Booms and Busts

Europe's path to long-term stagnation should serve as a reminder for the United States, again, of why it is not advisable to follow the eurozone policies. The results are invariably disastrous.

Despite double-digit unemployment rates, banks are keeping loan-loss provisions low, no doubt assuming Uncle Sam will keep everyone’s boat afloat. But all good things come to an end.

Since government creates nothing itself, all interventions are nothing more than transfers of wealth for the benefit of some and the destruction of wealth for everyone else.

Our high levels of malinvestment mean that negative interest rates will not have the steroidal effect that's hoped for. But they will deliver another few years of subpar debt-fueled economic activity.

The crisis we faced in 2008 has not gone away, as we failed to heed its warning to change course and reduce debt levels. Instead, it has become bigger and more dangerous.

The crisis we faced in 2008 has not gone away, as we failed to heed its warning to change course and reduce debt levels. Instead, it has become bigger and more dangerous.

Economic growth results from increasing production, and the money supply is always sufficient to foster exchange. The boom-bust cycle only occurs when production is distorted by a growing money supply.

Hunter Hastings joins Jeff Deist with great insights into the social benefits of profit vs. interest, entrepreneurial risk, progressing and retrogressing economies, and the bunkum known as the "Paradox of Saving." They focus on Chapter 8 of Rothbard's Man, Economy, and State. 

Economic growth results from increasing production, and the money supply is always sufficient to foster exchange. The boom-bust cycle only occurs when production is distorted by a growing money supply.

Economists have tried to explain business cycles as well as fluctuations in the economy, but over the past two centuries, the explanations have fallen into two areas.