At 09:58 PM 11/14/00, you wrote:
>Max More wrote:
> > Ralph, I believe that it's the Cato Institute that annually publishes a
> > "freedom index" (or something to that effect) rating countries on degree of
> > freedom from a libertarian perspective.
>
>Do they rate areas within large countries? I suspect that, for example,
>Little Rock and San Francisco would not rate equally, even though both
>are within the USA.
That would be interesting, but I don't believe they go to that level of
detail. Their focus is on international comparisons. I would very much like
to see comparisons of the various states of the U.S. for a start. One
problem with any of these indices, of course, is that you may not agree
with all of the criteria. Perhaps eventually several credible sources will
publish competing freedom indices. The more perspectives, the more clearer
the view achievable by us.
To really get a feel for differences in economic freedom just read the
short piece on Havana in the new Business Week: "A Nation of
Entrepreneurs?". The laws regulating the number of tables allowed in
restaurants are hilarious though infuriating. (The piece is on p.22E2 of
the November 20, 2000 issue. (Oddly, I don't see this in the on-line
version of the issue.)
Max
-------------------------
Max More,
max@maxmore.com or more@extropy.org
www.maxmore.com
President, Extropy Institute. www.extropy.org
Senior Content Architect, ManyWorlds Consulting: www.manyworlds.com
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