Economic Aspects of the Pension Problem
On Whom Does the Incidence Fall? Whenever a law or labor union pressure burdens the employers with an additional expenditure for the benefit of the employees, people talk of “social gains.” The idea implied is that such benefits confer on the
Burned at the Stake: Stakeholder Theory and Shareholder Interests Don’t Line Up
Persons have a natural right to go into business together, and they may do so either as a partnership or a corporation. In the latter type of organization, the persons setting it up limit their civil liability (I won’t be
Can Government Successfully Counter Recessions Through Expansionary Policies? Don’t Count on It
Whenever the signs of an economic weakness emerge, most economic and political commentators declare that the government should increase spending in order to prevent the economy falling into a recession. Economic activity, in this view, consists of a circular flow
Is the US Insane Enough to Start a War with Russia?
In this episode of Radio Rothbard, Ryan McMaken and Tho Bishop discuss the fallout from the first week of the Ukraine-Russian conflict. What is the impact on American politics? Are Western leaders capable of de-escalation? What will be the lasting
Environmentalism without Government
A free market, capitalist, exchange, political, economic system is far more environmentally friendly than any statist system, including the welfare state, socialism (whether democratic or centrally planned), or fascism. To demonstrate this, I would like to engage in some conjectural
Trudeau’s Emergency Measures Will Accelerate Decentralized Finance’s Importance
In recent years, the financial sector has become a key target of progressive activists seeking to implement their agenda. Activists have used a variety of methods to persuade and pressure financial institutions to do their bidding. They have successfully pressured the financial
What Caused the Post–Cold War Stalemate over NATO
As the invasion of Ukraine continues to unfold, those seeking to understand how such a tragedy could come to pass would do well to pick up M.E. Sarotte’s new book Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post–Cold War
It All Comes Back to NATO
When the Bush Administration announced in 2008 that Ukraine and Georgia would be eligible for NATO membership, I knew it was a terrible idea. Nearly two decades after the end of both the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War, expanding
Happy Birthday, Murray!
Today would have been Murray Rothbard’s ninety-sixth birthday. This year marks twenty-seven years since we lost Murray, but we continue to benefit from his genius. Not only do his great works on economic theory, history, and political philosophy continue to be
Confessions of a Right-Wing Liberal
[This classic piece appeared in Ramparts, VI, 4, June 15, 1968. It was the fulfillment of an ideological trend that began a few years earlier when consistent libertarians, led by Rothbard, sensed an estrangement from the American right-wing due to its