Don’t Take Liberties with Liberty
Have you ever thought about the relationship between the words liberty and freedom? Frequently, the words are used interchangeably, but I have always preferred liberty. Perhaps my preference goes back to Thomas Jefferson’s reference to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of
Silicon Valley Bank and the Failure of Fractional Reserve Banking
The story of the failure of Silicon Valley Bank is the story of nearly every bank failure. Fractional reserve banking invites the risky behavior that brings down the banking system. Original Article: "Silicon Valley Bank and the Failure of Fractional Reserve
Reparations Are a Statist Cudgel for Bludgeoning Property Owners
San Francisco, as well as the government of California, is calling for millions in "reparations" for black people in that state. Reparations, unfortunately, are fast becoming another anti-property-owner racket. Original Article: "Reparations Are a Statist Cudgel for Bludgeoning Property Owners" This Audio Mises
How Politicians Use Regulations to Deflect Blame
The pro-life activist Randall Terry has a famous quote that anyone who cares about politics should be familiar with: “He who frames the question wins the debate.” Politicians are well aware of this fact, which is why they spend much of
The Fed Backtracks on Future Rate Hikes as Bank Failures Loom Large
The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday raised the target policy interest rate (the federal funds rate) to 5.00 percent, an increase of 25 basis points. With this latest increase, the target has increased 4.75 percent since
Whither Goest the Entrepreneur
The Ludwig von Mises Memorial Lecture, sponsored by Yousif Almoayyed. Recorded at the 2023 Austrian Economics Research Conference hosted at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, March 16–18, 2023. The Austrian Economics Research Conference is the international, interdisciplinary meeting of the Austrian School,
The Other Covid Crisis: Prospects for Recovery from Pandemic Policies
The F.A. Hayek Memorial Lecture, sponsored by Greg and Joy Morin. Recorded at the 2023 Austrian Economics Research Conference hosted at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, March 16–18, 2023. The Austrian Economics Research Conference is the international, interdisciplinary meeting of the
Looming Bank Failures Point to More Price Inflation as Real Wages Fall Again
Even if Powell is sincere in this stated desire to slay inflation with more rate hikes, recent bank failures will put the Fed under enormous pressure to end its rate hikes and to once again embrace easy money to save the
Did Colonialism Impoverish Africa and Asia? Perhaps Not
Revisiting the legacies of colonialism to indict Western imperialism has become a fashionable pastime for leading academics. Many argue that colonialism erected permanent roadblocks to thwart the progress of ex-colonies. Western colonialism is so vilified that any attempt to present
