The Best Economy Ever?

The Wall Street Journal notes that the world economy has never been stronger than it is today. The article also makes the important observation that one of the greatest threats to global economic growth, and the US economy, is a return to protectionist policies.

The volatility of world stock markets last week should not distract attention from the fact that the world economy is currently experiencing a level of growth unsurpassed in human history. World growth has been running at close to 5% for over three years -- the highest level since the late 1960s. But the current situation is profoundly different from that era: In the 1960s, over two-thirds of the world's people were excluded from the global economy because of their political regimes. During the past 20 years, China, India, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Africa have rejoined the global economy.

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