Hans-Hermann Hoppe, in his book Democracy: The God That Failed and his 1995 article in the Journal of Libertarian Studies, set forth an interesting theory concerning the difference in time preference between a monarch and a democratic politician. The argument stresses the difference in the use of political power according to the degree to which the ruler is future oriented. Hoppe also says that using the power of the state is in itself an expression of high time...
Read More »Understanding Hegel from a Straussian Viewpoint
While Leo Strauss did not share G.W.F. Hegel's acceptance of historicism, nonetheless he gives Hegel a sympathetic review. David Gordon takes a closer look at both men. Original Article: Understanding Hegel from a Straussian Viewpoint [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter
Read More »Oil Export Bans Make for Crude Politics
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) embargo on sales of crude oil from their member countries to the United States was a response to US support for Israel in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War against invading Egyptian and Syrian military forces. This oil embargo raised barrel prices on the open market and, when combined with US price controls, reduced the amount of oil available in the US for refining into gasoline, leading to domestic gasoline...
Read More »The Fed Holds the Fed Funds Rate Steady—Because it Doesn’t Know What Else To Do
The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday left the target policy interest rate (the federal funds rate) unchanged at 5.5 percent. This "pause" in the target rate suggests the FOMC believes it has raised the target rate high enough to rein in price inflation which has run well above the Fed's arbitrary two-percent inflation target since mid-2021. The press release from the FOMC was largely unchanged from previous recent meetings and...
Read More »The US Military Is Laying the Groundwork to Reinstitute the Draft
The most recent edition of the US Army War College’s academic journal includes a highly disturbing essay on what lessons the US military should take away from the continuing war in Ukraine. By far the most concerning and most relevant section for the average American citizen is a subsection entitled “Casualties, Replacements, and Reconstitutions” which, to cut right to the chase, directly states, “Large-scale combat operations troop requirements may well require a...
Read More »Strikes Always Have Economic Consequences and the Latest UAW Strike Is No Exception
The UAW's strike against US automakers will do long-term damage to the domestic auto industry. Unfortunately, unions and their advocates will learn nothing from this debacle. Original Article: Strikes Always Have Economic Consequences and the Latest UAW Strike Is No Exception [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter...
Read More »Even Though They Are in Long-Term Decline, Labor Unions Still Threaten the Economy
Recently, anyone who pays attention to current events has been assaulted with the news that both the Hollywood actors’ and writers’ unions are striking simultaneously for the first time since 1960. Workers for UPS also recently reached a deal with their employer after threats of a nationwide strike by the Teamsters union. Although many may think that unions are a thing of the past and are no longer relevant, they clearly remain both a political and economic force to...
Read More »August Price Inflation Accelerated, and the Fed Fears More Is in Store
Fed policymaking is all about political expedience. When we see Fed policy, we must keep in mind that "managing the economy" is secondary to managing public debt service and public expectations. Original Article: August Price Inflation Accelerated, and the Fed Fears More Is in Store [embedded content] Tags:...
Read More »Our Fall Campaign Starts Today!
The mission of the Mises Institute is simple. We want to spread the ideas of Ludwig von Mises and the scholars he inspired. Ideas that are vital for a free and prosperous civilization. We do this through our student programs, our popular articles, our podcasts, one of the largest free economic libraries available online, and our new animated videos for beginners. Online and in person, we attack the state, the political class, and their crony clients—without exception...
Read More »The State against Anonymity
In the last century, states have had great control over channels of media. In most of the West, lobbying groups and cartels working with “liberal” and “democratic” governments regulated who could broadcast while governments, with their endless pools of money and political force, competed alongside private, or foreign, establishments. South Africa banned television entirely, and then after legalizing it in the ’70s, the industry was still controlled by the state. All...
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