Monetary Theory

Bob sits down with macro researcher Luke Gromen of Forest for the Trees to discuss the cascading supply chain consequences of a closed Strait of Hormuz.

Far from being what Keynes called that “barbarous relic,” gold has been important throughout history, and to the present day. Joakim Book reviews The Secret History of Gold: Myth, Money, Politics & Power.

After his recent Zero Hedge debate with MMT co-founder Randall Wray, Bob takes a deep dive into the sectoral balance approach. He explains why the MMT argument is technically a tautology, how it's deeply misleading, and why the private sector doesn't need government deficits to save, invest, and accumulate real wealth.

In studying history, it is key to avoid definitional anachronism—failing to note how a word has changed over time and assuming the present meaning was the same in the past. This is often the case with the word currency as used in colonial America.

In studying history, it is key to avoid definitional anachronism—failing to note how a word has changed over time and assuming the present meaning was the same in the past. This is often the case with the word currency as used in colonial America.

Despite the claims of the chartalists and modern monetary theory advocates, early American monetary history tells a much different story. In fact, much of the historical evidence illustrates Menger’s theory.

In this week’s Friday Philosophy, Dr. David Gordon reviews Joseph Salerno’s Money, Sound and Unsound, and still finds it golden.

Despite the claims of the chartalists, early American monetary history tells a much different story than one falsely claiming state-issued fiat money undergirded the colonial economy. In fact, much of the historical evidence illustrates Menger’s monetary theory.

This week, Bob explains Cantillon effects: the insight that new money doesn't raise all prices equally or simultaneously, but flows through the economy in a sequence that benefits early recipients at the expense of everyone else. Then, he shows why this phenomenon is the foundation on which the entire Austrian theory of the business cycle is built.

Bob untangles two arguments that even Austrian economists sometimes conflate: Mises' calculation problem and Hayek's knowledge problem. Then, he explains why the distinction matters, especially in light of recent claims that AI and modern computing could finally make central planning viable.