WorldCom, Enron, et al. have demonstrated a "free market" doesn't work. They worked around the regulations that were in place.

Anyone who continues to insist that a "free market" will work either doesn't follow the news, is a blind ideologue (as are some of the folks here) or just plain stupid, or some combination.

Human nature gets in the way of theory, and trashes it.

And what might have worked 200 years ago when there was some sort of accountability won't work now.

The real conservative agenda is to make the rich richer at any price to the country. The pap for the masses is stuff like smaller government, balanced budgets, abortion, prayer in schools, that stuff. Said masses seem to sincerely believe those are important to the conservative candidates.