The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal recently released their 2014 Index of Economic Freedom. Usually, such lists never really catch my attention. I have little interest in them, considering the sources especially.
However, Ron Paul, in a recent episode on The Ron Paul Channel, pointed out a real takeaway from the most recent Index of Economic Freedom.
First of all, 178 countries are ranked. The most free, according to this index is Hong Kong, with the US coming in at #12. (Again, this is Heritage & WSJ, so take that #12 ranking with the same seriousness that you take the 2% inflation number). Coming in at the very bottom are Cuba at #177 & North Korea at #178.
But here’s the part that I find the most interesting, and what Dr. Paul pointed to on his show: At the very bottom, there is a list of countries that didn’t make the rankings. Take a look at them, and see if you notice a common theme:
Just about every country listed has been turned into a chaotic pile of rubble. And who, pray tell, made them that way? Why good ‘ole #12, of course!
So, not only is the US ranked behind the former Soviet-controlled Estonia in economic freedom on this index. But the US is clearly #1 in turning country after country into a basket-case where calculation isn’t even possible.
Hooray for the liberators!!
Let’s not forget the contributions of both Heritage and WSJ. For they are both cheerleaders for the liberators. They deserve honorable mentions in helping to add countries to the “Not Ranked” list.
Reprinted with permission from the Economic Policy Journal.
