Economic freedom on a global scale

By Kim Holmes | Thursday, September 25, 2008

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ANALYSIS/OPINION:

The American stock market falls 500 points. The next day, markets in Europe and Asia follow suit. No surprise. The world economy is, well, a "world" affair - a financial sneeze here leads to a cold there, and the next thing you know, the whole globe has got the flu.

But few people realize how seldom the world's political and business leaders talk seriously about broad international economic affairs.

Yes, there are trade and finance negotiations galore in the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Yet there is little serious discussion about what really makes economies grow and prosper: economic freedom.

Think it happens at the annual Group of Eight summit of the world's top industrialized democracies and Russia? Think again. If you have a climate-change plan, bring it to the G-8. If you've got a Mideast peace plan, by all means get it in the G-8 communique. But don't expect much discussion of the benefits of lower taxation, property rights and limited government spending.

Perhaps they have that discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland? Not much luck there either. On stage, you'll see Bono chatting with Al Gore about climate change. Or Tony Blair talking up something called "the power of collaborative innovation."

But what these forums and institutions - indeed, the world - are missing is a serious discussion of what makes economies work and what does not work. We need markets that generate jobs and investment, and connect buyers to sellers at low costs. Markets cannot do that when they are burdened by excessive taxation and regulation.

As the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal 2008 Index of Economic Freedom shows, what governments and global talk shops are missing is a full understanding of the power of economic freedom in creating global prosperity.

The index reveals that low taxes, openness to trade and investment, sound financial policy, and other measures of economic freedom are among the most reliable sources of long-term economic growth.

You might think all of this is obvious. But free trade and economic freedom are under attack in Washington and in capitals throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia. Politicians and leaders disparage free markets and push policies that are counterproductive or, worse, protectionist.

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