On Fri, Aug 13, 2021, 8:21 AM professor rat <[1]pro2rat@yahoo.com.au> wrote: Braudel argued that capitalists have typically been monopolists and not, as is usually assumed, entrepreneurs operating in competitive markets. He argued that capitalists did not specialize and did not use free markets, thus diverging from both liberal (Adam Smith) and Marxian interpretations. In Braudel's view, the state in capitalist countries has served as a guarantor of monopolists rather than a protector of competition, as it is usually portrayed. He asserted that capitalists have had power and cunning on their side as they have arrayed themselves against the majority of the population [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernand_Braudel It's nice to hear of this viewpoint. Maybe I should find other people who believe this. I wonder how the viewpoint rests with the financial freedom crowd. References 1. mailto:pro2rat@yahoo.com.au 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernand_Braudel