From the 2026 Libertarian Studies Conference (March 19):

(Classical) Liberalism Has Not Failed, and We Need It Now More Than Ever by Ryan McMaken

When interest rates are pushed artificially low in the midst of constantly-increasing costs of living, the avenues by which average Americans save and grow their wealth are limited. Frugality—demonstrated by spending less than you earn and socking away a portion of your income in bank CDs—becomes an exercise in frustration as widespread price inflation eats away any nominal increase in wealth.

In the ensuing search for higher yield, average Americans are pushed to take more risk in order to earn returns that have a chance of outpacing relentless price inflation.

[This short article from the 1960s can be found as “Abolish Slavery! — Part III” in Never a Dull Moment: a Libertarian Look at the Sixties, edited by Justin Raimondo.] 

The United States’ national debt now totals roughly $38.7 trillion, exceeding $355,000 per taxpayer. Such figures invite scrutiny of the government programs driving chronic budget deficits. According to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, “one of the largest drivers of that rising debt is federal spending on major healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid.

“The conflict could be remembered as a key catalyst for erosion in petrodollar dominance and the beginnings of the petroyuan.”