^Could private farmers and miners on their own have taken land so easily from the Native Americans by force? Or did it require cronyism with a government that had an army at its disposal? How many real merchant princes relied on exclusive royal charters or franchises to maintain a monopoly? Do any of these actions reflect free market principles? Would a law outlawing all computers except Apple computers be a free market action? ^

Those merchant princes were the ones driving the westward surge and the theft of NA lands. Do you really think the death of a few farmers would have caused the infusion of US troops into the mix. But there were more powerful people out to make a buck who backed those farmers because those farmers were their customers. Those power brokers owned Senators and Congressmen just like they do today and they bent Congress to their will. You know nothing about how power works. I never thought before that you were naive but you are just plain naive.

^As for the historical abuses of businesses and states: A hundred million people were murdered by Communist regimes alone during the past century or so. Not even counting other statist regimes.^

Aha! Since Communist regimes did it, that justifies it for corporations. Brilliant. Now what drove them to commit murder? Could it have been a profit motive? Ah gee, surely not. The Communist regime WAS the corporation.

^How many coal miners were killed or kept in bondage during the Gilded Age, regarded as the prime era of the worst of capitalism? During that Gilded Age, were people trying to get into the U.S., or out of it? ^

All those people knew was that they had NO opportunity where they were and they heard there was opportunity here. No one told them about all the abuses so they came where they thought they could get a better life. Of course, the corporations made sure that didn't happen because, gee whiz, there were profits to be made.