Central Banks

Patrick Newman and Tho Bishop discuss the Panic of 1819 and its impact on political alliances for decades to come.

"My preference would be that all state central banks would be shut down and razed to the ground, so that true money again could be produced by private firms. If not, at least the competition between national currencies should be as great as possible." –Murray Rothbard, 1993

Nikolay Gertchev reviews Arkadiusz Sieron's effort to investigate the failure of expansionary monetary policy to address the challenges of the 2008–09 Great Recession.

Millions of Americans have no conception of economics, and simply don’t believe tradeoffs exist.

Federal income taxes are almost entirely about control and not revenue. The byzantine rules and selective enforcement are perfectly designed to keep ordinary people with limited means in mortal fear of the IRS.

It seems absurd to have to point out that economic cannibalism, even in the face of a virus, cannot produce anything but devastation, but alas, we live in absurd times.

It seems absurd to have to point out that economic cannibalism, even in the face of a virus, cannot produce anything but devastation, but alas, we live in absurd times. 

Instead of trying to spin conservative justifications for disastrous monetary policy, conservatives should join libertarians and classical liberals in working to limit government power while restoring sound money and greater market freedom.

Bob Murphy joins the show to discuss Rothbard's superb and eminently readable money book for lay readers.

The Swiss state should end antigold regulations, end negative interest rates, and return to zero rates on bank reserves. These are small steps on their own, perhaps, but would be progress away from the brewing mess that is the eurozone.