The reason we keep having this discussion is that the so called free market advocates engage in the logical fallacy of black and white thinking which involves setting up only two choices at the opposite extremes, and so argue that you have a choice between a free market economy and a centrally planned economy. Rational thinkers notice that that is a false dichotomy, and that there is a lot of grey area between those two extremes. So in reality it is actually possible to have a government regulation requiring seats in cars without being a communist state.
Honestly, I think most people here, including Alan, when speaking of a "free market economy" actually mean a "mostly free market economy" as opposed to a heavily regulated economy. Most rational people realize that a totally free market economy results in a race to the bottom and an economy that would resemble the American South during slavery, with a thin crust of winners and a huge bulk of losers.
But, the people who object to regulation, although they overstate the case in many instances, also have a point. I personally have the simplest of businesses, writing novels which I make up. I don't do extensive travel for research, no assistants, no big deductibles, and yet, I'm plagued by taxes -- not the amount, which I'm reasonably content to pay, but the paperwork. Even with an accountant, I have to spend hours every spring of prep to run a business in which I write a book, and send it in. I have to spend time four times a year working with the accountant to figure out and send in estimated tax payments, because of the way the US government requires the taxes to be paid. My brother once ran a bookstore, and the regulations drove him crazy. When he was approaching the Grand Opening, which was going to be a big pain in the ass no matter what happened, he was told at the last minute by a fire marshal that he couldn't open the store because it lacked signs on the doors which said, "This door must remain unlocked during business hours." Further, such inspections could only be conducted by appointment, and none were available until after the Grand Opening was scheduled -- he couldn't just run out and buy the required signs and put them up. After some more major hassle, he managed to hold the Grand Opening as scheduled, but this is the kind of thing that small businesses run into all the time. I don't know if this is true, but I've been told that in the US, if you employ ten people, you will probably have to designate one person to take care of responses to government regulation. Have you ever been in an elevator and seen a sign that said, "This elevator can't carry more than (some number) of people," and thought, "No way that many people could squeeze in here?" That's the kind of ubiquitous, nonsensical regulation that drives you crazy (not the limit on the number, but the regulation that says you must have the sign and can be penalized for not having it.) Just a few thoughts for people who haven't run businesses.
