Economic Policy

Most economic analysts predict that the US is about to enter into a cyclical recession. Even Austrian School economists (like me) agree.

The theme that connected all of the weekend’s talks at the 2024 Supports Summit was “Our Enemy, the State.” It was a gathering of the "remnant," those who recognize that the government is our common enemy. These are selections from several of the talks.

Ruchir Sharma, a non-Austrian, gets it right. He lends strong support to the Austrian position that because competition moves resources to where they best fulfill consumer demand, the government must not interfere with this process by bailing out businesses that fail.
 

Washington has wielded the sanctions weapon against nearly a third of all nations on earth. It is time to rethink these policies, and one hopes the incoming Trump administration will do just that and change course.

Congress recently passed a “continuing resolution” to avoid a government shutdown. We are good to go now.

The world is awash in debt bubbles, but politicians continue to spend, which requires even more central bank intervention—and more bubbles. Max Rangeley has edited The Age of Debt Bubbles, which details the dangers we face and how to stop the current madness.

Not all news from the gold and monetary fronts is bad. In fact, gold made a number of advancements in seven states, including exemptions from taxes and attempts by states to restrict Federal Reserve behavior. Gold is alive and well.

Birkin bags are pricey and the producer restricts its potential buyers. Unfortunately, disgruntled customers who don’t want to follow the company’s rules are now appealing to US antitrust law.

A central doctrine of the Keynesian system is the “liquidity trap” in which consumers hold money in anticipation of higher interest rates. The act of holding money allegedly promotes “underconsumption,” continuing the economic downturn. This doctrine, however, cannot withstand scrutiny.

In the aftermath of its recent election debacle, Britain's Conservatives have selected Kemi Badenoch as their new leader. Badenoch describes herself as an "adherent to Austrian Economics." Will it make any difference in Britain's future?