> Any country can become highly successful by enacting free markets.

And the existence proof for that assertion is which country, exactly? Lots of nations lack regulation of some form or another, many of them are "freer" than the US. The US isn't entirely "free" of trade barriers either (c.f. tariffpocalype).

Basically this sounds like a no-true-scotsman in the making. No, it's not that simple.