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Finally, a day to just do whatever I feel like. Friday is the best day of the week because I don't have classes and I could just do whatever I want. I've always thought about the easy life, the grown up life without worries about what is happening in the outside world. I take pleasure in reading about them and really, I don't mind spending the rest of my life being plain and simple. That is of course in contrary to what I am now. But who knows, maybe when I get that life, I wouldn't like it anymore. Isn't it strange that we always ask for the things that we want, and then when we get it, we are usually just not satisfied anymore. Sometimes, that's how I feel because I think I could do much better. Does that imply that I'm a Capitalist? Perhaps that's a little extreme to say but really, finance and economics has taught me to do think about what would be best for the Nations. For policy makers to have the ability to guide Canada into economic prosperity.

I read the entire National Post today, and one of the article talked about how the gains of a free market economy were sacrificed to the welfare state of over regulation. during the economic boom following the war (wirtschaftsflop) germany had one of the highest growth rates at 6.3% (50s-70s). But that dropped to 2.5% during the next 20 years and to 1.8% throughout the 1990s. Now it sits at 0.3% in the new millenium. To explain this, a few factors come into play, Germany spends 20% of its national income on social benefits (2X canada's %) and the other is its high and pervasive regulation. Although Canadian growth rates have been much higher than that of Germandy, its downward trend hold some resemblance and understanding these consequences have important implications to the economic policies of Canada's newly elected governement.

Germany holds 4 world records: The youngest pensioners and the oldest students; workers have the shortest work week and the longest vacations. It's regulation of its labour markets is legendary. It imposes large payroll taxes and limits the ability of employers of fire workers, hire part time workers and keep businesses open in the evenings and on weekends.

Humm, don't you wish you were living in Germany. At first, I thought about all the social benefits

Posted by SquallAngel at July 9, 2004 12:29 PM | TrackBack