PrintMarch 6, 2011
The Strength of Nations
The strength of nations has emerged, for much of history, from mastery of physical resources. Early humans who learned to make stone weapons earned an advantage over those using wooden ones. Their successors who leaned to learn to use bronze, then iron, then steel, and then uranium gained advantages over their less advanced adversaries. But power comes in many different forms. Events of the last year demonstrate that the strength of nations may depend as much on knowledge and information as it does on tanks and jets. Knowledge and information, in turn, blossom in the right legal climate. Laws that encourage the development and protection of intellectual property and the free flow of ideas are a key component of national strength.Israel's experiences defending itself from hostile neighbors intent on acquiring nuclear weapons illustrates the changing nature of national power, and the importance of a legal system that respects intellectual property...(Read Full Article)
