Hayek's point, of course, is that you cannot make a better order. No group can. And the attempt to do so leads, inexorably, to deprivation and tyranny.

The unalterable fact is that nothing has gotten more people out of extreme poverty than capitalism. In fact, before capitalism and the industrial revolution, everything in human history was pretty much shit. Is there all kinds of crony shit that goes down? Of course. And there's much to be done to stop it.

Now I take a decidedly broad view of what the "free market" is -- so don't at me with "But the Labor Unions!" -- I happen to believe organizing is as fundamental a right as the right to enter into a contract (both my grandfathers were proud union tradesmen, printing and steel) and needs to be protected just like contracts need to be enforced. I happily include labor movements as part of how the market can and ought to organize itself. I am not opposed to some forms of regulation, or even progressive taxation (to a point) but the default should always be to have a light hand on the till and let the market do its thing.

You do not know what will make the world better. Nor do I. Nor does that fellow over there. But more than anything even if it could work I am unalterably opposed to it because if a committee is making decisions, my livelihood would then demand upon my power within the state (and my ability to sit through committee meetings) instead of my own labor.

So thank you but no.