This entry was posted on 2/15/2007 8:09 PM and is filed under uncategorized.
In 1992, 32-year old Mart Laar became the prime minister of Estonia. At the time the former Soviet state had 1000% inflation, was corrupt and poor.
Laar was a history teacher, not an economist. He admits he only read one book on economics, Milton Friedman's
Free to Choose. However, he knew the Russians couldn't stand Friedman and censored his writings. He concluded that Friedman must have some powerful ideas.
Laar was naive enough to assume that Friedman's recommendations in
Free to Choose had been implemented in the West already. Thinking they sounded practical, he decided to implement them in his own country as well.
Consequently, Estonia had a remarkable economic recovery. It's been documented ubiquitously. The inflation rate dropped from the out-of-conrol 1000% down to a manageable 2.5%. They've had numerous startups, attracted several high-tech employers, now have a labor-shortage, and most importantly, they have pulled their downtrodden country out of the mire and into a productive first-world nation. They are now referred to as "E-stonia" and the "Baltic Tiger" because of their remarkable rags to riches tale.
Since then, the "Baltic Tiger" has inspired many Eastern European states to follow suit with flat taxes and other similiar economic reforms. Even old-Europe Germany, which has been largely nationalized, is considering implementing a flat tax. Laar himself is heralded as a revolutionary and has been nicknamed the Father of the Flat Tax.
What I want to know is this: When countries like Estonia and economic-havens like Hong Kong continue to grow more prosperous, what's wrong with us? Is it really the economy, stupid? Who's running this place anyway? As a former Republican, I have to say they had their chance. They had all three houses and they stunk it up big time. They proved, once and for all, that they are no less the big spenders and buyers of votes than their idiot big party counterparts.
I had nowhere else to turn. So I am proud to say that I rejoined the Libertarian Party. We may be small in number, but we have great ideas. Great, tested ideas. I hope we in the US don't return to insane Carter-administration levels of inflation to get the message, but maybe that's just what we need.
Why should we choose to be less prosperous than we could be? Beats the hell out of me, but I won't be a part of it.
Blucie.com 
