Things like Enron, bad lending practices and on and on, I do believe we'd all share a common dislike. But in my case, and I only speak for myself, sadly these things have always been with us and I say this not to suggest we throw up our hands and accept. But where you see gov't as the means to protect you and eliminate the risk, I see gov't as a mechanism of breeding that spreads the disease further afield.
One of the most common and misleading myths declared by conservatives and Libertarians is the idea that the free market is “natural” – that it exists in some natural world, separate from government. In this view, government rules and regulations only “interfere” with the natural beneficial workings of the market. Even the term “free market” implies that it can exist free from government and that is prospers best when government leaves it alone. Nothing could be IMO further from the truth. In reality, a market economy does not exist separate from government – it is very much a product of government rules and regulations. The dirty little secret of our “free” market system is that it would simply not exist as we know it without presence of an active government that creates and maintains the rules and conditions that allow it to operate efficiently.
Freedom. Market capitalism requires freedom. People must be free to sell their labor, to invest their money, and so on. This is so basic that we sometime forget about it.
Property Rights. Without the right to own property and dispose of it as you wish, capitalism as we know it could not exist. These rights are created and protected by the government.
Law and Order. A market system cannot work well without a functioning criminal justice system. Otherwise, organized crime would easily take over large sectors of the business community. Extortion, bribery, kidnapping, and murder would become the reigning corporate model. Without the rule of law, our economy would resemble the “mafia capitalism” that Russia has suffered from in its transition to capitalism.
Limited Liability Laws. Capitalism requires capital – lots of it. But without limited liability laws, investors are unlikely to risk investing their money in businesses.
Bankruptcy Protection. Along with limited liability, bankruptcy rules formed a crucial financial safety net for entrepreneurs. It is important to note, however, that bankruptcy laws were passed not simply out of concern or sympathy for failed entrepreneurs, but also as a way to lessen economic risk and therefore encourage more investment and economic growth.
A Stable Money Supply. Without reliable money, markets would be based on primarily on barter and thus be extremely limited.
Patents and Copyrights. Large portions of our economy would grind to a halt if the government did not grant patents and copyrights. Without this massive intervention into the free market, the drug, music, publishing, and software industries could not exist. Bill Gates likes to think of himself as a self-made man, but he would not be one of the richest men in the world if the government did not make it illegal for anyone but Microsoft to copy and sell Windows.
Banking Regulation and Insurance. A capitalist economy depends heavily on stable banks to finance growing businesses.
ETC....ETC...ETC...
However you can make viable arguments as to how much regulation is a "mechanism to spreading disease"and bogg down production and effciency countered by how it effects the saftety, well being and protection of it's citizens, enviromental concerns, fairness doctrines and level playing fields.
