CNE Monatsmagazin Digest
November 2007

English Summary

Private schools for the poor: "Private schools for the poor are burgeoning across the developing world", say Pauline Dixon and James Tooley, University of Newcastle. "This would seem to go against the accepted wisdom that private schools cater only for the elite, everyone else, especially the poor, need free public education. However, poor parents are abandoning public education and are using private schools instead. Budget private schools, charging around $2 to $4 per month, can be found in urban and periurban areas in the developing world. Edupreneurs living within and from the communities themselves run the schools", write Dixon and Tooley.

Almost a miracle I: "According to a recent study, liberals are much happier, more content and more optimistic than adherents of the welfare state. Why is this so?", asks Edgar Gärtner. "The answer is probably much simpler than many people believe: Liberals believe in miracles. They do, what is obviously useful to them, and they trust that supply and demand will lead to wealth and peace for society."

Almost a miracle II: While European papers mainly look at Obama Barack and Hillary Clinton as promising candidates for U.S. Presidency, classical liberals and libertarians hope for a miracle. Indeed, Ron Paul's candidature is running very promisingly. A great admirer of Austrian Economics and of a real flat tax (close to zero), Paul is the only prominent among all candidates who views the Iraq war to be a mistake. His friends in Europe are now organizing a Straßbourg Tea Party.

Ordered Anarchy: The new book, edited by Hardy Bouillon and Hartmut Kliemt, is a collection of essays in honour of Anthony de Jasay. Authors include Nobel laureate James Buchanan The volume focuses on three fundamental questions of libertarian thinking. Which are the basic libertarian principles and how do rights and liberties relate to each other? Is order possible and durable in an anarchic society, and if so, under which preconditions? To which extend and how are the pillars of politics, such as the constitution, institutions and government, detrimental or beneficial to an enduring free society?

The last word: Stephen Pollard broke off from his honeymoon in Australia to comment on Australia's election campaign. "Tony Blair may be gone, but he is not forgotten. Here in Australia, his 1997 election campaign is serving as a text book for the strategy of the Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, in the current general election. The odds are still heavily on a Labor win. But Howard is the most underrated politician in the world", Pollard writes.

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Dr. Hardy Bouillon is Head of Academic Affairs at the Centre for the New Europe.