Tag Archives: Featured

The U.S. federal government published a December deficit of $129 billion, up 52% from the previous year. The private sector recession is clear as expenses continue to rise while tax receipts decline. If we look at the period between October and December 2023, the deficit ballooned to a staggering $510 billion. You may remember that the Biden administration expected a significant deficit reduction from its tax increases and the expected benefits of its Inflation...

George Orwell wrote, “The slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” More colorfully and in a similar vein, it has been said that blurry words carry deplorable thinking the way mosquitoes carry malaria. It behooves us all to pay attention when people use words deviously or manipulatively not to inform but to conceal. How can people who are intolerant and authoritarian at every turn call themselves “liberal”? How can people wanting...

According to the latest polls, Europeans are expected to vote for political forces leaning toward the right side of the spectrum, often with euro-skeptic tendencies. We are talking about nine member states where these forces might emerge victorious, and another nine where they are projected to secure second and third positions. So, what path has the European Union taken to cause such significant dissatisfaction and a desire for such a radical change for the first...

Overview: US markets are closed for President's Day, while China's markets re-opened from the long Lunar New Year holiday. Mainland stocks advanced, while the yuan slipped slightly. The US dollar is mostly softer but in narrow ranges. The Antipodeans and yen lead, while the Swiss franc the only G10 currency that is slightly softer. Most emerging market currencies are lower, led by about a 0.5% loss of the South African rand. The Mexican peso's and South Korean won's...

Progressives argue that free markets stand in the way of economic and racial equality. In fact, free markets are the only vehicle that can help make people more equal. Original Article: Legacies of Injustice and Racial Inequality [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter

Political and economic elites predicted a doomsday scenario when Trump was elected in 2016, but the reality of his presidency didn’t come close to matching the apocalyptic rhetoric that accompanied it. Original Article: Understanding the Trump Phenomenon: It's Not What the Elites Think [embedded content] Tags:...

Block’s call for total war and the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent civilians in Gaza is the complete and uninhibited rejection and renunciation of the nonaggression principle that constitutes one of the very cornerstones of the Rothbardian system. Original Article: An Open Letter to Walter E. Block [embedded content]...

In the wake of the financial meltdown fifteen years ago, some countries placed strict limits on piling on public debt. Despite cries that this harms investment opportunities, the ”debt brakes” have worked well. Original Article: Fiscal Rules Do Not Undermine Investment, But Government Profligacy Does [embedded content]...

In the old days, the Federal Reserve operated in obscurity "behind the curtain". Today, they are front-and-center for the stock market. Total credit card debt in the US is now over $1.1 Trillion. In this episode, Mark looks at the disconnect between the Fed, the stock market (featured in the last episode), and the Real Economy. Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues. Get your free copy of Dr. Guido Hülsmann's How Inflation Destroys...

The US January CPI and PPI came in stronger than expected and this extended the recovery in US interest rates. In turn that helped underpin the dollar. We do not think the data itself changes the Fed’s stance. At least seven Fed officials speaking in the coming days will test this hypothesis. There are still several key reports before the data dependent FOMC meets again in about four weeks. Owing to the different weights and methodology, the PCE deflator, which the...