Expanding state
A trend toward increased government influence in economies and personal life is curbing growth, and freedom, in many Western countries. The outsized role of government results in misplaced incentives, overregulation – which restrains markets and competition – and irresponsible budgetary policies. It leads to planned economies and principalist, authoritarian, centralist and also socialist policies. As history shows, such governments inevitably fail in the end.
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The economic legacy of Chancellor Angela Merkel
How good was Angela Merkel’s long leadership for Germany’s economy? How much added value have the enterprises of Europe’s powerhouse industry been able to generate under the chancellor’s policies? How has the labor force fared? Was her stewardship of the state finances responsible? The record shows successes and unaddressed structural challenges.
The impact of antitrust demagoguery
Leaders in the West are ramping up antitrust activity, finding ways to scapegoat big, innovative companies for societies’ economic woes. The move correlates with a rise in anti-capitalist sentiment and the desire to harmonize global taxation. How big tech firms change to adapt – by moving abroad or changing production ...
The self-deception of Western societies
Self-deception and dogmatism leading countries to their doom is nothing new. Historically, such a tendency among the ruling elites has led to major disruptions. As the ill-conceived climate policies and public overspending demonstrate in our time, democracies can be rigged to fall into this trap as well
An important lesson from the Swiss referendum on the CO2 law
Swiss people are highly conscious of environmental challenges and do their best to protect air, water and natural habitats. If they narrowly rejected legislation to limit CO2 emissions in a recent referendum, it was because many refused to be intimidated with debate-quashing tactics in the process of formulating policies
The problem with patents
Governments around the world are proposing removing patent protections from vaccines and subsidizing the companies that lose out. But if it hadn't been for patents restricting free markets in the first place, we would likely have more, cheaper vaccines than we do today. Professor Enrico Colombatto explains why patent protection ...
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More Disruptions
Middle East politics
The region, one of the cradles of civilization, is going through a turbulent period of historic realignment. Its powers are vying for political, military, economic and religious dominance with local players and outside actors. Armed conflicts, mainly civil wars, are ...
Russia resurgent
Russia’s incursion in Ukraine raised alarm about a new Cold War, deepened with the intervention in Syria and allegations of meddling in U.S. elections. But the Kremlin’s new assertiveness is largely defensive, while Ukraine’s emergence as a nation-state undermines Moscow’s ...
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