In the US there is no such thing as a free market

This article caught my attention: "Authorities crack down on flea market fakes."

The article discusses how the government is cracking down on knock off items at flea markets.

The justification for this government protection?

Safety risks include fake batteries that contain mercury, electrical products that don't meet safety standards, perfumes found to contain urine and high alcohol content, and clothing made with toxic dyes and flammable materials.

Oh my god! The horror. I better throw out all those knock off batteries, electrical products, and perfumes I bought at the flea market. Wait a minute....I've never purchased those items at a flea market. Are these the things they are really policing? Of course not. Further down in the article:

This month alone, customs agents seized $250,000 worth of items at a swap-meet in New Orleans, $350,000 worth of goods at a flea market in Las Vegas, and $150,000 worth of merchandise at one in Solebury, Pa., that included fake trademarks for Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Oakley, Ray Ban, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and UGG boots.

Ahhhhh.....the old knock off fashion items. That is what I thought. Now those are items I have purchased at a flea market. The article goes on to state:

Manufacturers of the authentic merchandise have an interest in stopping the counterfeit business and often team with police to help tip them off and verify authenticity.

So the government is acting as an overpaid thug for certain manufacturers to prevent other companies from competing by offering similar products. If UGG boots are such a high-value product then some people will not mind paying $150 for UGG boots versus a similar product at $50. But if people are simply paying for the name UGG on their boots then UGG will need thugs to prevent other companies from producing a similar product at a lower price.

But none of this is even the best part of the article. My favorite line from the article:

You support organized crime, gang activity, and terrorist organizations that use this as a funding mechanism.

By buying flea market knock off items I'm now supporting terrorism? Is that so? Interesting. How do you reconcile that with the income taxes that are stolen for me to support the largest terrorist organization in history? Oh...that's right...it's not terrorism when the government kills innocent people. It's just collateral damage.