The Communists have issued arrest warrants for six pro-democracy advocates living outside Hong Kong
In a little noted move, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) flexed its imperial muscle – criminalizing criticism of it anywhere on the planet – by issuing an arrest warrant for U.S. citizen Samuel Chu, a pro-democracy advocate for Hong Kong. In fact, by publishing this op-ed, this media outlet and I are breaking CCP laws…
As the system increases in generosity and accessibility in Atlantic Canada, it may perpetuate the nation’s problems with EI
By Alex Whalen and Fred McMahon The Fraser Institute The spike in unemployment across Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered changes in the employment insurance (EI) program. And those changes could lead to significant problems. When unemployment grows in any of the country’s 62 EI regions, eligibility and benefits change along with it.…
Freedom and democracy are not stand-alone structures. For stability, they require institutional infrastructure, in particular, the rule of law and tolerance
For the first time in decades, basic human freedom is under attack globally. Journalists and opposition leaders are killed in Russia. China’s Communist Party stifles dissent on the mainland while threatening the rule of law in Hong Kong. Tens of thousands are arrested in Turkey on dubious grounds after a failed coup. Venezuela descends into…
Policy developments at the federal level as well as in Ontario and Alberta threaten Canada’s reputation as a bulwark of economic freedom
By Fred McMahon and Ben Eisen The Fraser Institute Canada ranks a remarkable fifth in the world in economic freedom, just behind Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and Switzerland. The “land of the maple leaf” is far ahead of our southern neighbour, supposedly the “land of the free.” The United States ranks 16th out of…
It's troubling to see Alberta make policy choices similar to the ones that have undermined economic freedom in the U.S.
By Ben Eisen and Fred McMahon The Fraser Institute Just as the United States has long served as a global exemplar of economic freedom and prosperity, Alberta has shown other provinces how to provide liberty and economic opportunity. Sadly, economic freedom is in retreat in both places. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. was…
Hopefully, as disaster looms, Venezuela can start down a road away from both crony capitalism and socialism
Imagine a city where menus don’t print prices because inflation drives them higher daily; where streets are ghostly empty after dark and the murder rate is the world’s highest; where people queue for hours for meagre supplies of medicines and food, leaving many hungry and sick; where farmers don’t bring goods to market because roads…
Tunisia has been a society intent on milking the state rather than productive activity
Stunning developments in Tunisia just might enable it to continue as the only successful graduate of the Arab Spring and a beacon of hope across the Arab World. While other Arab nations descended into violence or reverted to dictatorship, often worse than what had gone before, Tunisia transitioned from dictatorship to democracy in a relatively…
Recently implemented policies will negatively impact living standards and economic opportunities
By Niels Veldhuis Ben Eisen and Fred McMahon The Fraser Institute Until recently, Alberta was the most economically free jurisdiction in North America. High levels of economic freedom fostered prosperity and growth, helping make Alberta one of the most affluent jurisdictions on the continent. However, the Alberta government recently implemented a series of policy changes…
The Trudeau and Notley governments appear intent on repeating B.C.'s mistakes from the 1990s and Ontario's today
In international rankings of economic freedom, Canada has soared past the United States, so it should be no surprise that among sub-national jurisdictions in North America (which encompasses 10 Canadian provinces, 50 U.S. states and 32 Mexican states) three Canadian provinces – Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan – ranked at the top using 2013 data,…
Known to be both dictatorial and inflexible
The Myanmar miracle marches on, but don’t stop holding your breath. Great hazards are emerging ahead. Still, the most recent shockingly good news is that former military dictator Than Shwe has declared the woman he kept under house arrest during his 20 years in power, Aung San Suu Kyi, “the future leader of the country.”…