Its not about economics (at least on the surface) but a belief system that has transformed into a religion even when most won't admit or realize it.

This is such a lazy take Walter. Almost literally everyone here is in favour of free markets, just not completely unregulated ones.

A free market requires a government that will enforce laws against fraud and force. Government also plays a role in dealing with externalities. A free market is not "completely unregulated".

> Almost literally everyone here is in favour of free markets

How does that fit in with single payer health care, rent control, universal basic income, calls for wealth taxes, calls to eliminate wealth "inequality", government football stadiums, government deciding who can play on sports teams, government funded TV, Amtrak, and, of course, the ever-increasing taxes?

Universal basic income is about replacing government health care with free markets.

That's a novel interpretation of it. I've never seen anyone advocate that.

Hardly novel. I see lots of libertarians and conservatives advocating replacing most government spending (and beauracracy!) with UBI.

The conservative economist Milton Friedman advocated for UBI in the form of a negative income tax.

> replacing most government spending (and beauracracy!) with UBI

UBI and free health care are fundamentally different.

> UBI in the form of a negative income tax

That's not UBI. UBI is everyone gets the same sum from the government.