While many parts of the globe celebrate the 2010 World Cup, Canada is quietly showing off its competitive edge in another world cup by advancing policies that promote freer trade and economic freedom. Canadian lawmakers recently scored a nice goal by approving a free trade pact with Colombia, a move that will give Canadian ranchers and farmers a sharp advantage over American producers. Although the pact still needs a final ok from the Canadian senate, the voice for freer trade was decisive, as shown in the House of Commons’ 188 …
The United States isn’t the only country in North America grappling with the fiscal problems caused by an aging population and mounting federal deficits—Canada faces a similar fate. The difference is that, while the United States just passed a $1 trillion-plus government overhaul of health care, incorrectly justified by claims that it will reduce health care spending, Canada’s provinces are trying to figure out how to pay for their nationalized health care system, a major source of out-of-control growth in government spending. Reuters reports that each province is scavenging for …
Early this year, the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom, the Heritage Foundation’s data driven policy guide, reported that our economy is no longer in the top tier of economically free countries. Worse, still, we slipped behind our northern neighbor Canada for the first time in the Index history. This disappointing news is vividly echoed in KPMG’s just released study, Competitive Alternatives 2010 The report provides an updated comparison of global business locations, focusing on costs of conducting businesses. According to the report, “Canada now holds a 5 percent business cost …
At The Huffington Post Nelson Davis, Executive Producer of MAKING IT! Minority Success Stories, describes his recent discovery of The Heritage Foundation’s 2010 Index of Economic Freedom. He came across the Index for the first time this year and while surprised by the results—showing a decrease in economic freedom in the U.S.—he found himself agreeing with the analysis. Growing up along the Canadian border, he had always assumed that America was the world’s leader in economic freedom:
One common assertion among the left is that other industrialized nations, such as Canada, achieved great success in health care within their collectivist framework. This, then, begs the question: why is the head of an east coast Canadian province coming to the United States for medical treatment? Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams is seeking heart surgery in the United States, drawing criticism from “local bloggers and people calling in to the province’s immensely popular open-line radio shows.” Yet his actions are hardly unusual for world leaders. Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin …
Participants at a recent conference in Washington blamed Mexico’s failure to achieve above-average economic growth in the past decade on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This criticism is unfair and unwise. The NAFTA agreement is one of the best examples in recent history of a successful, mainstream, and bipartisan project. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in the 15 years since NAFTA came into force annual U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico has tripled to nearly $1 trillion. More than 100,000 small and medium-sized U.S. firms now …
The United States health care system is not nearly as free market and consumer driven as it should be. And while government continues to slowly takeover our health care system, and Obamacare would fast-forward that development, the U.S. system is still more free than the Canadian “single-payer” system. And how is government run health care working for Canada? This past summer the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority considered cutting more than 6,000 surgeries to make up for a $200 million budget shortfall. British Columbia Medical Association president Dr. Brian Brodie called …
The President asserted during a major speech in January: “One of the greatest contributions the United States can make to the world is to promote freedom,” he said. “A creative, competitive America is the answer to a changing world, not trade wars that would close doors, create greater barriers and destroy millions of jobs. We should always remember: Protectionism is destructionism.” But the President who spoke those words was Ronald Reagan, in his very last State of the Union Address about 20 years ago. How would President Reagan respond to …
The United States is losing ground to its major competitors in the global marketplace, according to the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom released today by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. This year, of the world’s 20 largest economies, the U.S. suffered the largest drop in overall economic freedom. Its score declined to 78 from 80.7 on the 0 to 100 Index scale. The U.S. lost ground on many fronts. Scores declined in seven of the 10 categories of economic freedom. Losses were particularly significant in the areas …
According to new polling by Gallup done after President Barack Obama’s health care address, six in ten Americans say Obama’s proposal, if enacted, would not achieve his goals of expanding coverage to nearly all Americans without raising taxes on the middle class or lowering the quality of health care. President Barack Obama says his health care plan will not lead to government rationing of health care, but government run health care systems around the world have had to control costs by doing just that. One way governments are forced to …
