As a frequent viewer of The History Channel I have come to appreciate several of its weekly programs, not only for their own sake, but for the many principles of economics demonstrated in each episode. I have written previously of the lessons from the pawn shop, describing a few notable economic concepts one learns from watching Pawn Stars and
I enjoy watching TV shows like Pawn Stars and American Restoration , in part because I have an interest in history and antiques. There’s something appealing about these cultural artifacts; they’re rich in character, and every piece has a story. The other thing I appreciate about these History Channel shows is how each episode demonstrates a number
Conservatives love to champion the free market. They often are quick to defend businesses from increased regulation and taxation, and generally oppose intervention in the market place. However, in the case of undocumented workers, these free-marketeers suddenly become ardent supporters of central economic planning. In this case they condemn those
Recently Salon featured an interview with author Robert Levine, entitled “Does culture really want to be free?” Levine has written a new book, Free Ride , on the subject of intellectual property (IP). His subtitle is How Digital Parasites Are Destroying the Culture Business and How the Culture Business Can Fight Back , the thesis of which is
In the course of my deployments to Iraq I learned a great deal about economics, though I didn’t realize it at the time. I hadn’t yet been introduced to the Austrian School or a Rothbardian view of laissez-faire capitalism. Looking back, however, I can see quite clearly that in several important areas voluntary systems not only existed in that
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.