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--------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS BULLETIN... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUT FIRST... Each year, the Washington Post asks readers to take any word, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing ONE letter, and supply a new definition. I enjoyed this year's winner: INTAXICATION: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize that it was your money to start with. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EVENTS: Full list on http://www.adamsmith.org/policy/news/forward.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I listed dozens of our events last time, so if you didn't read them I've no sympathy, and you'll have to look up our online Forward Diary pages to find out what's happening. But here are a few highlights: Bjorn Lomborg Lecture, 26 February ********************************** According to BJORN LOMBORG, 'The Skeptical Environmentalist': - The world is not becoming overpopulated. - We will be able to feed everyone. - The level of human welfare is improving. - The world is not running out of energy and other resources. - Pollution and other environmental degradations are not increasing. - Global warming is probably not caused by human activity. Surprised? Hear his explanations yourself at the Adam Smith Lecture. Ask steve@adamsmith.org for info. Meanwhile, skim his famous book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521010683/adamsmithinstitu Power Lunches: Ask steve@adamsmith.org for info *********************************************** RICHARD BOWKER, Strategic Rail boss (if still in a job), 28 Jan SIR ROY MCNULTY, CAA boss (in his job for another 4 years), 5 Feb THERESA VILLIERS, MEP critical of the Euro Constitution and more), 13 Feb DENIS TUNNICLIFFE, UK Atomic Energy Authority boss, 18 Feb JEFF RANDALL, charismatic BBC biz editor, 25 Feb STEVE BUNDRED, new CE of the Audit Commission, 2 March Coming up: lunches with minsters PAUL BOATENG MP and DR JOHN REID MP. Breakfast briefings: Contact asi@chrislambert.org for info/invites ****************************************************************** * PROF IAN FELLS (Energy prof), BILL GRAINGER (AMEC Wind), COLIN MORGAN (Garrard Hassan), 24 February * ROBERT WARDLE, SFO director, 26 February --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE WEEK IN WEBLOG: Think and write on http://www.adamsmithblog.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------- FATHEADS: Tim Ambler of London Business School says that the Food Standards Agency's attack on food advertising shows what fatheads they are http://www.adamsmithblog.org/archives/000205.php GETTING OUT: Forget 'user panels', 'voice', and the rest. The best way to improve public services is to let people exit them when they're no good http://www.adamsmithblog.org/archives/000202.php GOODBYE, RULE OF LAW: The Home Secretary's twisting of the law to keep Maxine Carr in jail reveals a government with no feeling for justice http://www.adamsmithblog.org/archives/000200.php --------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOTSPOTS: Stuff and people we think are interesting --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2004 Freedom Index ****************** The Heritage / Wall Street Journal 2004 Index of Economic Freedom makes interesting reading. It's a country-by-country measure of economic freedom and shows that the most free countries are also the most prosperous. The top scorers -- in terms of free trade, low burden of government, a liberalized financial sector, property rights, and low regulation -- also enjoy higher living standards. I suppose the trouble with the rat-race is that, even if you win, you're still a rate, but it's disappointing to see the UK continue to slip down the table, being overtaken by the fast-growing, free-market Estonia. And I would also point out that anywhere ending in -stan is pretty grim (except that I could probably get jailed for racism by saying it). The Most Free The Least Free -------------------- --------------------- Hong Kong (1st) Tajikistan (146th) Singapore (2nd) Venezuela (147th) New Zealand (3rd) Iran (148th) Luxembourg (4th) Uzbekistan (149th) Ireland (5th) Turkmenistan (150th) Estonia (6th) Burma (151st) United Kingdom (7th) Laos (151st) Denmark (8th) Zimbabwe (153rd) Switzerland (9th) Libya (154th) United States (10th) North Korea (155th) www.heritage.org/research/features/index/pressReleases/overallRelease04.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATE COMPLAINT: More Westminster scandals from http://www.ePolitix.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bismarck said that anyone who likes laws or sausages should never watch either being made. But it's not all bad news this time. I see that a South African company has won a contract to do 40,000 cataract ops on the NHS, using million-pound mobile theatres. Great. But on the other hand... Cash down the drain ******************* MPs have flayed the Revenue for failing to recover billions in tax fraud: though a big problem, it managed only 60 prosecutions last year. * We have a breakfast briefing with the head of the SFO coming up. See: http://www.adamsmith.org/policy/news/forward.htm Britain is no longer the most subsidy-averse member of the European Union, thanks to our hand-outs to Network Rail and British Energy. As many as 14 Lords ministers claim 28k a year to pay for second homes in the country. (The original idea was to help MPs keep a home in London!) Stephen Byers wants free childcare for poorer families, in order to redistribute wealth. Could redistribute quite a lot of it, I'd say. We'll be shelling out 250 grand a month for the Dome for three years after it is taken over by the private sector -- and then some, it transpires. The European Commission grandly plans to spend 688 billion pounds over the next seven years. If you've got it, flaunt it. Government isn't the answer *************************** The government Delivery Unit says that the PM's key reforms on education, crime and (especially) transport have made only mixed progress. Lord Barnett, of the 'Barnett Formula' which gives more money to Scotland, says the system is "increasingly unfair" and "a great embarrassment". MPs will take Fridays off and work a four-day "family-friendly" week under new government plans. What about the rest of us with families, then? The Home Secretary has intervened to keep Maxine Carr in jail -- distorting rules that his own government introduced. See our blog on this at: http://www.adamsmithblog.org/archives/000200.php Axa Insurance are moving 700 call-centre jobs to Bangalore, while the Abbey is cutting another 400 from its offices in northern England. A Core Cities Group study says that British cities "are not yet in the premier league" and are losing investment to their continental rivals. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- AS ADAM HAD IT... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think I might just have discovered where government provision of public services too often goes wrong: "It is the interest of every man to live as much at his ease as he can; and if his emoluments are to be precisely the same, whether he does, or does not perform some very laborious duty, it is certainly his interest...either to neglect it altogether, or to perform it in [a] careless and slovenly a manner..." Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations, Book V, Chapter I, Part II, Article II e Dr Eamonn Butler, Director Adam Smith Institute, 23 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BL, UK E-mail butler@adamsmith.org - Visit us online at www.adamsmith.org Tel +44 (0)20 7222 4995 - Fax +44 (0)20 7222 7544 To unsubscribe, visit www.adamsmith.org/lists.htm
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