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Saudi Arabia ranked ahead of where I pay taxes (France) on that Heritage list. That’s a surprise but also a reinforcement of the idea that economic freedom does

Saudi Arabia ranked ahead of where I pay taxes (France) on that Heritage list. That’s a surprise but also a reinforcement of the idea that economic freedom does not always strictly align with political freedom.

danuker 5y ago
Indeed, there is a low tax burden but also little freedom of expression. That is why I included RSF's press freedom index also. Hmm. Perhaps the Heritage index was not relevant.
- teddyh 5y ago
  Don’t forget the Corruption Perceptions Index: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index
throwaway4good 5y ago
The heritage foundation is a classic us conservative think thank and they like Saudi Arabia and don’t particular like France. It is just politics. Of course, you are much more free in France / the eu, including when it comes to economic matters.
- docdeek 5y ago
  I guess it depends on the definition of ‘economically free’. Maybe it is easier/less regulated opening a business in Saudi than in France? Or just faster and less paperwork? Maybe it is far easier to hire/fire people in Saudi?
  - Clewza313 5y ago
    Having worked there for a while, everything about running a business in Saudi is pretty nightmarish. But importing virtual slave labor from the third world and working them to death (all too often literally) is cheap.
    - sparsely 5y ago
      That's the same sort of freedom that the foundation's name refers to, so SA scoring well adds up.
  - baybal2 5y ago
    Saudi Arabia has a 0% tax rate. Though, I will second a neighbour comment from Clewza313. The veil of regulatory liberalism of Gulf countries crumble after your first in person interaction with a local official.
  - tablespoon 5y ago
    > I guess it depends on the definition of ‘economically free’. Maybe it is easier/less regulated opening a business in Saudi than in France? Or just faster and less paperwork? Maybe it is far easier to hire/fire people in Saudi? A lot of it is probably partially due to dumb methodology. They have Saudi Arabia's tax burden rated at 99.1%, but that's probably because Heritage is all less taxes == more better and Saudi Arabia's government is basically a state-owned oil company, so they basically don't tax at all.
- deregulateMed 5y ago
  Conservative lost its meaning, now we just say "republican", with a lowercase r. Edit- Do conservatives make new government walls, tariffs, new taxes/tax structures, new tax credits, new gun regulations? I even heard an interesting idea, why are conservatives destroying the environment, they shouldn't want the environment to change if they are conservative. Anyway, the 2020s breed of "conservatives" would be seen as liberals in the eyes of 2000s or 1980s "conservatives".
- dr-detroit 5y ago
  as long as you dont want private property or youre a turbo elite priviledged person
baybal2 5y ago
Samely, an unpleasant surprise that somehow even India with its "bureaucratic tyranny" managed to outscore a lot of Western countries as of late.

danuker 5y ago

Indeed, there is a low tax burden but also little freedom of expression. That is why I included RSF's press freedom index also. Hmm. Perhaps the Heritage index was not relevant.

teddyh 5y ago
Don’t forget the Corruption Perceptions Index: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index

throwaway4good 5y ago

The heritage foundation is a classic us conservative think thank and they like Saudi Arabia and don’t particular like France. It is just politics. Of course, you are much more free in France / the eu, including when it comes to economic matters.

docdeek 5y ago
I guess it depends on the definition of ‘economically free’. Maybe it is easier/less regulated opening a business in Saudi than in France? Or just faster and less paperwork? Maybe it is far easier to hire/fire people in Saudi?
- Clewza313 5y ago
  Having worked there for a while, everything about running a business in Saudi is pretty nightmarish. But importing virtual slave labor from the third world and working them to death (all too often literally) is cheap.
  - sparsely 5y ago
    That's the same sort of freedom that the foundation's name refers to, so SA scoring well adds up.
- baybal2 5y ago
  Saudi Arabia has a 0% tax rate. Though, I will second a neighbour comment from Clewza313. The veil of regulatory liberalism of Gulf countries crumble after your first in person interaction with a local official.
- tablespoon 5y ago
  > I guess it depends on the definition of ‘economically free’. Maybe it is easier/less regulated opening a business in Saudi than in France? Or just faster and less paperwork? Maybe it is far easier to hire/fire people in Saudi? A lot of it is probably partially due to dumb methodology. They have Saudi Arabia's tax burden rated at 99.1%, but that's probably because Heritage is all less taxes == more better and Saudi Arabia's government is basically a state-owned oil company, so they basically don't tax at all.
deregulateMed 5y ago
Conservative lost its meaning, now we just say "republican", with a lowercase r. Edit- Do conservatives make new government walls, tariffs, new taxes/tax structures, new tax credits, new gun regulations? I even heard an interesting idea, why are conservatives destroying the environment, they shouldn't want the environment to change if they are conservative. Anyway, the 2020s breed of "conservatives" would be seen as liberals in the eyes of 2000s or 1980s "conservatives".
dr-detroit 5y ago
as long as you dont want private property or youre a turbo elite priviledged person

baybal2 5y ago

Samely, an unpleasant surprise that somehow even India with its "bureaucratic tyranny" managed to outscore a lot of Western countries as of late.