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Under most rankings of economic freedom, the United States barely manages to be in the top 10. The Heritage Foundation places Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, N

by travisp 14y ago

Under most rankings of economic freedom, the United States barely manages to be in the top 10. The Heritage Foundation places Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada, Chile, Mauritius, and Ireland all above the United States on their Index of Economic Freedom. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_of_Economic_Freedom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_of_Economic_Freedom

ImprovedSilence 14y ago
Doesn't Australia have hideously terrible internet regulations? I guess that wouldn't fall under economic freedom...
- travisp 14y ago
  A lot of nations have hideously terrible regulations in some area, and comparing such regulations in an index like this is of course subjective to some extent. It's also not a measure of all freedoms (otherwise, Singapore wouldn't be so high). It's intentionally only looking at economic freedom, which is relevant to the comment I was replying to (and as far as I can tell, the index is not trying to imply that these are the only freedoms that matter).
- tjmc 14y ago
  If you're referring to mandatory filtering no - it never happened. Despite the communications minister announcing it. A large ISP also won a major test case against big media about having to report file sharers. Turns out they dont have to. So right now it's not so bad but I'm waiting for the nanny state to fight back.
damoncali 14y ago
Singapore? You are free in Singapore to the degree that their benevolent dictatorship wishes you to be.
- beagle3 14y ago
  That's basically true everywhere. Except that in Singapore, it is explicit. Are you free to fill your gas tank in New Jersey (hint: no). Are you free as an american taxpayer to bank outside the US? (hint: no). Are you free to sell cars in the US? (hint: no) Are you free to get medical diagnostics of your choice in New York state (paying the market price, of course)? (hint: no) Are you free to live in California, yet own a liquor store in New York? (hint: no) There are numerous other examples. The common thread in these examples is that some lobby managed to secure a legislation that guarantees their benefit at your expense. You have about as much power to change that as a Singaporian does to change things in their country. Really, if you believe that the US is more free than the rest of the western world, you're probably unaware of the local law (and probably of the laws elsewhere)
  - damoncali 14y ago
    Except Singapore rigs its elections.
    - beagle3 14y ago
      The US has simulated freedom with the two party systems. I don't know whether elections are rigged in the US or Singapore; but to assume that US elections is fraud free is a bit naive (see recent voter registration scandals for the prelude; and follow BlackBoxVoting for the details that humans can't directly follow). If you assume the fraud magnitude is trivial, or that it cancels out, you better have a good explanation for it. If you think you are better off, you are sorely mistaken. You're not worse off either. It's just all the same.
      - damoncali 14y ago
        I don mean fraud. The elections are rigged by the ruling party in Singapore. They time them to occur only when they are strong politically and dont give their opposition a realistic chance to compete. Th us is far from perfect, but is a stretch to all Singapore a democracy at all. Singapore is not place where one is free. It is a place where one is free to do what is in the interest of the government. Luckily, they are a very talented crew, and it works out well- for now. But to put a place where one cannot buy chewing gum at the top of some list of free societies is an interesting choice. The place is downright Orwellian.

by travisp 14y ago

ImprovedSilence 14y ago

Doesn't Australia have hideously terrible internet regulations? I guess that wouldn't fall under economic freedom...

travisp 14y ago
A lot of nations have hideously terrible regulations in some area, and comparing such regulations in an index like this is of course subjective to some extent. It's also not a measure of all freedoms (otherwise, Singapore wouldn't be so high). It's intentionally only looking at economic freedom, which is relevant to the comment I was replying to (and as far as I can tell, the index is not trying to imply that these are the only freedoms that matter).
tjmc 14y ago
If you're referring to mandatory filtering no - it never happened. Despite the communications minister announcing it. A large ISP also won a major test case against big media about having to report file sharers. Turns out they dont have to. So right now it's not so bad but I'm waiting for the nanny state to fight back.

damoncali 14y ago

Singapore? You are free in Singapore to the degree that their benevolent dictatorship wishes you to be.

beagle3 14y ago
That's basically true everywhere. Except that in Singapore, it is explicit. Are you free to fill your gas tank in New Jersey (hint: no). Are you free as an american taxpayer to bank outside the US? (hint: no). Are you free to sell cars in the US? (hint: no) Are you free to get medical diagnostics of your choice in New York state (paying the market price, of course)? (hint: no) Are you free to live in California, yet own a liquor store in New York? (hint: no) There are numerous other examples. The common thread in these examples is that some lobby managed to secure a legislation that guarantees their benefit at your expense. You have about as much power to change that as a Singaporian does to change things in their country. Really, if you believe that the US is more free than the rest of the western world, you're probably unaware of the local law (and probably of the laws elsewhere)
- damoncali 14y ago
  Except Singapore rigs its elections.
  - beagle3 14y ago
    The US has simulated freedom with the two party systems. I don't know whether elections are rigged in the US or Singapore; but to assume that US elections is fraud free is a bit naive (see recent voter registration scandals for the prelude; and follow BlackBoxVoting for the details that humans can't directly follow). If you assume the fraud magnitude is trivial, or that it cancels out, you better have a good explanation for it. If you think you are better off, you are sorely mistaken. You're not worse off either. It's just all the same.
    - damoncali 14y ago
      I don mean fraud. The elections are rigged by the ruling party in Singapore. They time them to occur only when they are strong politically and dont give their opposition a realistic chance to compete. Th us is far from perfect, but is a stretch to all Singapore a democracy at all. Singapore is not place where one is free. It is a place where one is free to do what is in the interest of the government. Luckily, they are a very talented crew, and it works out well- for now. But to put a place where one cannot buy chewing gum at the top of some list of free societies is an interesting choice. The place is downright Orwellian.