Pre-Columbian America Wasn’t Exactly a Paradise of Freedom
The story of European colonization of the Americas is popularly understood as the conquest of American Indians—the end of natives’ control of the land and the beginning of their subjugation. The contingencies of indigenous agency and geopolitics mean that the
Why Does Money Have Value? Not Because the Government Says It Does.
Why do individuals desire to have money, which cannot be consumed and produces nothing? To provide an answer to this one must go back in time to establish how money emerged. Original Article: "Why Does Money Have Value? Not Because the
Why a Bear Market in Bonds Points to a Weakening Economy
After closing at 0.53 percent in July 2020 the yield on the ten-year US T-bond moved relentlessly higher, closing on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 1.55 percent. There is a growing likelihood that the July 2020 figure of 0.53 percent
Billionaire Plutocrat Jamie Dimon Wants to Ditch the Debt Ceiling
At a meeting with President Binden and other CEOs last week, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon predicted a global catastrophe if the debt ceiling is not raised. Dimon was echoing the words—nearly verbatim—of Biden’s Treasury secretary Janet Yellen in using the
Critiquing an MMT TED Talk
Bob provides a running refutation of Stephanie Kelton's recent TED talk on Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Stephanie Kelton’s TED TalkBob’s review of Kelton’s book explaining MMTBob’s article on opting out of Social SecurityKelton’s
How “Cultural Distance” between Societies Can Hamper Economic Prosperity
Cultural disparities between national, linguistic, or cultural groups can prevent the spread of trade and hamper the adoption of useful economic strategies. Original Article: "How "Cultural Distance" between Societies Can Hamper Economic Prosperity" This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher
The UK’s National “Crisis”: Age-Adjusted Mortality Is at 2008 Levels
All over the world, populations have been locked up, have become fearful, and none of it can be justified. Looking at the UK, the overall death rate for 2020 is not unprecedented, and some of the increase in the death
Without Lockdowns, Sweden Had Fewer Excess Deaths Than Most of Europe
Although the experts assured us Sweden would experience a disaster and a bloodbath without covid lockdowns, the Nordic nation has fared better than Europe on excess deaths. Original Article: "Without Lockdowns, Sweden Had Fewer Excess Deaths Than Most of Europe" This Audio
Don’t Expect Foreign Policy Experts to be Held Accountable for Afghanistan
Can America’s self-styled foreign policy experts be expected to learn from the failures of the latest misadventure in Afghanistan? If history is an indicator, there’s little reason to believe the foreign policy blob will learn the error of their ways. The
