SNB & CHF

In discussions concerning improving access to medical services, the question of increasing public expenditure—along with introducing new technologies or further regulations—is often raised. These and other proposals are oriented toward public solutions as if a market-based alternative was completely groundless. However, market-based solutions may not only be a “complement” to public systems, but they may also have the potential to be used on an even-larger scale—to...

Mises Wire contributor Kevin Van Elswyk, in his November 29 article “Student Loans: The Continuing Crisis That Is Getting Worse,” nicely summarizes the current confusion and scandal of federal student loan programs, which at this point appear a miasma that will likely turn into an outright student grant program as more and more of these loan balances are forgiven. It is most unfortunate that the US government, with good intentions to increase college attendance, ever...

It's that time again! Join or renew your 2024 Membership with the Mises Institute and be part of a community that champions Austrian economics, freedom, and peace. Why Join? In a world facing economic challenges, the ideas of Ludwig von Mises have never been more vital. Help us lead the charge against statism in all its forms. 3 Member Benefits The Misesian: Immerse yourself in our exclusive bimonthly publication, delivering insightful content straight to your...

“Never let a good crisis go to waste.” The once-overheard quote uttered by one of Barack Obama’s advisors now represents the unjustifiable expansion and abuse of government powers of the Joe Biden era. With the pandemic arrived a litany of experiments that proved disastrous, from distance learning and expansion of the money supply to lockdowns. After all the damage and witnessing the lengths Biden and his fellows are willing to go to, anything seems to be...

While Austria is not the free-market republic Ludwig von Mises hoped it would be, the country has made many steps in the right direction, freeing markets and protecting private property. Original Article: What Would Mises Think? Austria Is Applying (Some) Austrian Economics [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter

One of the biggest and most pervasive myths in modern-day economics is the myth of the omnipotence of the Federal Reserve. Original Article: It’s Time to Bust the Myth of Fed Omnipotence [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter

Is begging a human right?⁠ ⁠ Following a 2023 Federal Court ruling, canton Basel City changed its practice towards begging and expelled eleven beggars from Eastern Europe from Switzerland.⁠ ⁠ What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments. ⁠ --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit...

Coal drove the development of a whole new way of cooking and a radically different diet. A menu based upon coal-fired food was the cuisine that accompanied industrialization. Food and fuel were intricately linked in a fossil fuel-burning age. Original Article: How Fossil Fuel Revolutionized Our Kitchens and Our Food [embedded content]...

In May this year, the Congressional Budget Office estimated outstanding US government debt next October to be $27,388 billion. By the end of the first quarter of the fiscal year, it will exceed $34,000 billion. It is soaring out of control, and perhaps it is not surprising that the CBO has not updated its forecasts with this debt uncertainty. The CBO also assumed that debt interest costs last year would be $663 billion, when it ended up being $980 billion 48% higher...

The year is ending with a significant level of optimism among investors, focusing on an expected string of rate cuts from the Fed and an estimated economic soft landing. However, a soft landing is a very rare event. Since 1975, there have been nine rate hike cycles, and seven of them ended in a recession. Why? We must understand that the concept of “landing” that the Federal Reserve repeats constantly is exactly that: a recession. A soft landing is a significant...