Audio Mises Wire

With Europe moving toward conflict in 1938, a number of economists and other intellectuals met in Paris to try to revitalize liberalism. Ludwig von Mises also was there as a lonely voice defending laissez-faire and the free market economy. Original article: Who Killed Liberalism? Remembering the Walter Lippmann-Mises Colloquium   

John Maynard Keynes is the best-known economist from the 20th Century, that not being a good thing. At least he was more famous for his success in promoting his views than for his lack of success as an investor. His failures were an extension of his lack of economic understanding. Original article: Keynes Was Not Much Better at Investing than He Was at Understanding Economics   

While the US Constitution made the US a large free trade zone, prohibiting states from erecting trade barriers against each other, it also empowered the central government to erect tariffs on goods imported from outside the country. Original article: The Constitution’s Negative Effects on Free Trade   

A common belief among economists is that the central bank determines what interest rates should be. But is that accurate? Indeed, there is more to the story. Original article: Does the Central Bank Determine Interest Rates?   

As Murray Rothbard often noted, freedom of association is a fundamental right, what he called a “subset of private property rights.” Unfortunately, our modern cancel culture has taken aim at this right, taking away the voluntary nature of human interaction. Original article: Freedom of Association and Cancel Culture   

Democracy, or at least the “democracy” that ensures the “right people” are elected, is the religion of American progressives. Despite its obvious failures, however, progressives claim that democracy is the Holy Grail of governance. Why people believe this is another question. Original article: Why Democracy Has Such Staying Power   

Government education is a self-perpetuating monster and has been for a long time. While parents and organizations seek accountability, the dynamics driving government education point to a powerful and unaccountable bureaucracy that serves its own interests. Original article: Mute Buttons: Two Ways the School Complex Muzzles Parents and Students   

 Original article: Survey Says: Disconnects Abound in School Opinions and Knowledge   

Legal philosopher Jeremy Waldron in his book The Rule of Law and the Measure of Property challenges the Lockean view of legitimate property ownership. David Gordon sheds light on Waldron's confusing positions. Original article: Whose Property Is It?   

In its so-called war against “hate,” the state determines who are the villains and then instructs everyone else to hate the “haters.” As one might expect, the state then engages in a campaign of vilification and intimidation against the newly-designated enemy. Original article: The Myth of the Entrepreneurial State   

As American culture becomes dominated by militant feminism, a new voting group of dissenters is arising: young male voters. These are young men that believe that the system is stacked against them, which is why Trump's populism appeals to them. Original article: Ignore The New Power Demographic at Your Own Risk: Young Male Voters   

In its so-called war against “hate,” the state determines who are the villains and then instructs everyone else to hate the “haters.” As one might expect, the state then engages in a campaign of vilification and intimidation against the newly-designated enemy. Original article: The State’s War Against Hate   

We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. If you ask when, the answer is that you cannot make a single stroke between day and night; the precise moment does not matter. There was no painted sign to say: “You now are entering Imperium.” Yet it was a very old road and the voice of history was saying: “Whether you know it or not, the act of crossing may be irreversible.”This...

The election is upon us. We wonder whether we have to have war, tariffs, and deficit spending, regardless of whom we support. What are we to do? Original article: The Menace of the State   

The 2024 election will provide few solutions to the underlying pressures eroding American political norms. Regardless of the outcome, half the country will feel like they live under an occupational government. Original article: No Matter Who Wins, Half the Country Won’t Believe in the Election   

It is always a mistake to advocate government action, for there is no way you can fully anticipate how government will be used. Nor can you ever count on a slice of the population to be moral in its advocacy of the uses of the police power. Original article (2004): The Reality of Red-State Fascism   

As real wages decline and middle-class savings are depleted, the government expands its influence, garnering support from a substantial portion of the populace. Original article: This Is a Slow-Motion Nationalization of the Economy   

One of the myths of Keynesian theory is that through monetary injections and government purchases, an economy can spend itself into prosperity. While such a scenario is economically impossible, most mainstream economists still believe it. Original article: The Keynesian Multiplier Fairy Tale   

Would America’s federal government deliberately undermine recovery efforts to try to achieve its own desired political ends? Of course. Original article: The Regime Wants Appalachia To Suffer   

In the spirit of a new Cold War, Matthew Kroenig and Dan Negrea have written a new book, We Win, They Lose: Republican Foreign Policy and the New Cold War, which tries to fuse the foreign policies of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. The result is a foreign policy Frankenstein. Original article: We Lose, They Lose: A Reagan-Trump Fusion   

“In 1988, Murray Rothbard wrote a great monograph called Ludwig von Mises: Scholar, Creator, Hero. I'd like to concentrate today on the third of the qualities, Mises as a hero.”Original article: Ludwig von Mises, Hero   

Einstein's name is synonymous with brilliance, yet his great intelligence did not translate to logical economic thinking. Instead, Einstein embraced socialism, thinking that one could guide an economy like one guides a mathematical equation. Original article: Einstein Was the Greatest Physicist but Was Economically Illiterate   

Progressives claim that the state grants us our rights, and that liberty can flourish only in the presence of a powerful state. The truth runs in the opposite direction. Original article: The Presumption of Liberty   

While the US dollar is the world's “reserve” currency—at least for now—the reckless spending and money creation policies of the US government place the dollar in peril. Original article: Can America Survive Global De-Dollarization?   

The concept of economic calculation is vitally important to understanding our modern economy, yet few people— and especially economists—comprehend that it even exists. Original article: Economic Calculation and the Entrepreneur