From Punch, a leading Nigerian newspaper: “Protectionism at whose expense?,” by Thompson Ayodele and Olusegun Sotola

The full text, translated from French into Arabic, of “What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen” is now available online: “ما يرى وما لا يرى”

The French text is available here (in full facsimile) and here (as html), and the English here.

Congratulations to my colleagues at Minbaralhurriyya.org (The Forum of Liberty), a project of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. Bastiat is coming out in a lot of other languages, as well, as part of our “Bastiat Legacy” project: AtlasNetwork.org/BastiatLegacy, which includes short videos on themes dear to Bastiat (also translated into numerous languages), essay contest, seminars, summer schools, and more.

آلة الازدهار العظيم from Atlas Network on Vimeo.

Coming out soon in many other languages…..

The conference hall of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Kabul for the presentation of the Dari edition of Common Sense Economics: What Everyone Should Know About Wealth and Prosperity
Presentation by me on the foundations of prosperity and peaceful cooperation
Presentation by Prof Nasrullah Stanikzai on the relations between law and economics

The trade embargo against the people of Gaza is itself a crime, and the incompetence and avoidable deadly violence of the Israeli authorities in dealing with the aid flotilla are further arguments that it should be lifted.

Searching for weapons is one thing, but embargoing trade and aid altogether is another. How can the Israeli authorities expect peace from people who, in the end, feel that they have nothing to lose? Free the trade with Gaza and let the people there work, produce, and flourish. Let them trade with Israelis. Search for weapons, but do so with intelligence, not rank incompetence that results in the spilling of blood.

Once again, the Israeli authorities have shown that, when a trap is set, they are quite willing to step into it. A bad policy coupled with utter stupidity and incompetence will prove disastrous for everyone. Perhaps the Israeli authorities may learn something from what happened. I hope so.

There is a great deal of evidence that freeing trade creates or supports peace. The Israeli authorities should consult it.

Dan Griswold on “Peace on Earth? Try Free Trade among Men”

Jagdish Bhagwati on free trade and peace

Some updates:

These articles are well worth reading, to give a sense of what is included in the embargo, which goes far beyond the quite justified interdiction of weapons and war material:

CBS: “Israel’s Gaza Blockade Baffles Both Sides”
Wall Street Journal:Gaza Blockade Hampers Private-Sector Economy

The Opening Segment of John Stossel’s Show on Free Trade

Other segments included trade obstructionist Lou Dobbs, Kenyan entrepreneur, lawyer, and documentary maker June Arunga and Swedish writer Johan Norberg, and a wrap-up (including me).

And see if Lou Dobbs (that old charmer, who managed to call Don Boudreaux an “idiot” and June Arunga “stupid” within minutes of meeting them in the Green Room) convinces you that he is not an economic nationalist and trade obstructionist.

Stossel’s Announcement: “Everyone Prospers With Free Trade”

Stossel’s Column

One of China’s most prestigious and influential magazines, Caijing, today ran my article on free trade: “Weaken Our Trade Barriers: It is not only America’s leaders who are erring, Chinese leaders must also change their trade policies.” It was based on a presentation I made at a seminar on trade policy at the Unirule Institute in Beijing. (Note: Click on the images to enlarge them to readable size.)


At the bottom of the page is a comment, expressing agreement, by Prof. Feng Xingyuan of the China Academy of Social Sciences and the Cathay Institute of Public Affairs.

Note: Careful readers of the Chinese text will note on page 1 references to “Lou Dobbs” and “Jack Cafferty,” two notorious China bashers on “CNN” whom I set straight. And further note: I can’t read Chinese, either. I wish I could.

Moscow Tea Parties! – Protesting the Kremlin’s New Trade Law

The FreedomToTrade.org campaign is organizing a petition to resist calls for “Green Protectionism.” I’ve signed and I encourage others to do so, as well.

Held at the Unirule Institute on November 20: “自由贸易与公民社会对美国、中国和世界的冲击“*

*Translated, and not by me!

“Free Trade = Harmonious Society” and “Free Trade is the Best Policy”

EurasiaNet.org: GEORGIA: SAAKASHVILI WANTS TBILISI TO BECOME “GOVERNMENT-LITE”

Ilia Chavchavadze

The Georgian leader used a reference to a national cultural icon, the revered 19th century novelist Ilia Chavchavadze, to sway any doubters who believe that liberalism is “a non-Georgian word.” Chavchavadze, a nobleman who led Georgia’s 19th century national movement and was later canonized, was “the first Georgian libertarian,” Saakashvili claimed, the Civil.ge news service reported.
“By choosing liberalism, we are choosing Ilia’s way,” Saakashvili said.

His speech is available in Russian here. (I will search for English.)
More information: “Saakashvili Lays Out ‘Act on Economic Freedom’”

BBC: “Turkey, Armenia to restore ties”

Arguing over the nature or magnitude of crimes in the past is not necessarily a bad thing, unless it gets in the way of peace and freedom. It’s time for the people of Turkey and Armenia to discuss the past openly, through private discussion and through the institutions of civil society, and for their governments to make peace and allow peaceful exchanges among their people.

James Fallows in The Atlantic: “FT, Economist, and me”

I’ll post a response later (gotta rush to a meeting now), but it will be fun to show how he has focused on a non-essential difference.

Hat Tip: Jude Blanchette