“[L]iberty…is an act of faith in God and in His works.”

Recently, EdChoice published its 2024 iteration of its annual Schooling in America report that surveys thousands of American adults and school parents regarding dozens of school-related topics and preferences. Within this report are numerous interesting results but also consistent reminders of disconnects between reality and belief, between public- and private-school parents, and between people’s words and actions.

Murray Rothbard conceptualized liberty as an emanation of property rights and self-ownership. Freedom of association is, therefore, best understood as “a subset of private property rights.” Just as property rights are absolute and limited only by respect for other people’s property rights, freedom of association is absolute and constrained only by other people’s freedom to associate or not associate with whom they will. 

For more than 70 years, America has been on the verge of honest government. In election after election, politicians have promised to finally take this nation to the moral high ground once and for all.

Since the sixth century BC reign of Croesus of Lydia, refined gold has served as a monetary store of value. Today, many central banks, including the European Central Bank, the Swiss National Bank, the German Bundesbank, the Bank of France, the Bank of Italy, the Dutch National Bank, the Bank of Japan, the Reserve Bank of India, the People’s Bank of China, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore among others, hold gold as an investment and reserve against their monetary liabilities.

Many incorrectly assume that the overall economy’s output increases by a multiple of the increase in expenditure by government, consumers, and businesses.

The rate cut by the Fed in September 2024 appears to be not much more than another performative song and dance. With many people, particularly in the real estate world, holding on to the idea that the rate cuts will stimulate buyers, the reality is not much will change, except for the worse.

While most mainstream economists focus on the analysis of equilibria, Austrian economists examine the phenomena that are crucial in real-world markets operating in disequilibrium. Two of the most central aspects are economic calculation and entrepreneurship. In this regard, the Austrian school of economics offers profound insights into both the dynamics and the stability of capitalist societies.