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.
Mainstream economists are united against deflation, which they claim is the cause of recessions. Austrians know better, as they understand that deflation raises living standards and prevents destructive asset bubbles.
The Federal Reserve says it can manipulate the money supply to ensure “price stability.” This worsens the boom-bust cycles and undermines the economy.
The Federal Reserve continues to be the not-so-silent partner to the government's reckless deficit spending scheme. While the Fed tries to force down interest, US bond yields are rising, as the markets recognize these bifurcated policies.
Government paper fiat money does more than just cause economic havoc. It also is an exercise in profound dishonesty and theft.
Argentina President Javier Milei is proposing a new law that would “declare it an imprescriptible crime for the state and the central bank to monetize the public deficit and create inflation.” While it may be politically rejected, it does point to the real dangers of inflation.
No macroeconomics or monetary theory course is complete without introduction of the Equation of Exchange, or MV = PQ. However, this equation explains nothing, praxeologically speaking. Instead, it clouds our understanding of how money fits into our economy.
President-Elect Trump has been threatening tariffs against BRICS countries unless they abandon their plans to abandon the US dollar. While Trump may come off as being "tough" in his negotiations, he cannot bluster his way to a stronger dollar, thanks to reckless monetary policies.
We have reached this point: the government keepers of money do not even understand what money is or why inflation is harmful. To them, the real threat to the economy is “deflation.”
Can an increase in the supply of gold cause a boom-bust cycle? Mises believed it was theoretically possible but highly unlikely. Rothbard, on the other hand, said as long as gold is money and there is no fiduciary media, such a scenario was not possible.
