Recent Podcast Episodes

Presented by Rothbard at New York Polytechnic University in 1972.

Presented by Rothbard at New York Polytechnic University in 1972.

Presented by Rothbard at New York Polytechnic University in 1972.

Price controls — triangular interventions — occur when an intervener (generally government) either compels a pair of people to make an exchange or prohibits them from making an exchange.

Presented by Rothbard at New York Polytechnic University in 1972.

Presented by Rothbard at New York Polytechnic University in 1972.

Congress decreed that gold and silver dollars should be interchangeable and put upon the Treasury a mandate to keep them equal in value. How?

The governments of almost all countries are engaged in a campaign against the capitalists.

John Calvin’s main contribution to the usury question was in having the courage to dump the prohibition altogether.

Recorded on 31 January 1981 at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Ultimately, he and the woman are caught, imprisoned, and tortured. In the end, he is sincerely repentant of his crimes and is completely devoted to the all-encompassing government that has done him all this harm.

The gold standard is not a game but a social institution.

As factors of production, supply and demand of labor, land and capital will determine how much the producer will get out of this process. This process occurs in different stages.

The time market determines the pure rate of interest. Price per unit of time may be wages or rent. The interest income will be earned by the capitalist who has assumed the task of advancing present money.

In order for anyone to make ethical judgments, he must know the consequences of his various actions. In questions of union actions displacement or unemployment for oneself or others will be considered unfortunate by most people.

Economics begins with the concepts of scarcity and choice. If there was no scarcity it would all be free. Resources like time and materials need to be allocated to economically feasible uses. This will depend on the consumers' demand for the final product.

Economists can say little about population and its size, despite the gloomy views of Malthus. More people are a good thing because of the division of labor. Living standards are higher when populations are higher.

The peanut butter crunch was in 1980. Crop acreage and production was cut down by 45% by government price support, import quotas, and cartelizing of the industry. The price of peanuts more than tripled.

The disappearance of oil has been forecast every decade. Prices were overlooked. When the price is high it is more profitable to look for oil. Total reserves on the ground are higher than they were in 1890.

The words monopoly and competition have been changed. Competition meant rivalry or competing, either active or potential.  Businesses do not like this. Monopoly meant a grant of privilege by the government. It now means falling demand curve.