Comment by XCabbage

Given that 'cronyism' means private business inducing government officials to use state force to benefit said businesses, no, it's certainly not what makes the market 'free'. The use of force by the state to entrench the position and profits of a particular business - whether by suppressing competition on threat of violence, or by straight up taking money from people via the tax system and handing it to the business - is not only not part of the "free market" ideal, but antithetical to it.