Recent Podcast Episodes

In this episode, Ryan McMaken takes a look at how the domestic and commercial rituals of the Thanksgiving holiday are things that communists really don‘t like. 

It is unlikely many of the Department of Government Efficiency’s recommendations will ever be implemented. The value of the DOGE lies in how it exposes government waste.

In his failed 1896 presidential campaign, inflationist William Jennings Bryan declared that he would “not crucify mankind on a cross of gold.” But at least even Bryan favored silver money. Today‘s political candidates will crucify us on a cross of paper.

While men like Murray Rothbard and Ludwig von Mises believed in “just” war, nonetheless, they did not believe that wars lead to “just” outcomes, as war leads to destruction of civilization. The outcome of the American war of secession proved that point eloquently.

One of the oldest and most harmful economic fallacies is the belief that, at best, economic exchange is a zero-sum activity. However, free exchange in an unhampered market is always positive.

The iconic Hermès Birkin bag helps illustrate Carl Menger’s “Theory of the Good,” and Ludwig von Mises’s explanation of human action.

As with any other government-controlled institution, a high level of public skepticism about elections is healthy.

So-called economic moderates claim to support free-market capitalism, but then say that markets still need “some” government oversight. Free markets, however, don't need government-based rules because markets effectively regulate themselves.

Nicolaus Copernicus is best known for his observation that the sun was at the center of our solar system, but he also made a number of astute observations about economics. 

Voting is controversial among Austro-Libertarians for many reasons. However, if one does choose to vote, one should understand that the state is never constrained by the voters and cannot be “reformed.”

Bob discusses common talking points that pro-free-trade economists often use when making the case against tariffs.

The gold standard hampers the growth of government power, which helps people more effectively fight bad policy.

Ryan and Zachary Yost look at some of the ways Trump's foreign policy might actually be a step in the right direction. 

In an outrageous act, lame-duck President Joe Biden gives Ukraine permission to fire US-made missiles into Russia.

One does not need to be an advocate of open borders to have concerns when one hears about a federal law enforcement agency engaging in a “crackdown.”

There are numerous critics of the Austrian School of economics, but when their disparagements are closely examined, the so-called experts themselves are wrong. Austrians can do a better job of setting the record straight.

David Gordon takes another look at Thomas Nagel's Equality and Partiality. While he finds some of Nagel's arguments appealing, they still are inferior to Murray Rothbard's systematic interpretation of natural rights.

Had Republicans not vastly expanded federal criminal law during the infamous Wall Street prosecutions 40 years ago, lawfare would not have become such a potent political weapon.

One of the important points made by Carl Menger in his 1871 Principles is that people ordinally rank their preferences, valuing some things more than others. While this seems to be a common-sense principle, it actually has important implications for economic theory.

Kamala Harris claims that she simply wants food prices to be lower. However, her de facto price fixing scheme would create food shortages and raise the real price of food. Of course, when that happens, Harris simply will blame capitalism.