Social Insecurity: It’s Not Wrong to be Concerned about Facts

A December 19, 2023, article by Brett Arends on MarketWatch caught my eye with the oh-so-clickable title of “This Is the Scariest Number for Social Security.” Given the fact that many corporate media articles today focus on pointing out to the rubes how their senses are wrong and, gosh golly, everything is just peachy, it did not shock me to learn that Mr. Arends was not referring to the program’s unfunded liabilities or the projected depletion of the trust fund. No, Mr.

Biden and Forgotten Federal Financial Tyranny

Americans were jolted last week to learn that the Joe Biden administration viewed purchasing a Bible as a potential terrorist warning sign. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, revealed that the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network stretched its “suspicious behavior” definition to include purchasing a Bass Pro Shop hat, as well as items sold by Cabella’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Studying Economic Data Is Not “Doing Economics”

Most mainstream economists believe the application of quantitative methods on historical data can explain the state of the economy. Others such as Ludwig von Mises held that the data utilized by economists is a historical display, which by itself cannot provide the facts of economics. Ludwig von Mises wrote, “Experience of economic history is always the experience of complex phenomena. It can never convey knowledge of the kind the experimenter abstracts from a laboratory experiment.”

Javier Milei and the “Battle of Davos”

“Balls, we need balls” is probably the most famous phrase of German goalkeeping legend Oliver Kahn. Balls, too, are needed by someone who is patronizingly introduced by Klaus “The Great Reset” Schwab in Davos, only to tell the assembled political and economic elite to their faces that they betray the liberal-libertarian principles that have made the West great. And Javier Milei, Argentine president, and a goalkeeper in his youth got these balls.

Attention Austrian Scholars: New Book Series in Austrian Economics

Philipp Bagus and I are delighted to announce the launch of a book series dedicated to advancing scholarship in Austrian Economics. We invite you to be a part of this exciting endeavor. The “Palgrave Studies in Austrian Economics” series, published by Palgrave Macmillan, gives prospective authors a prestigious outlet for their book-length manuscripts. Owned by Springer, one of the most reputable publishing houses of academic works, Palgrave is committed to promoting Austrian economics to wide audiences.