The organisation, which promotes low taxes and limited government regulation, said on Tuesday the US was tied for 12th place with Switzerland in the 2005 Index of Economic Freedom.
Hong Kong retained its top ranking in the survey, followed by Singapore, Luxembourg and Estonia. Ireland and New Zealand tied for fifth place, followed by Britain, Denmark, Iceland and Australia in the top 10. Chile ranked 11th.
[...]
"Although its score remains unchanged from last year, and it is still classified as free, the United States - now in a tie for 12th place with Switzerland - has been 'treading water'," according to the editors, "and hence has been surpassed by countries willing to open their economies still further".
The report, compiled with The Wall Street Journal, "demonstrates that the countries with the greatest degrees of economic freedom also enjoy the highest living standards", Heritage said.
[...]
The criteria used include free trade; taxes; government intervention in the economy; monetary policy; capital flows and foreign investment; property rights; and informal market activity.
Among European nations outside the top 10, Germany ranked 18th, Italy 26th and France 44th.
As long as we're ahead of France.
I'm not making any comment on the desirability of free markets without government intervention. Just giving you the report. Because I'm pretty sure that Washington would have you believe you live in the free-est of the free with the highest standard of living on the globe.
Washington and all your redneck friends.
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