Pakistan’s horrific floods have been compounded by horrific mismanagement and then by regulations that make it harder to save the victims and start reconstruction. The solution is more freedom, not more restrictions, says this widely-experienced Pakistani economist and consultant – citing practical precedents.

Julian Harris comments on Cameron’s reluctance to cut the foreign aid budget and proposes trade as a better alternative to aid:

London--In the New Statesman today, Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, defends increasing foreign aid spending to a legally-binding 0.7% of national output.  But a report* released by International Policy Network, a development think tank based in London, finds the cross-party consensus on this UK aid spending target—which demands an extra £2 billion a year from British taxpayers—makes no sense and is based on a discredited theory.

The G20 reaffirmed in Toronto recently their commitment to development aid even though it has rarely been shown to develop anything and has frequently been shown to do harm. The only way poor countries have developed is by allowing their people to make things, sell things and trade with other countries.