Government Debt and its Impact on Economic Growth
Global government debt is at a record high, exceeding $97 trillion in 2023, which is more than 90% of the global GDP. Wait, it gets worse. This trend is expected to continue, with debt levels potentially surpassing 100% of GDP by the end of the decade.
The Real Cause of Poverty: Big Governments, Policies & Corruption
US President Donald Trump has released a $1.7 trillion discretionary budget blueprint. It calls for a whopping $163 billion cut in government spending in fiscal 2026 by dramatically curtailing the role and reach of
These 2 Policies are Crushing the UK Economy
Economic growth in the UK unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% in January 2025, a dramatic slowdown from the 0.4% growth reported for the previous month. Yet, KPMG forecasts 1.7% GDP growth for the UK this year. The country will need to grow while
Tariffs vs Taxes: Choosing Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea
The Trump administration’s 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from anywhere in the world sent shockwaves. The global stock market bloodbath stands as a testament to how unnerving this move was.
Voluntary Tax: It’s Merely a Sugarcoated Pill
The US tax code states that it is based on “a system of voluntary compliance.” However, this is a complete misnomer. Taxation in the US, like most other countries, is instead based on the phrase used by highwaymen during robberies:
30% of Lithium Producers are in the Red: Who is to Blame?
The world’s efforts at energy transition depend on lithium. With EVs grabbing the spotlight, the global demand for this metal has been rapidly growing. And yet, the global lithium market is expected to remain oversupplied till 2028. As
Outsourcing is Not the Root of America’s Economic Woes
When was the last time you wore a jacket that you stitched yourself? Many of you, like me, would say “Never.” You probably didn’t manufacture the car you drive or build the home you live in. We all outsource to make our lives comfortable and
SWIFT: Time to Break Free from Centralized Oversight of the West?
The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) is the most widely used messaging network today to facilitate financial transactions between banks and other financial institutions.
Regulatory Pressure on Social Media Platforms: What About Free Speech?
Social media is the largest platform for communication today. It has gained so much popularity that there are over 5 billion social media users globally. That’s 60% of the global population!
Tariffs: A Double-Edged Sword That Cuts the One Who Wields it
Tariffs have grabbed the headlines ever since US President-elect Donald Trump’s election campaign. Countries are busy strategizing to brace for higher tariffs and engaging bilaterally with the US to avoid the imposition of this trade barrier. There are,
Rakesh Wadhwa. Ever since, I was a school boy, I knew India was on the wrong path. Socialism was just not what we needed to get ahead. Government controlled our travel; government controlled our ability to buy and sell; and government controlled our freedom to move our money. My life has focused on the inherent rights people have. When I was in college, I never understood, what the governments meant by their "socialistic attitude". If people are free to buy, sell and move their capital themselves without any restrictions by state, then the welfare of people is inevitable & hence the countries they live in will become wealthy. The government has no right whatsoever, to point a finger at me or my business. I am not a revolutionary. I just want to light up my cigarette and not get nagged about it. I believe in non-interfering attitude to attain more. 
The Bastiat Award is a journalism award, given annually by the International Policy Network, London. Bastiat Prize entries are judged on intellectual content, the persuasiveness of the language used and the type of publication in which they appear. Rakesh Wadhwa won the 3rd prize (a cash award of $1,000 and a candlestick), in 2006.
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