Markets Not Stakes

This text examines the economic results of the Thatcher and Major years, compares them with the rest of Europe, and concludes that the best option for Britain or any other economy is free-market policies. The nature of a free-market economy in a broad sense is also examined to see what benefits over long time-periods it gives to its citizens: ability to accumulate wealth and skills over generations; freedom; mobility across income groups and place; and financial and other voluntary mechanisms for insurance. The author argues that, when people gain a true understanding of the general benefits, most are unlikely to want them prejudiced by intervention and redistribution.