Mises Wire

The costs of this government-forced economic collapse—in terms of lost lives and ruined health—are likely to be devastating.

Central bankers are panicking, and their solutions range from "buy everything that moves" to pushing interest rates even further into negative territory. Yet this doesn't seem to be helping much.

Even if the COVOID-19 virus turns out to be more severe than the skeptics give us reason to think it is, we can get through it. We cannot survive the end of the division of labor. It would be the finish of civilization as we know it.

Contrary to a recent headline, the US is not about to become the "epicenter" of COVID-19. In fact, the death rate of COVID-19 is lower in the US than at the same point in the timeline for many other countries we are told are comparable to the US.

Every crisis caused by the unbacked paper money system expands the power of the states over economic and social life, and unfortunately, once the state has expanded its power, it is unlikely the trend will be reversed.

Philipp Bagus reports from Spain: when people are frightened enough, they'll let the state do pretty much anything.

At this point, monetary policy can't save Italy. Promises from Europe's central bank have allowed Italian policymakers to avoid coming to terms with Italy's bankrupt reality. Until now.

The latest health crisis has made it clear that governments put their own interests before those of the public while hiding crucial information and imposing counterproductive regulations.

What needs to be done in such a crisis is not to attempt to steer the market to ensure it provides what is needed, but to let it free to do what it always does: match the goals of entrepreneurial producers with the needs of the populace.

Whether we're talking public health or economic growth, the Chinese regime's love of intervention and centralization has led to one crisis after another.