Archive for March 2006
European Econmic Freedom
An interesting article by Dan O’Brien from the Economist Intelligence Unit lauding the progress towards Economic Freedom in the EU.
It’s behind a subscription wall at the Financial Times (Perhaps the only online content service I will pay money for) and worth a read if you are a subscriber or even if you are not (they offer a 15 day free trial!). I have included a small quote:
In 2005, almost 5,000 EU businesses were acquired by non-national firms. This represented a two-thirds increase on 2003 and includes sectors, such as energy, which have until recently seen limited pan-European corporate consolidation. Further restructuring will be facilitated, to some extent at least, when a new takeover directive comes into force in May.
Savage Capitalism, Open Borders and Free Labour Movement
It is not often that a critique of capitalism actually hits on a point I agree with. Still less often is an occasion when a critique of capitalism based on social justice or catholic virtue rings true for me.
But recently Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras launched a broadside against global capitalism saying,
“a savage capitalism is returning, which history has already judged harshly in view of the conditions to which it subjected the proletariat in the 18th and 19th centuries.”
You will find the full text here.
But within a well argued and reasoned piece which offers an excellent view of discussion from a social justice perspective is this intriguing paragraph:
“It is a world in which there is a desire to open up all frontiers to goods, while a host of obstacles hinder the free movement of persons from the countries of the south towards those of the north, as we unfortunately see in the border shields imposed by rich countries.”
How strange to hear one of the clearest arguments for opening up immigration controls and for the liberalising of the market for labour from the left of the spectrum. So often leftwing politics and economic theory fears open labour markets and sees only threats to establish trade union bases. You only have to look to Europe’s closed attitude to workers from new accession sates to see this in action.
But more on Europe’s problems and closed borders soon. For now I would like to echo Cardinal Maradiaga and suggest that while we would both have different reasons for opening labour markets its nice that we can agree it would be a good thing.
My Outlook – Liberal in the Classic Sense
It would be fair to say that my politics are liberal, but in the classic sense in favour of Political Freedom, Religious Freedom, Economic Freedom and Personal Freedom.
My gut says to steer toward small government, low tax burdens and light regulation. That is not to say that we should never allow governments to carry out certain functions and that on occasion we need to regulate markets that are failing the consumer, but those occasions occur infrequently and should be endorsed only as a last resort or where clear failures occur.
It sounds like I am dissembling there but simply because the theory is attractive does not mean that it always works in practice and if I am attracted to Liberalism then I am hooked on what works and works well.
Economic Freedom and strong property rights are not enough of course. Freedom of religion and speech combined with a rigorous democratic system policed by free press and media (Big Business versions or small business I don’t care so long as they are free to write or draw as they like).
So I think that this blog will focus on those themes. On how free Irish and European Society (It would be foolish to ignore Europe given that we are members of the EU) not just economically but in terms of political and religious rights too.
Well that’s the plan. Hopefully soon I will be updated my blog links with similar minds pro and con my position.
