Democracy doesn’t matter to the defenders of ‘economic freedom’ | Quinn Slobodian

The league tables created by conservative thinktanks show that neoliberalism is about ringfencing economic power

Two of the "freest economies" in the world are on fire. According to indexes of "economic freedom" published annually separately by two conservative thinktanks - the Heritage Foundation and the Fraser Institute - Hong Kong has been number one in the rankings for more than 20 years. Chile is ranked first in Latin America by both indexes, which also place it above Germany and Sweden in the global league table.

Violent protest in Hong Kong has entered its eighth month. The target is Beijing, but the lack of universal suffrage that is catalysing popular anger has long been part of Hong Kong's economic model. In Chile, where student-led protests against a rise in subway fares turned into a nationwide anti-government movement, the death toll is at least 18.

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