Is all that fee market blah been just propaganda?

Pretty much, autolycus. We've never had free market capitalism in this country. The land and its resources was taken from its original inhabitants by force, rather than purchased at market prices. That's a huge subsidy right there. Then labor was taken by force from the slaves who played an integral part in building this country and its economy, rather than paying them wages that were determined by the market. That's another huge subsidy. And it's all been downhill from there. There's never been anything 'free market' about it.