The market thus provided a constantly widening range of products, in ever increasing abundance, and ever falling prices. This has been the experience of all countries that enjoy a high degree of freedom, practically without exception. Following World War II, an economic miracle recreated the demolished Germany as a prosperous world power under the leadership of Adenauer and Erhard, who essentially freed German industry from regulation and restored the free market. In a surprisingly short time of 25 or 30 years, Germany was able to reestablish itself as a world industrial power. Today its real GNP per capita is one third higher than that of the United States, and is second only to Japan among the major nations.
Japan is an even more striking example.
Today, Japan is the richest major country in terms of real GNP per capita, if you exclude the oil exporting countries of the Arabian peninsula. Chile, Korea and Singapore established the free market under farsighted dictators who relaxed their tight control of government in order to pursue prosperity, and the resulting improvements in education and perspective favored a higher degree of self-government. Chile adopted a free market economic system and its economy took off. It is now rich even by Western European standards, and the growth continues. The success of the free market brought democracy in its wake.