Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming, There'll Be Pigs Flying Next

Please read this paean to free-market economics and Economic reform from...Ha’aretz!!!. I know!!! Soon this bastion of leftist thinking will be advocating annexing the shtachim and population exchange. Ok, perhaps not, but this is still spectacular.

“There is not an economist in the whole world who could have predicted the current economic situation. After an unsuccessful war in Lebanon and enormous military outlays, accompanied by strategic threats from Iran and Syrian saber-rattling, after missiles on Sderot and a fragile cease-fire - despite all of this, the Israeli economy in 2006 is demonstrating extraordinary strength...

There is a single explanation for all the good things described here: A responsible, free-market economic policy expressed through budgetary restraint, a small deficit, tax cuts, reforms, privatization and opening the economy to the free movement of goods, services and capital, or in short: Less government, more business.

This is the policy that has been implemented in Israel since 1985, by all governments, but it was greatly accelerated by then finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2003. We are now reaping the fruits of his cuts, reforms and privatizations. We can now also thank the god of politics who prevented Amir Peretz from implementing his plans in 2003 - more taxes, more government, no reforms, no privatization....

Give it a chance, guys. Give the economy a chance to continue to grow. Stop with the populist headlines, do not block the reforms and growth. Only growth can create jobs and give the government the money - the taxes - needed to take care of society's ills. Only a wealthy state can, and must, take care of its poor”.