Organised crime can compete in an open market - crime by nature does not follow the rule of law. Stand over tactics and demands for protection money; and extortion, do not rely on any particular market mechanism, it only means the criminals adapt to the conditions.

We may not live within a pure FM - it is distorted - but we certainly don't have what could be described as pure protectionism. Anyone is free now to trade with any socialist oppressive regime they like regardless of the treatment of workers, wages, use of shadow factories and lack of biosecurity/food safety considerations.

That is the problem. A truly free market where the world is open, not only for trade but for the free movement of peoples (without passports and the like) and without the idea of citizenship (we become global citizens) only works when the currency is of the same value and workers are paid similar wages. Perhaps a truly open market would achieve that smoothing of conditions but there is still a risk, without any regulation, of despotic regimes in the form of corporate monopolies.

Advocates for a mixed economy (even one skewed slightly one way or the other) are not Fabian Socialists was the main point I was trying to make.

Al,
I understand the power of goodwill within a group of people but only when there is accountability on earth for any misuse of authority or power bestowed to the leadership. You find this not only within religious good works but in community gardens, landcare groups, charities right down to playgroups and other small communities of like minded people.