The consequences of the Anglo-saxon influence on the EU future

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Saras


The Baltics are:

1. Closer
2. Way, WAY more laissez-faire

Doing bugger all == laissez-faire.

[Dauphin]

Hmmm, I looked this up

http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/countries.cfm

Lithuania is ranked 22nd free-est economy. Behind Germany! I genuinely thought your government was entirely hands off.


I must be misunderstanding the rankings.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Spiffor

2. France has been implementing free market policies for the past 24 years. Since 1983, very few new policies ran counter the liberalization...

The reforms haven't deep enough. France is still ranked 45 on the economic freedom list getting beat by the likes of Botswana, former Soviet Georgia, and El Salvador.

[Dinner]

The free-est economies in the world, according to that list are

1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. Australia
4. USA
5. New Zealand
6. UK
7 Ireland

Those are the only nations deemed to be "free economies" while everyone else gets sorted into "mostly free", "moderately free", "mostly unfree", and "repressed".

[Dauphin]

Be careful, because 'free' is a loaded word when used in isolation. There are obviously times when free-er is not better, in the eyes of many. e.g gun ownership.

[Dinner]

True.

[Arrian]

@ spiff for considering third wayist UK policies as "laissez faire"

You wanna see laissez faire, you come over here, we'll show you laissez faire.

Not even close. We'll show you something slightly more laissez-faire, sure. Maybe if we send Spiff directly to New Hampshire... nah, not even then.

-Arrian

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Those are the only nations deemed to be "free economies" while everyone else gets sorted into "mostly free", "moderately free", "mostly unfree", and "repressed".

This is the heritage foundation, a strongly ideological source.

For instance, they calculate "freedom from government" as a function of government expenditure. I'm not surprised they use such a loaded word. I'd be surprised that anybody used to ideological debate and spin would fall for it, though.

[Dauphin]

Well, if you want to reinforce the point:

The free-est economies in the world, according to that list are

-. Liberterianistan
1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. Australia
4. USA
5. New Zealand
6. UK
7 Ireland

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Spiffor

This is the heritage foundation, a strongly ideological source.

For instance, they calculate "freedom from government" as a function of government expenditure. I'm not surprised they use such a loaded word. I'd be surprised that anybody used to ideological debate and spin would fall for it, though.

I wasn't aware it was the Heritage Foundation which ran that site. I've heard of them before and they are indeed a highly ideological right wing organization which plays fast and loose with facts.

[Arrian]

New Zealand, eh? I wouldn't have pegged NZ for a particularly laisse-faire place. I guess Agathon was right (he used to complain about how NZ used to be a socialist paradise but has since sucumbed to "fascists")

-Arrian

[lord of the mark]

oy vey.

I didnt mean to say Laissez Faire was good.

Or that the US was perfectly Laissez Faire.

Or to neglect the outstanding example of the Baltics.

It just struck me that calling UK, which still has a substantial welfare state, substantial govt economic regulation, and at least some govt ownership of industry "laissez faire" just cause it doesnt like the more dirigist policies found in France and some other states was somewhat strained.

[Solly]

Originally posted by DAVOUT


I am not prepared to pass an exam before a guy who has no academic qualifications.

My qualifications are irrelavant here. I do however have a deegree in economics.

So, please answer the original question rather than cutting and running.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

spiff - i meant unemployment

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Arrian
New Zealand, eh? I wouldn't have pegged NZ for a particularly laisse-faire place. I guess Agathon was right (he used to complain about how NZ used to be a socialist paradise but has since sucumbed to "fascists")

-Arrian

Who knows what they figured in. Canada would have a lot less federal regulation in many things than the US, I think.

However, taxation would be higher on average, and there are interprovincial barriers for some sorts of trade and movement.