Mexico đã theo đuổi mạnh mẽ các chính sách thị trường tự do từ tư nhân hóa ngành công nghiệp thuộc sở hữu nhà nước để loại bỏ thuế quan trong tên của thương mại tự do. Nhưng nó đã không được một nhà lãnh đạo trong sức sống kinh tế, ổn định tiền tệ, hoặc cải thiện tiêu chuẩn sống. | Myths of the Free Market Contrast these economic performances to that of present-day Mexico which has faithfully followed the guidance of the most sophisticated proponents of laissez faire. Mexico has vigorously pursued free market policies from privatizing state-owned industries to eliminating tariffs in the name of free trade. But it has not been a leader in economic vitality stability of currency or improvement in standards of living. Mexico s privatization of state industries created new billionaires but real wages declined the average family losing 30 of its purchasing power. The 21 billion brought into state coffers by privatization failed to prevent a currency collapse that led to the country s inability to pay interest on its debt. The forced devaluation of the peso contributed to the impoverishment of the middle class and the overthrow of a political party that had ruled for nearly a century. Argentina which also faithfully adhered to the commandments of orthodox free enterprise even pegging its currency to the . dollar has experienced a similar economic and financial collapse. Similarly despite aid and investment from other industrialized countries the rapid Russian transition from communism to free market capitalism was a disaster. It more deeply impoverished the majority of its people. It reduced most of the country outside the major cities to a meager subsistence exacerbated by the collapse of communications health care and law enforcement. This led to a decline in life expectancy. It strengthened a powerful underworld that has little allegiance to the country itself or to the quality of life of its citizens. These examples provide a reality check that raises critical questions for laissezfaire. If iaissezfaire is the best of all economic policies why has it performed so poorly Why is our economic growth slower than that of mixed economies Why has our economic growth declined as we increasingly pursued purer free market policies Why did real per .
