line sucks, but it beats the hell out of working 60 hours a week on your family farm. Sustenance living ftl.