Saudi Arabia’s Quandary: The End of the Petrodollar
In 1971 Richard Nixon took the US off the last feeble vestiges of the gold standard, otherwise known as the Bretton Woods Agreement. That system had been a bizarre gold-dollar hybrid where the dollar was the world reserve currency but
Why You Should Fear “Bipartisan” Agreements in Congress
When we see real bipartisan action in Congress, it usually is for the worst. Original Article: "Why You Should Fear "Bipartisan" Agreements in Congress" This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon.
The Attack of the Subversive Elites
It is tempting, as Naomi Wolf has done recently, to ascribe the breakdown of Western civilization to the debasing of “Judeo-Christian” ethics and the reemergence 0f malignant supernatural forces. Witnessing the many assaults on the infrastructure and social order of
The Nationalization of Credit?
Arthur Travers-Borgstroem, a Finnish writer, published a book entitled Mutualism that deals with ideas of social reform, and culminates in a plea for the nationalization of credit. A German edition appeared in 1923. In 1917, the author had established a
Forget the Liquidity Trap—Loose Monetary Policies Cause Recessions
At the heart of Keynesian business cycle theory is the so-called liquidity trap. Contra Keynes, however, economies don't falter because a sudden increase in the demand for money. Original Article: "Forget the Liquidity Trap—Loose Monetary Policies Cause Recessions" This Audio Mises Wire is
Ivy League Law Schools and the Slow Death of the Meritocracy
We currently find ourselves in a bizarre wasteland of mainstream political discourse. These days no US institution, and indeed no corner of American life, is safe from politicization or even from becoming a mouthpiece for extreme activism. Since last November, Yale,
Saint Augustine, Proto-Austrian
One of the fundamental tenets of Austrian economics is the ordinal value scale. Augustine articulated the idea more than a thousand years before Carl Menger wrote his pathbreaking Principles of Economics. Original Article: "Saint Augustine, Proto-Austrian" This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored
Secession Is Inevitable. It’s about When, Not If
Never is a very, very long time in politics. Yet whenever the topic of secession or so-called national divorce comes up, how often do we hear that “secession will never happen.” It’s difficult to tell if people using the term
Readying the War State: Biden Recommits to Protectionism in the SOTU
As it always does, the State of the Union (SOTU) address dominated the media cycle for several days before and after. Now that the period has (gratefully) passed, and the issues raised have faded from the headlines into the background,
Remember the Alamo! Moses Rose’s Last Stand
In the name of "economic development," San Antonio's government is seeking to seize a thriving business near the Alamo. Original Article: "Remember the Alamo! Moses Rose's Last Stand" This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon.