Rebecca Hagelin, a good friend and supporter of this web site and Vice President of the prestigious Heritage Foundation in the U.S. writes today about economic freedom and their annual index (done in cooperation with the Wall Street Journal). Canada ranks well—probably thanks to conservatives among us who are constantly standing on guard —this is not in question.
But among the noteworthy bits in it relates to Conservative Party principles—one that Stephen Harper spoke of last night in and after the debate: the importance of private property rights to a nation and its people, and the necessity of it for real economic freedom.
Take property rights: think about how the legal protection of them makes a free economy possible. If there’s a high degree of corruption in your country and the courts are unwilling or unable to enforce legally binding contracts, how safe is your money, or anyone’s money, for that matter? Not very. Economic freedom depends on many factors, including an open court system that works to ensure everyone plays by the rules. If you aren’t reasonably confident that your property is safe, that it can’t be taken from you without due process of law, you can hardly conduct ordinary day-to-day business, can you?
And she threw in a quote by someone who has never steered me wrong:
“Yes, government should do all that is necessary,” President Ronald Reagan once said, “but only that which is necessary.”
While you’re checking out today’s columnists, our friend Mike Adams (the professor I always wish I had) writes a cautionary note to his spring 2006 term students.
Professor Adams is not subtle. And he’s not a liberal.
And of our friend Paul Jackson writes another goody today, this time concentrating on the Martin Liberals bizarre and stupid anti-Americanism, which he implores we all work to end. And by “end” I can assure you he means both the Martin Liberals’ rule, and the anti-Americanism.
Visit our Columnist section every day and absorb the intelligence!
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