Rick Kelo - The State in Free Markets

When most people picture a "free market" they think of a lawless free for all where anything goes.  Not so says Rick Kelo, an economic thinker educated at West Point and at Chicago.

"Market economies exist based upon legal sanction of private property and legal sanction of contract (as a form of property right)," Kelo says.  He remarks that in order to have a free market economy it is necessary for the State to provide courts of law where companies who engage in fraudulent commerce can be made to pay huge sums of money as a punishment to set an example.

He also remarks that it will probably always be a necessary function of government to protect the citizens from violence.  "To maintain a system of private property rights it's necessary for there to be a government.  The reason is we need that government to maintain a military to protect from attacks from outside, and a police force to protect citizen's from attacks on their person or property domestically," says Richard Kelo.

Paul Davidson, Rick Kelo and Lord Robert Skidelsky

Rick Kelo Critiques Socialism in the 21st Century

Have you heard of the concept "Socialism in the 21st Century"?   You can read a brief introduction on Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism_of_the_21st_century

It is essentially left-wing economic populism.  As an outspoken advocate of peaceful, and voluntary cooperation Rick Kelo has engaged in numerous public debates on the topic of Socialism vs. Capitalism.  He has noticed a common trend among Socialists that closely mirrors the main tenet of the Socialism in the 21st Century platform.  Advocates of Socialism in 2017 seek to distance themselves from the totalitarian Socialist regimes of the 20th century.  So, many try to disguise the fact their economic system is based on force by claiming they advocate a co-op economy.

This doesn't sound alarming to many people.  Richard Kelo though points out the deception at work in these claims.

"Socialism is not about co-ops.  There is nothing about co-ops that is inconsistent with a capitalist economy.  In fact you can find co-ops in most towns in America.  When a Socialist talks about co-ops he is using it as a diversion from his real agenda.  Socialists aren't in favor of co-ops.  They are in favor of an economy of ONLY co-ops where every other form of corporate organization is forcibly outlawed."