However, there is no principled libertarian party in Germany.
(a) It appears to me that the most likely scenario is the SDP & CDU grand coalition. It means there will never be a radical economic reform in Germany. The concept of aboliting the income tax (the most hideous tax) is absolutely foreign to them. The next close thing was the flat tax, but that is nowhere to be seen either. So, they are left with (i) a complicated tax system, which probably is 14,593 pages (I am being sarcastic), which only tax lawyers and accountant can understand. So the little people are screwed, because they can't afford to hire tax lawyers and CPAs to find loopholes in the tax code, (ii) state spending a large portion of the GDP with promises to the future generation that the state will pay for the health care and pension (of course the state has to steal ...ooops tax the money from individuals to pay for the services), (iii) labor market which is not free, but regulated and encourages higher unemployment, (iv) taxes on capital formation, which discourages creation of jobs and business.
Its the same old, same old.
Q: Why would the FDP want to be associated with a failure?
(b) the second likely scenario is SDP/LP/Green coalition. See above, except with a much terrible outcome.
2. Maybe the FDP should sit and watch how Germany is slowly crumbling (low competitiveness, high unemployment, lower state benefits, lower economic growth, higher trade barriers, protectionism, more power to the trade unions, more strikes, etc).
Then, hopefully, either the CDU will adopt free-market, libertarian positions, or maybe (not likely) the voters will vote for the FDP and accept some austere measures for the sake of the future generation.
3. Full disclosure - the FDP has not paid me for this consultation (haha). They can hire Nobel Prize economists from the University of Chicago, or the CATO Institute.
(Sorry, it is a slightly snarky request, and I smirkingly accept, that you might be the only L voter in these rows)
(c) Sometime, in the past, I posted links that gave three different perspectives in favor of free trade (i) liberal (minority view, even though Bill Clinton signed and Dems voted for NAFTA), (ii) conservative (majority view, even though Pat Buchanan and others oppose it), (iii) libertarian (overwhelming view).
You can check back at my comments and find out, if you are interested.
(d) My short answer for free trade is simple: Let Africa and Latin America and Asia (large part) live in the industrial and agricultural age, and let's move to the information age (space, biotech, nanotech, genetic engineering, health care, internet, etc). Most people in these industries will make a lot more money than if they worked in metallurgy or meat factories.
It also means that education (and creative thinking) will become more important because we live in the information age.
Building and providing houses, pension, 13th Salary at Christmas, cheap holidays, sports facilities, medical facilities.
A tradition that used to be very strong in Germany - introduced not by the state, but by the industrialists themselves.
They could go on too long to confuse people. To me they are wolves in sheep clothes (or whatever you call it). And if the FDP falls for those theories I just think that they don't know what they are dealing with.
1. Read this book by Milton Friedman - FREE TO CHOOSE Its a fast read.
(a) He acts for his self interest - bake bread, make money, to support himself and his family. Its called the invisible hand. (b) I take the baker any time over any government bureaucrat.
2. When Bill Gates (or Microsoft) programs a software, he/she doesn't know you or me and doesn't do for our good. (a) He did it to have fame, or money, or success, or all of the above. Or maybe, he was a geek, and couldn't get a date, and now he can. The end result was a product or service.
(b) I take Bill Gates any time over any government bureaucrat. Or if you are an Apple fan, I go with Steve Jobs.
