Institutions as the Basis of Economic and Social Development

Hammurabi Receiving the Rod and Ring of
Authority from Shamash, Supreme Judge and Sun God,
as Tools to Build Social Order
I’ll be giving a lecture tomorrow in Beirut at the American University of Beirut on “Institutions as the Basis of Economic and Social Development.”

After a day of recuperating from jetlag, a cold, and sinus headaches caused by multiple flights (and the cold) and a bit of shopping for some smart new clothes, I enjoyed dinner with a group of French and Lebanese politicians. (Who knew that Lebanese truffles were so good?) The dinner conversation was mainly in French, so I strained through most of it to catch what was being said, and only rarely embarrassed myself by entering into the conversation. (As I like to tell people, I speak French quite beautifully, as evidenced by the fact that when I speak French before French people, grown men and women openly weep. Undoubtedly tears of pure joy!)

I also have meetings with some faculty members to prepare for my meetings with Lebanese publishers.

And good news. My friends in Azerbaijan have informed me (by text messaging, no less) that they are translating the works of Frederic Bastiat into Azeri and are arranging for them to be published in serial form in newspapers and then in books. That is cause for tears of joy. I am so very proud of their brave actions to promote freedom, justice, toleration, and the rule of law in their country.

But back to preparing my presentation on the rule of law for Lebanese students….

Magna Carta: The Great Charter