Archive for May 6th, 2008

Newsweek has a fascinating article by Fareed Zakaria. Some of the interesting points he makes:

20 years ago the US had the lowest corporate taxes in the world. Today the US has the 2nd highest.

Only three countries in the world don’t use the metric system: Liberia, Myanmar, and the US.

In 2006 and 2007, 124 countries grew their economies faster than 4%.

The share of people living on $1 a day has plummeted from 40 percent in 1981 to 18 percent in 2004

The global economy has more than doubled in size over the last 15 years and is now approaching $54 trillion. Global trade has grown by 133 percent in the same period.

In World War II Germany suffered 70 percent of its casualties on the eastern front yet the American narrative is one in which the United States and Britain heroically defeat the forces of fascism.