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 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 amounts to government abuse.
Supranational bodies and the lack of democratic accountability
Supranational bureaucracies are expanding their influence by promoting global tax harmonization. In cahoots with politicians, they covertly advocate for systems that ramp up the tax burden and weaken the very foundation of democracy
Violating rights under the pretext of Covid-19
As if shackling economies, putting people under lockdown and running mind-boggling deficits were not damaging enough, Western governments are now discussing the suspension of the pharmaceutical industry’s patent rights, allegedly to help vaccinate poorer countries. This is the worst imaginable strategy, as damaging research would leave humankind exposed to future ...
How ‘functional finance’ becomes heavier taxation
Today’s advocates of Modern Monetary Theory are following in the footsteps of Abba Lerner, an economist who advocated monetizing debt to achieve full employment. Heeding their call to keep printing money until social goals are met can only lead to more taxation – and potentially a heavy burden on the ...
The worrisome mechanics of fiscal Illusion
Around the world, governments are finding ways to hide how much they are really taxing their citizens. Though these practices create a huge drag on economies, current political trends favor increased government spending. GIS expert Emmanuel Martin examines where this is taking us, and if the tide can be turned ...
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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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