SNB & CHF

In Argentina, the libertarian presidential candidate Javier Milei made headlines when he came in first in the primary on August 13. His economic program calls for a strong reduction in government spending and the role of government in general and would, if implemented, greatly improve the conditions of economic life in Argentina. There is, however, one weak point—namely, his proposed monetary reform. Faced with high inflation rates and a depreciating peso, Milei...

When Silicon Valley Bank and other banks failed earlier this year, the debate over the sustainability of fractional reserve banking resurfaced. Under fractional reserve banking, banks keep only a fraction of customers’ deposits in reserve. The difference is bank credit, such as government debt, mortgages, business loans, and many other kinds of loans. This practice leaves the bank open to a run, in which panicky depositors attempt to withdraw their funds from the...

More than forty years ago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn urged his fellow Russians “not to live by lies.” In our politicized age, his words ring truer than ever. Original Article: Totalitarian Ideals and Not Living by Lies [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter

At the conclusion of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on August 24, 2023, it was announced that the five-country grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, had invited six more countries to join: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Argentina. The new memberships, which will take effect in January 2024, were called “historic” by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, while Vladimir Putin, unable to travel due to an International...

Libertarian Autobiographies: Moving toward Freedom in Today’s Worldedited by Jo Ann Cavallo and Walter E. BlockPalgrave Macmillan, 2023; xx + 533 pp. Jo Ann Cavallo and Walter Block have done those interested in libertarianism a great service, but they have set the reviewer of their book an impossible task. They have gathered together eighty short accounts in which well-known libertarians describe their various paths toward their political and economic beliefs. In...

Swiss media obtained a confidential letter in which the Swiss authorities warned the Swiss refiner Valcambi of its risky practices with a refinery in Dubai. ⁠ ⁠ But why didn't they sanction Valcambi? Mainly because the Swiss law does not always permit it. Even if a company is found to have failed in its duty of due diligence.⁠ ⁠ 🔗Click here to find out more: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/the-dark-secrets-of-switzerland-s-largest-gold-refinery/48802284

On this episode of Radio Rothbard, Ryan McMaken and Tho Bishop take a look at "classical liberalism," a term that has come to mean a variety of different things in recent years. What is the history of classical liberalism? Is classical liberalism distinct from radical libertarianism? Is it ultimately a moderate form of leftism? Ryan and Tho address these questions and more during the Mises Institute's Fall Fundraising Campaign. If you're a fan of Radio...

Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland The struggle and rivalry between the “West and the rest” might be grabbing news headlines due to the Ukraine war these days, but in truth, it is anything but newsworthy. This antagonism, this battle for geopolitical, physical dominance, for moral supremacy, and this clash of ideas and fundamental values has been raging for much longer than that, perhaps longer than most of us can recall.  It sowed the seeds of...

If we read between the lines, it is apparent that the Fed is hoping that price inflation will fall to politically acceptable levels without any additional tightening, and without a recession.  But "hope" is all the Fed has.  Original Article: The Fed Holds the Fed Funds Rate Steady—Because it Doesn't Know What Else To Do [embedded content]...

Today marks the birthday of Ludwig von Mises, and day 5 of our annual Fall Campaign. The intellectual achievements of Ludwig von Mises make him one of the greatest minds in human history. His contributions to Austrian economics inspired new generations of scholars, from Murray Rothbard and F.A. Hayek to current leaders like Joe Salerno, Ron Paul, and Patrick Newman. He is the most powerful intellectual opponent to socialism the world has ever known, and his work on...