U.S. Economy
Prop. 19 Goes up in Smoke
Plans are already in the works to put the initiative back on the ballot for 2012, which is expected to have higher turnout from young people. But in order for the ballot initiative to succeed, we must first understand why it failed.
A Century of Failure: Why It’s Time to Consider Replacing the Fed
Recorded at the Mises Circle at Furman University on November 13th, 2010.
The Pretense of Knowledge Continues
Bernanke — with Paul Krugman looking over his shoulder and telling him where to put the paddles and how many volts to shock the patient with — thinks he can crunch the data, make a diagnosis, concoct the right monetary witch's brew, and inject lots of it to make us all employed and living happily ever after.
Gold: The Market’s Global Currency
Central bankers cannot be trusted with the printing press, especially when there is no formal check on their inflationary policies. It is no coincidence that gold is hitting such heights as investors the world over hunker down for what may very well be a collapse of the dollar system.
Soak-the-Rich Taxes: Fail!
The voters of Washington State crushed an attempt to levy new income taxes on the rich. The viewers of <i>60 Minutes</i>, however, were just told that such taxes are a great idea. Who is right? Robert Murphy explains the economic rationale behind the voters' choice.
Should the Cost of War Include Interest Payments?
It is incredibly complicated to estimate the total "social cost" of a government policy. Ultimately, this difficulty stems from the fact that costs really only make sense in terms of an individual's subjective preferences. In that respect, costs cannot be aggregated.
My Debate Challenge to Paul Krugman
Hundreds of fans of the Austrian School are joining the campaign, because they realize the wonderful corner into which Krugman would be painted. He will either have to debate Austrian business-cycle theory or explain why a New York City food bank would miss out on $100,000+ in "right-wing" money.
Bank Failures in Slow Motion
We've only had 294 failures this cycle, but it is a big deal: adjusted to current dollars, the Depression banking crisis was $100 billion, the S&L crisis was $923 billion, and the current crisis is nearly $8 trillion.
The Real Reason for FDR’s Popularity
What if a president took a different direction and sought popularity by expanding rather than reducing liberty? There is a model here they could follow, but it is not one you have thought of. It is Franklin D. Roosevelt.