[atomicweeder]

He might be pretending to want you to see both sides.

No one argues that once upon a time, Communism may have appeared as an attractive alternative to rampant free markets.

But it was tried in Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Cuba, Africa, Vietnam, etc, etc. And it DOES NOT WORK. The latest unfortunates to learn that are the Venezuelan people.

As Churchill said:

"Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

No one argues that once upon a time, Communism may have appeared as an attractive alternative to rampant free markets.

The problem is that there weren't "Rampant Free Markets" and that was what was causing the problems.

For example in a "Rampant Free Markets" you could not simply take land that belonged to another. You would not have laws saying who could buy and sell and what they would buy and sell and at what prices.

You would not have company towns with company housing and a company store.

What they had was Feudalism. There are no "Rampant Free Markets" in that kind of society.