The conjecture here is that over time competitive markets tend in a rough and ready way to come close enough to satisfying formal equality of opportunity. One might also postulate a tendency in competitive markets to move closer over time to satisfaction of FEO, but this tendency would be offset by, for example, the extra benefits of interacting with socially well connected people as opposed to equally natively talented people who lack lucrative social connections. Moreover, training a talented socially disadvantaged person so she becomes productive generates wide positive externalities, and one does not expect a competitive market automatically to deliver these in optimal qualities. Epstein is doubtful that ham-fisted government regulation can (except in rare cases) in practice improve on the mix of benefits and losses a competitive market economy tends to deliver. In short, according to Epstein, by facilitating mutually profitable interactions among strangers, the competitive market promotes a cultural atmosphere of tolerance and prosperity more effectively than governmental regulation would do.