ABSTRACT
The illusion of the free market of US capitalism was yanked up and down the string of central legitimating myth during mid-October 1989 as the US stock markets crashed and then surged for the second time in as many years. Presidents talked with Prime Ministers who spoke with top exchange executives who telephoned key cabinet members who conferenced with the highest Federal Reserve officials who chatted with the heads of central banks, all communication beginning when the market crashed late Friday afternoon October 13 until it opened again in the US on Monday, October 16. They talked to map out national and international response strategies. All sotto voce. The big boys were making sure that the free market acted as it should.
