Crowdsourcing Clarity, Ep. 03: Which country/countries, in your opinion, is/are the most libertarian? (SBD reward for most helpful answer!)

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Steemit.com is a fairly international platform. Seeing as the first two installments of "Crowsourcing Clarity" have been so successful and have yielded valuable information, I'd like to get right back to it with another question:

Which countries on this planet are the most libertarian in regards to governance (i.e. limited, relatively non-intrusive, non-surveillance states)?

Looking forward to your answers as always. Personal experience a HUGE bonus here. I'll be sending small Steem Dollar tips to the most helpful answers!

(If you missed the last installment of Crowdsourcing Clarity, you can find it here.)

~KafkA

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Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)

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  ·  7 years ago (edited)

With regard to economic freedom, you'd want to take a look at small Asian countries and Free Economic Zones, such as Singapore, Hong Kong or Shenzhen. Recently a new Free Economic Zone popped up in Honduras, so that is something I will keep an eye on as well.

But the countries that offer the most libertarian lifestyle, in my opinion, are some European countries:

  • Switzerland: Divided into 20 cantons and 6 half cantons (these are like separate states) that have their own constitutions. Culturally, the country is divided into 4 languages: Swiss German, French, Italian and Reto-Roman.

    These cantons compete for residents, which tends to drive down income taxes. The country is doing well economically too. Guns laws are also relatively loose in Switzerland.
  • Liechtenstein: Very small country with only 37,000 residents. 40% of all residents is foreign and immigration laws are fairly loose. The basic income tax rate is only 1.2%, but the different communes add around 15% too, which is still very low compared to many countries.
    The constitution of Liechtenstein gives the communes a right to secede from the principality. The country has no army and chooses to remain neutral in any conflict. Crime is also very low and sometimes they don't even have prisoners.
  • Andorra: A very small country in the Pyrenees mountais, in between France and Spain. The country used to do very well economically with a business tax of only 10%, but they had to raise taxes due to pressure from other EU member states. So I think this one is losing the fight against big government, sadly.

If you're looking at Latin America, I believe Chile is the freest country. Gun laws are relatively loose and in the country side you can live pretty freely in some places.

If I have missed other countries, let me know! I hope my comment helps.

Source of the image

EDIT: Iceland also has relatively loose gun laws and they jail bankers, so that's pretty cool. ;-)

Thanks for this excellent comment. 1 SBD on the way. :)

Thanks brother!

Out of all I have researched and been, for someone who wants the best of the best of the best freedom possible, one place rises to the top, Panama. A close second third and forth respectively, Switzerland, Singapore and for the best financial freedom without living there(IBC) my number one is Vanuatu.

Cheers. 1 SBD on the way.

Pffft. Somalia.

market wise i'd go with the econ freedom index, hong kong isn't it? http://www.heritage.org/index/

Thanks for this. 1 SBD on the way.

In My opinion Sweden is most liberal country.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Liberal, but not classical liberal. Income taxes and sales taxes are through the roof (especially on alcohol) and they have many social programs. Firearms are also prohibited. I guess we should be happy for the Swedes that their socialism isn't as bad as, say, 20 years ago.

I think Liberland!! A libertarian micronation which was proclaimed two years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberland

Oh God, of course! I completely forgot that one!