In these days of bitter conflicts between the United Kingdom and Russia, it seems that many have forgotten about all the qualities these two great nations share – such as disappointing scores on the 2008 Heritage Index of Economic Freedom. Thanks to high taxes and a ballooning state, Britain has dropped in the rankings from the elite “fully free” countries (such as Canada, the United States, and Australia) to “partly free” (sharing company with Chile, Denmark, and Estonia). Russia, on its behalf, scored lower than countries such as Bolivia, China, and Niger for its enduring problems with corruption and lack of rule of law. The report reads “The judicial system is unpredictable, corrupt, and unable to handle technically sophisticated cases. Contracts are difficult to enforce, and an ancient antipathy to them continues to impede Russian integration into the West.” See excerpts from the new report after the jump.