The UK is a weird mix of socialist and capitalist policies. However we don’t have free markets or sound money, basically just an oligarchy.

I can't think of an example of a totally free market.

But on this...

I think there is a large fraction of the population of the human race that is hindered biologically with a cap on critical thinking skills. I'm sure this must be studied, but it's probably not popular to discuss because it's not polite to call dumb people dumb, for the same reason you shouldn't call fat people fat. It's not their fault. It's just biology. I think democracy prevails as the least shitty of a list of shitty coordination tools, despite this swath of intellectually stunted people. People just have different strengths and weaknesses embedded in their DNA.

So I don't think "more knowledge" will actually help.

It is easy to see what I mean in an app/social-network called Nextdoor. The algorithm gives you content based primarily on your physical proximity to other people. And if you look at that feed, and kindof people-watch, you'll see patterns of people struggling with critical thinking. Lack of critical thinking, is the common denominator of the patterns you'll see. Examples include people who jump to believe one-sided stories as presented, where the OP is clearly/likely exaggerating or leaving out information for sympathy. People warning people of scams, but not understanding the scam or leaving out important information for the warning to be effective. Then, there are people posting complete drivel; that somehow get replies - and neither can contextualize the entire thread so they both talk past each other. Tangentially, and routinely, you'll see people get confused between making top-level posts, replying to a thread, or sending a DM; they'll post replies or DMs as top level posts, then go AWOL when people laugh at them in the comment section. I live in a neighborhood with houses that cost above the national average. I'm not sure if there is link between these observations, but, seems relevant.

Technically, no.

Even the freest economies ever had some direct state interventions. Perhaps more importantly, they were also connected to centrally planned economies, which means their own markets were distorted by those foreign state interventions.

Democracy is incompatible with fully free markets, unless it's heavily constrained to a small set of trivial coordination questions.

Free markets are predicated on private property rights being protected. State interventions violate those, by definition, in almost all cases.

silk ro--.

The early days of the american western frontier is pretty close

Although the spanish part had an economy that included more capital ownership. The english/french parts had more separation from centralized government infrastructure from the old world

Not yet because government always sticks its ugly/greedy hands into everything. I have heard that the black market after WW2 in europe was pretty crazy.

Chile during Chicago Boys had some hints of free market.

I think there have been periods of time where a true free market exists. I haven't lived through it here in the U.S.

I do think Adam Smith from several centuries ago lived through and studied true free markets. I think to return to a pure free market would take some time.

Places from my view that look like free markets right now is places like India or Argentina.

To be very clear here, Bitcoin is solving all our problems.