- The Economist was founded by opponents of British protectionism. In this essay (Radical Birthday Thoughts), the editor looks back at the founding principles and assesses the current attack on free trade and free markets.
- There is no clear, coherent case being presented for a retreat from liberalism. But protectionism and other forms of government intervention do not necessarily require a coherent case if they are to succeed. They prosper when ad hoc political alliances can be formed between interest groups that stand to benefit directly and people or politicians who are simply angry about something or other; and when the forces and arguments for maintaining freedom are themselves weakened, incoherent or unpopular. And they can succeed step by debilitating step, rather than in one big triumph.
- The New York Times runs “Crunching the Market’s Numbers,” a story which concludes that higher math is no help in predicting the future, but the author’s seem to discount that this is due to pesky factors like free will and human choice.
- U.S. online suppliers to levy EU tax (Washington Times): The EU’s different form of protectionism.
