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September 2019
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Welcome to the IEA Weekend Newsletter!
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* Welcome Syed!
* Renewed spending...
* In Pod We Trust!
* The Power of Capitalism
* Kindling the flames...
* You’re Invited!
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** Welcome Syed!
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We were delighted to announce this week that Professor Syed Kamall ([link removed]) has been appointed as the IEA’s new Academic and Research Director.
Syed was a Conservative MEP for London from May 2005 to June 2019 and was leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament. As the most senior elected British MEP, he acted as an interlocutor between UK and EU negotiators.
He was also recently appointed Professor of Politics and International Relations at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. And he has formerly worked in IT and as a strategy, public affairs and diversity consultant.
Syed said: “I am really excited to be joining the IEA, the leading classical liberal think tank in engaging in the battle of ideas.”
“We live in a political climate where it is important to remind people that freer markets, individual liberty and freedom have inspired human progress, which has lifted millions out of poverty.”
Mark Littlewood, IEA Director General, welcomed Syed, adding: “I am delighted Syed has agreed to join the IEA team. He possesses an exceptional understanding both of public policy and academia and will be an enormous asset in the Institute’s key task in explaining the benefits of free markets in tackling social and economic problems.”
Look out for our first podcast with Syed next week!
** Renewed spending...
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Chancellor Sajid Javid this week announced the latest spending review, which he billed as ushering in a “new decade of renewal”.
However, by detailing £13.8bn of new spending commitments, the Chancellor risked “undermining the good work done in recent years to almost eradicate the budget deficit,” said Mark Littlewood.
“By spending the majority of the Government’s fiscal headroom, the Chancellor risks glossing over the fact that the tax burden is at its highest for almost 50 years. If the public finances are in a much improved state, tax cuts should be at least as high a priority as any spending increases.”
Read Mark’s full comments here ([link removed]) , and coverage of his remarks in City AM, here ([link removed]) .
** In Pod We Trust!
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Our latest book - SCHOOL OF THOUGHT – 101 Great Liberal Thinkers ([link removed]) - forms the basis of this week’s IEA podcast.
The book profiles the lives and ideas of some of the leading thinkers on individual liberty – from ancient times to the present day.
Written by award-winning author Dr Eamonn Butler, it outlines key elements of liberal thought and takes a chronological look at those who shaped it across the centuries.
In the podcast, IEA Digital Manager Darren Grimes asks Eamonn if he believes we’re living in a liberal age - or if liberalism is under threat. And he also asks Eamonn to pick his favourite liberal thinkers - and what listeners can take away from the work.
You can find the podcast on a number of platforms:Twitter ([link removed]) , Apple Music ([link removed]) , Podbean ([link removed]) and YouTube ([link removed]) . And you can subscribe to our podcast series, IEA Conversations,here ([link removed]) .
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The Power of Capitalism
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On our blog this week, our Head of Political Economy Kristian Niemietz published a two-part review of Dr Rainer Zitelmann’s book The Power of Capitalism.
The book review emphasised why the The Power of Capitalism is especially important against a backdrop of growing “Millennial Socialism ([link removed]) ”.
Kristian wrote, “the first chapter of The Power of Capitalism is about the amazing economic transformation of China over the past forty years”.
“The story of Africa is less impressive, but there are silver linings too. In the post-war decades, most African countries experimented with various forms of socialism or other forms of state-directed development, again with poor results”.
“The third chapter contrasts West Germany’s post-war economic miracle to the drabness of socialist East Germany. In hindsight, we often treat the East German system as a freak accident of history, and West German capitalism as the norm. But as Zitelmann shows, in the immediate aftermath of the war, it was not at all clear that West Germany would adopt a market-based economy.”
Dr Zitelmann is no stranger to the IEA. Earlier this year, Kristian spoke ([link removed]) to him about the book in an episode of IEA Conversations ([link removed]) .
Dr Zitelmann also took part in one of the THINK panels ([link removed]) discussing ‘Socialism, Capitalism, and Millenials ([link removed]) ’.
You can read part 1 of Kristian’s blog post here ([link removed]) , and part 2 here ([link removed]) . Access to Dr Zitelmann’s book is available here ([link removed]) .
** Kindling the flames...
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Meanwhile, Kristian’s book Socialism: The Failed Idea That Never Dies ([link removed]) is featured in the Top 5 books in 3 different categories on Amazon US.
The Kindle version of the book features at #4 in ‘Best Sellers in Free Enterprise’, at #5 in ‘Best Sellers in Political Freedom’, and #5 in ‘Best Sellers in Communism & Socialism’.
It’s also ridden high in similar Amazon charts in Germany and here in the UK.
The book discusses how support for socialism in the abstract is not matched by positive perceptions of any actual example, contemporary or historical, of a socialist system in action.
Read Socialism: The Failed Idea That Never Dies here ([link removed]) .
** You're Invited!
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Brussels calling...
EPICENTER – our network of European think tanks – would like to welcome you to the 2019 edition of the Nanny State Index Conference, taking place in Brussels next week on September 11.
Our Index, measuring lifestyle regulations in all 28 EU member states, gives the opportunity for policy makers to reflect on paternalistic regulations that curb consumer’s freedom of choice.
The annual conference features leading policy experts and politicians who discuss how the nanny state can be curbed all across Europe.
View the programme of the conference here ([link removed]) or get your complimentary tickets here ([link removed]) .
Making Progress...
Also on Wednesday, the IEA will be hosting a drinks reception and ‘In Conversation’ event with Douglas Carswell, author, former MP and founder of the Centre for Economic Education.
Chaired by Mark Littlewood, the two will discuss Douglas’s latest work, Progress vs Parasites: A Brief History of the Conflict That’s Shaped Our World.
In his new book, Douglas provides a robust defence of classical liberalism, showcasing that it is the idea of freedom that ultimately allows the productive to escape the parasitic - and thus decides whether a society flourishes or flounders.
We only have a few seats left - but if you would like to apply for a ticket, please RSVP to
[email protected] (mailto:
[email protected]) to reserve a place at this special In Conversation event.
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