[Anneskobsen]

I will continue to trust the figures from the World Bank. Thank you.

[kvitacencia]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Take away Anbar/Baghdad and Iraq is a pretty peaceful place... Relatively peaceful, i.e. not at all.

Do you agree with article that low income tax and high corruption is good for the Iraqi economy? It's the sort of deranged pronouncement one expects from Ned.

There's even a positive spin to be put on corruption. Money stolen from government coffers or siphoned from U.S. aid projects does not just disappear. Again, says Farid Abolfathi, a Global Insight analyst, it's the "trickledown" effect. Such "underground activity" is the most dynamic part of Iraq's economy, he says. "It might not be viewed as respectable. But in reality, that's what puts money in the hands of the little people." You hear this, saps? Corruption puts money in the hands of the little people! Trickledown! Stealing from the government is the most dynamic part of Iraq's economy!

[eCw56dzY]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Go ahead. The World Bank still predicts 4% GDP growth, which is quite good. The Newsweek story says the same thing even if you choose to ignore the Global Insight numbers... 4% is not that good when you start as low as Iraq was thanks to the sanctions regime and then count the huge influx of money into the country.

Plus the whole 30-50% unemployment bit is far more indicative of the economic reality for your every day Iraqi. I fail to imagine that the third to a half of the public who is out of works is thrilled that heck, at least the overall economy grew 4%! Yeah me....

[TobaccoNUE]

The desperately poor countries which haven't seen 4% growth are mainly lagging due to political corruption. I believe the article you linked was trying to say political corruption was a mildly good thing. Most people would not agree.