The trouble with “neo-liberalism”
Listening to this LSE podcast, I’m realizing why I don’t like the term “neo-liberalism” as a synonym for broadly classically liberal/libertarian ideas. The term supposes that the false liberalism of the post-1930s liberalism is the authentic liberalism and that the revival of libertarian ideas after WW2 is somehow a new version that hadn’t been heard… read more
Read More CommentPeter Shiff Show Today
I’m on Peter Schiff today to talk about Aaron Swartz. Like everyone else, I find this topic very difficult and painful. Like everyone else, I’m trying to do my best to turn an evil tragedy into something of a teaching and learning moment — perhaps as a way of helping to end this war on… read more
Read More CommentPhil the Thrill vs. The Taxman
Professional golfer Phil MicKelson popped off about greedy government after finishing in the middle of the pack at the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California Sunday. “If you add up all the federal and you look at the disability and the unemployment and the Social Security and state, my tax rate is 62, 63 percent,”… read more
Read More CommentInterview on Ed and Ethan Show
This was an interesting interview, entirely on the issue of information sharing, intellectual property, and the criminal justice system. The Ed and Ethan show is a paradigm of intelligent conversation.… read more
Read More CommentLarger Implications of Aaron Swartz
by Brad Rodriguez via Wendy McElroy Speaking of the larger implications of the Aaron Swartz case, Glenn Greenwald clearly gets it: This is not just prosecutorial abuse. It’s broader than that. It’s all part and parcel of the exploitation of law and the justice system to entrench those in power and shield themselves from meaningful… read more
Read More CommentHallucinating Gold Bugs?
Zachary Karabell is wondering where the heck is the hyperinflation is already. Writing for the Atlantic Karabell writes, The disappearance of inflation over the past 20 years, however, has barely dented the pervasive belief that inflation remains one of the greatest threats to economic stability. These convictions persist in spite of all evidence to the… read more
Read More CommentEuropean Crisis Over? Me Thinks You Protest Too Much
Since last October it’s been a steady stream of “the worst is over messages from European policy makers. As compiled by David Lizoain for Social Europe Journal, 18/10/2012 – François Hollande, President of France: “The worst is over.” 19/11/2012 – Mariano Rajoy, President of Spain: “There are doubts about the irreversibility of the euro, it’s… read more
Read More CommentWho Are The Drones Killing? Why Are The Drones Killing?
Who Are The Drones Killing? Why Are The Drones Killing? by Brian Cantin via Wendy McElroy. The United States government is using drones to kill people in numerous countries. The following is a issues list related to the drone program, and a selection of relevant articles. If you wish to investigate a particular issue, the… read more
Read More CommentThe Case for Private Coinage
Larry Reed of the Foundation for Economic Education has written a good piece on the need to privatize coinage. Markets can make money better than governments can. In the same series, George Leef reviews George Selgin’s brilliant but neglected book on private coinage in the Industrial Revolution in Britain.… read more
Read More CommentRobert Murphy seminar, Monday through Wednesday
Robert Murphy is giving a three-day seminar with Q&A on the top of bubble spotting and the current economic environment. He believes that the second round crash is going to make 2008 look like a mere warm up. To register for the event, go here. This is the first of many online seminars that the… read more
Read More CommentByron King’s Response to Aaron Swartz
Among the hundreds of emails I’ve received on this piece, I thought I would share this from Byron King. Many thanks for penning this worthy tribute to the late Swartz… a young genius, who lived a charmed life, during which nothing much bad had ever happened — until he encountered the feral hell-hounds of the… read more
Read More CommentMy Take on Garet Garrett’s The Driver
Tucker’s Take: The Driver from Agora Financial on Vimeo.… read more
Read More CommentRemembering Aaron Swartz
Guest post by Brad Rodriguez via Wendy McElroy He died in a quest to make data free. Let’s finish the job. I don’t know why the suicide of Aaron Swartz has affected me so strongly. Before last Friday, I didn’t know his name, though I did remember his stunt of planting a laptop computer in… read more
Read More CommentInterview with Reason.TV
I was thrilled to be able to talk to Matt Welch at last year’s FreedomFest. The book I’m speaking of here actually had a title change. It is A Beautiful Anarchy.… read more
Read More CommentIn tribute to Aaron Swartz, RIP
Read More CommentTake a Humor Break
A cartoon round up: From Rick McKee A realistic solution to the debt ceiling crisis; from Nate Beeler Fantasy solutions to the debt ceiling; from Eric Allie Motive behind the $1 trillion coin; from J.D. Crowe Arming techers could have dangerous consequences; from Bruce Plante Popular Cockroach; and from Tim Campbell Piers Morgan Tonight. From… read more
Read More CommentAustrian School in The Simpsons
Austrian School of Economics mentioned on The Simpsons from Harrison Fischberg on Vimeo.… read more
Read More CommentNo Coin, But the Monetary Nonsense Will Continue
The Treasury has announced that it will not pursue minting a trillion-dollar coin to finesse the debt limit ceiling. “Neither the Treasury Department nor the Federal Reserve believes that the law can or should be used to facilitate the production of platinum coins for the purpose of avoiding an increase in the debt limit,” said… read more
Read More Commentmp3 of Samuel E. Konkin III on Counter Economics
A massive hat tip to J. Neil Schulman for forwarding this item. Here is Samuel Edward Konkin III speaking on CounterEconomics at CounterCon II on May 23, 1975. This is an mp3. Check out J. Neil’s compelling novel Alongside Night while you here.… read more
Read More CommentExplaining the Jetsons World
The second edition of my book comes out tomorrow. Here is a non-members version of a video. Tucker’s Take: It’s a Jetson’s World (Non-Member Version) from Agora Financial on Vimeo.… read more
Read More CommentTo live in the digital age
Child: “What did people do before the Internet?” Wise Parent: “The masses of people walked in darkness and ignorance, hunting for tidbits of localized information wherever they could find them and relying on certified elite opinion to tell them about the world beyond their direct experience. Their opportunities to know and create and live in… read more
Read More CommentThe Dazzling Rose Wilder Lane
From her wonderful book, free to Club members: For sixty known centuries, multitudes of men have lived on this earth. Their situation has been the everlasting human situation. Their desire to live has been as strong as ours. Their energy has always been enough to make this earth at least habitable for human beings. Their… read more
Read More CommentHow Alike and/or Different Were Communism and Fascism?
John Gray offers some fascinating insights from a new book on the topic. The book and Gray’s review discuss how many features of fascism that Stalinist and even Leninist communism had adopted as it its own. Mostly fundamentally, both political ideologies are bound up with the idea of dehumanizing a portion of the population that… read more
Read More CommentShort sales: “a triumph of economic common sense”
The LA Times reports that short sales in California have surpassed foreclosures. Banks have begun to smell the coffee and understand that home prices are not resetting to ’06 levels anytime soon. Not only are they forgiving debt, some are even throwing in a little relocation money to help the vacating homeowner get on with… read more
Read More CommentPsst, Is That Gold Registered?
Senator Kirk Dillard in the great state of Illinois has introduced a bill to the 97th general assembly called the Precious Metal Purchasing Act, which calls for, a person who is in the business of purchasing precious metal shall obtain a proof of ownership, create a record of the sale, and verify the identity of… read more
Read More CommentIs Your Home Really Going Up in Value?
The news from ground zero of the housing crash–Las Vegas–is that the median single-family home price increased 24.2%. This according to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors and reported by the Las Vegas Review Journal. The median price is now $149,000, a mere shadow of the 2006 median of $285,000, but hey, the market… read more
Read More CommentHow Power Devolved from the Center in 2012: Interview with Mises Canada
Read More CommentLes Mis and the Discrediting of Law
I appeared on Capital Account to talk about my piece on Les Mis.… read more
Read More CommentEnd of America, by the Numbers
Laissez Faire Club board member has put together a wonderful presentation here.… read more
Read More CommentIt’s a Bad, Bad Mood Out There
The central bank has done all it can expanding its balance sheet and bailing out the financial system, but trillions of dollars of liquidity can’t pump up the mood of small business owners or the consuming public. Bill Dunkelberg visited CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning to provide the fine points to the tepid half-point bounce… read more
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