From: Mario

Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 11:18 AM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Question

Greetings Professor Block, I am a Lebanese libertarian and adherent to the Austrian school of economics. I write for Ici Beyrouth and am trying to spread libertarian – or anarcho-capitalist – ideas in Lebanon.

I would like to ask you the following question: What gives a country a good reputation, in your opinion? Protection of private property and minimal government intervention play a significant role, but is it enough?

Thank you.

Dear Mario:

I can’t think of much more to promote a good reputation than protection of private property and minimal government intervention. Oh, yes, there are dozens of other things: sound money, no economic regulations, free trade, no licensing, no minimum wages, no rent controls, etc., but these are merely logical implications of protection of private property and minimal government intervention.

Perhaps this book of mine is relevant to your question:

Gwartney, James, Robert W. Lawson and Walter E. Block. 1996. Economic Freedom of the World, 1975-1995; Vancouver, B.C. Canada: the Fraser Institute (308 pages);  http://www.amazon.ca/Economic-freedom-world-1975-1995-Gwartney/dp/0889751579/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336605884&sr=1-1; http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/pdf/catalogue.pdf; isbn: 0-88975-157-9;

http://www.fraserinstitute.org/researchandpublications/publications/7094.aspx; http://www.fraserinstitute.org/research/economic-freedom-of-the-world-1975-1995

[email protected]; [email protected] ^

Best regards,

Walter

The Best of Walter E. Block