Mises Wire
The End of the Gold Standard. Fifty Years of Monetary Insanity
The gold standard supposed a limit to the fiscal voracity of governments, and suspending it unleashed the perverse proclivity of the states toward indebtedness and to pass the current imbalances on to future generations.
Beer: A Short and Bitter History of Regulation
Some think that beer's history of regulation begins with hops, but beer has been hemmed in by government red tape for much longer.
Paranoia about American Weakness Rests on a Flawed Understanding of History
Victor Davis Hanson's cartoonish conception of how foreign states act is not supported by history and contributes to the US government’s insane defense expenditures and destructive crusades around the globe.
WaPo Editors: “Liberty” Requires Us to Implement Vaccine Passports
Governments are seeking to mandate vaccine usage in a variety of ways, even while vaccine producers are shielded from full legal accountability should their treatments cause harm. That should raise some red flags.
The Secret Ronald Reagan Told Me about Gold and Great Nations
Fifty years after Nixon closed the gold window, prices are heading toward 1970s-era increases. Yet the Fed cannot increase interest rates as long as the politicians keep creating billions of new debts.
Bretton Woods and the Spoliation of Europe
Gold was only included in the plans for the Bretton Woods system because of the veneer of solidity it gave.
Two Percent Inflation Is a Lot Worse Than You Think
Even at a "mere" two-percent level, cumulative price increases over time are nothing to scoff at. Even worse, if we look at what people really spend money on, price inflation doesn't much reflect the conclusions of "official" stats.
Kabul’s Collapse and DC’s Incurable Arrogance
There is no reason to expect the Afghanistan debacle to humble Washington policymakers. Korean War fiascos were swept under the rug, paving the way for the Vietnam War. The cycle didn't end there.
Living in the Age of Covid: “The Power of the Powerless”
In a “post-totalitarian” period, power does not simply originate from a singular dictator, but rather conscripts the population into its very structure.