The 2004 Index of Economic Freedom -"Free Markets, Free People"

Wall Street Journal ^ | Jan 9, 2004 | MARY ANASTASIA O'GRADY

[eno_]

WE'RE NUMBER TEN!!
WE'RE NUMBER TEN!!
WE'RE NUMBER TEN!!

Gee I'm proud. And with Ashcroft taking a chainsaw to the rest of our rights...

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[The Raven]

>>And with Ashcroft taking a chainsaw to the rest of our rights...

Jeeze --- we have seminar callers right here on FR!!!!

And which right do you find yourself without this fine Friday?

[farmguy]

North America and Europe are now home to seven of the world's 10 most liberal economies.

Actually, I don't consider "liberal" as translating to mean "free".

The fact that Singapore (the ultimate nanny state) is rated more free than the US casts doubt on this study.

[Guillermo]

The term "liberal" has far more meaning that what it means politically in the US.

Quit being so provincial.

[eno_]

For guy listing Free to Choose on his reccommended reading, you are conveniently overlooking the impact of economic freedom on overall freedom.

I've been to Singapore, and I know several business owners in Singapore. As a significant shareholder in a couple of small/medium businesses in the U.S. I can tell you they are more free than I am. They and their companies spend far less time of government bullsh*t than I do.

In terms of personal freedom, they do not face the kinds of intrusive financial and medical reporting laws we have. You can walk an neighborhood of Singapore any time of day or night. You can send your daughter, alone, across the second busiest port city on Earth in perfect confidence nothing will happen to her.

Car taxes are high and you need special extra-cost permits to drive in the city center, but that is the only thing I can think of that Americans would find unfree about Singapore.

[The Raven]

>>I don't consider "liberal" as translating to mean "free You have Sweden up there too.....but this isn't political freedom - it's ecomic freedom. See for example Hong Kong, as well

[farmguy]

My mistake.

The fact that this article written in a US paper misled me into believing I could use the standard US meanings for words.

You're right, socialist nanny states do have greater freedom

[farmguy]

As for economic freedom, who do you suppose pays for a nanny state.

[eno_]

You have problems with "economic liberalism?" You'd rather have State Capitalism, or Fascism?

The fact is, we are not very free. We are NOT the freest. Others are gaining freedom, and, with medical, financial, and other regulations here we have lost many many freedoms since the 1950s.

We have no banking privacy. We have no medical privacy. we have pervasive communications snooping. We have 100,000+ armed federal law enforcement agent. We have twice as many police per capita as China.

We are NOT free. We are sort of free, in a lame kind of way. Is it worth your kid's life to defend "sort of free?"

[farmguy]

And you believe the first nine countries on this list have more banking privacy, more medical privacy, less communications snooping...

[eno_]

Yes. They do have more communications privacy. Some places still have doctor/patient privacy. Only Israel - which has a pressing need - has more communications snooping than we do. We have a much larger federal domestic "information gathering" mechanism than most countries that are both economically and socially less free than we are.

[Capitalism2003]

It's a sad day when Denmark, Estonia, New Zealand, and the practically socialist UK rank ahead of the USA for economic freedom.

[eno_]

In Singapore, the top marginal rate will decline to 20% in 2004. They must have efficient nannies.

[eno_]

That would be the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Estonia. Liberated in 1991. In 13 years they have become more free than the U.S.

WE'RE NUMBER TEN!! (Waving big foam finger - you know which finger)

[Guillermo]

Here is the "standard US meaning" for liberal:

lib·er·al    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (lbr-l, lbrl)
adj.

1. 1. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
   2. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
   3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
   4. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
2. 1. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
   2. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.
5. 1. Archaic. Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
   2. Obsolete. Morally unrestrained; licentious.

n.

1. A person with liberal ideas or opinions.
2. Liberal A member of a Liberal political party.

[Capitalism2003]

the "true" U.S. definition...

Li*ber*al (n.) --one who advocates an ever expanding government including but not limited to more regulation, higher taxation, wealth redistribution, and other socialist/communist policies that promote the equal distribution of misery among everyone.

[farmguy]

The term "liberal" has far more meaning that what it means politically in the US.

[Guillermo]

That's "liberal" as it describes left wing (and many republican) politicians in the US.

Now, if one lived in Iran, North Korea or any of the Gulf States and was a "liberal," that would mean they were for freedom. If one speaks of "liberalizing" those countries, think of them as wanting to "liberate" them.