Who defines what "functions well"? And how do you define "free market"?
I'm not being pedantic, these questions require important distinctions.
Arguably, the US has the "freest market" out of all, but it also has rules and is not entirely "free".
You can make the case that you only have a "market" if you have transparency, many buyers and many suppliers. Our economy nowadays becomes less and less of a free market. Big companies buy off competition, reduce the amount of suppliers as well as transparency. They don't want an informed customer and they don't like competition. See where it got us.
Democracy is absolutely necessary to maintain a market.
I'm not being pedantic, these questions require important distinctions.
Arguably, the US has the "freest market" out of all, but it also has rules and is not entirely "free".
You can make the case that you only have a "market" if you have transparency, many buyers and many suppliers. Our economy nowadays becomes less and less of a free market. Big companies buy off competition, reduce the amount of suppliers as well as transparency. They don't want an informed customer and they don't like competition. See where it got us.
Democracy is absolutely necessary to maintain a market.