So is Houston. Look how well that worked out {not} in the past 15 years with Hurricanes Rita, Ike and especially Harvey. Many lives lost and property destroyed all because of building in low lying flood zones. And prior to that back in 1992 here in South Florida we had Hurricane Andrew destroy city after city, besides Miami (Homestead, Naranja, Cutler Ridge, Florida City etc etc) of cheap ticky tack crap stick construction or trailer homes with minimal tie downs and 3/8" 2x4's 24" on center or worse, low rated windows. Don't know about Houston now but things changed for the better here - all because common sense gubmint regulations were put in place. Some builders, that didn't cut corners, were glad to see it - the ones who do things right. The ones who don't are the ones that were unhappy. That should tell you something.
Plenty, but first it's important to define a free market, since we can probably agree that no country in the world can be said to be a free market, except in far remote parts of the world where government is either the market (like remote islands) or where government doesn't reach the market (like lawless jungle or desert regions). However, these cases aren't valid examples of free markets when dealing with millions of citizens. While America may be the most open market, it certainly isn't free. Government intervenes in many aspects of the economy, from Trump's politically motivated higher import duties to Biden's trading embargo with Russia. Musk came to the US because of its enterprising culture and more investment capital than probably anywhere else.
Musk is a good example of wanting his cake and eating too. Leave Cali and move to Texas because of regs and high taxes but wants gubmint to provide tax incentives to keep Tesla's moving out the factory door. Tax incentives that have to be subsidized by ........ other taxes/taxpayers.
Inflation is caused by dumbass democrats spending trillions of dollars, plus killing our domestic oil/energy production. Vote GOP to return to low taxes, low government spending, common sense policies .... and inflation drops. Democrats = high taxes, massive government spending and inflation. That's the truth of the situation.
The vicious never ending cycle. Over and over again. Gaslighting the public. And we swallow every word the politicians set forth….whatever comes from their mouths must be true or it wouldn’t be televised.. LOL
If you at least put a decent size of your portfolio long stocks that do well in an inflationary environment there is no problem.