Audio Mises Daily

Why I Have Hope

Ron Paul — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0600

Thanks to our bankrupt economic policies, faith in our regime will soon be shaken whether we like it or not. Fortunately, we don't need a majority to make some changes for the better, writes Ron Paul.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ben Wiegold.

2016's Economy Begins with a Whimper

David Haggith — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0600

Global markets are showing they can't handle even a tiny bit of tightening by the Federal Reserve, and other central banks are doubling down on rock-bottom interest rates, writes David Haggith. After six years of "recovery" can we ever abandon endless easy money?

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ben Wiegold.

The Truth About Politics

Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0600

Politics operates according to principles that would horrify us if we observed them in our private lives, and would get us arrested if we lived by them. The state can steal and call it taxation, kill and call it war, writes Lew Rockwell.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ben Wiegold.

The Continuing Demonization of Cash

Paul-Martin Foss — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0600

The public has been successfully conditioned to view the use of cash as something suspicious. Meanwhile, thanks to growing pressure from government, private business now often considers cash to be more trouble than it's worth, writes Paul-Martin Foss.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ben Wiegold.

Are Harsh Sentencing Laws Driving Up Homicide Rates?

Justin Murray — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0600

The United States is notable for incarcerating a very large portion of its population compared to other countries. Surprisingly, this may increase homicide rates and lead to enclaves of ex-cons which would help explain why so many homicide victims have criminal records, writes Justin Murray.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ben Wiegold.

How the Blockchain and Gold Can Work Together

Thorsten Polleit — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0600

New technologies, such as the blockchain technology behind digital currencies like bitcoin, may in the future facilitate the convenient use of precious metals as money once again, writes Thorsten Polleit.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ben Wiegold.

Seven Changes Needed in Baltimore and Ferguson Right Now

Mark Thornton — Thu, 28 May 2015 01:00:00 -0500

Communities like Baltimore and Ferguson have been crippled by government regulations and the American nanny state. Now is the time to allow local residents to break free of government wage controls, government schooling, and government prohibitions, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Will the Fed Let Innovation Work Its Magic?

Edin Mujagic — Mon, 04 May 2015 01:00:00 -0500

In recent decades, the tech sector has brought us newer and better goods and ever-dropping prices. In an unhampered market, the same would happen across the entire economy. But, the Fed won't allow this to happen, writes Edin Mujagic.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Self-Interest Is Not Selfishness

Gary Galles — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 01:00:00 -0500

When Mother Teresa used her Nobel Prize money to fund services for the poor, she was exhibiting "self-interest," but not selfishness. Like virtually everyone else, she used her property to achieve an end she valued, but which benefited others as well, writes Gary Galles.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

What Romance Can Tell Us About Government Regulation

Julian Adorney — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 01:00:00 -0500

When it comes to romantic relationships, people ruthlessly discriminate and make an endless number of subjective judgments. Most agree that it is absurd to regulate these relationships while not realizing that the same is true of all business relationships as well, writes Julian Adorney.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Why Is the Fed Punishing My Parents?

Shawn Ritenour — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 01:00:00 -0500

Thanks to the central bank, those who worked hard and "played by the rules" all their lives now face an uncertain future as inflation chips away at their savings and threatens their financial stability, writes Shawn Ritenour.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Brazil: Victim of Vulgar Keynesianism

Antony P. Mueller — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 01:00:00 -0500

Brazil's government has long been devoted to the idea that more government spending will create more economic prosperity. For a time, it seemed to work, but now reality and disillusionment have set in, writes Antony Mueller.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The "Natural Interest Rate" Is Always Positive and Cannot Be Negative

Thorsten Polleit — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 01:00:00 -0500

We're now in the world of negative interest rates, and Mises’s insights about human action are the key to understanding the implications of this, and in understanding the impossibility of a negative “natural” or “originary” interest rate, writes Thorsten Polleit.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Judge Napolitano on Self-Ownership and 'National Defense

David Gordon — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 01:00:00 -0500

Natural rights are fundamentally different from goods and services. Judge Napolitano explains in his new book how the acquisition of a mere service — security — cannot be based on the destruction of rights, which cannot be traded away, writes David Gordon.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Death and Taxes in the Netflix Series Marco Polo

Ryan McMaken — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 01:00:00 -0500

The new Netflix series Marco Polo might have descended into a forgettable story of palace intrigue, but it fortunately explores far more interesting themes of family, loyalty, and how the state demands everyone sell out his values a little more every day, writes Ryan McMaken.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

There’s No Political Freedom Without Economic Freedom

Patrick Barron — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 01:00:00 -0500

Many have tried to create a division between "political freedom" and "economic freedom." But all freedoms ultimately depend on economic freedom, and our view of economic exchange dictates our view of politics, writes Patrick Barron.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Five Steps to Fixing Greece’s Debt Problem

Frank Hollenbeck — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600

The Europeans have decided to limit funding and credit extended to the Greeks. This puts the Greek financial system under pressure, but there are free-market solutions that could set the Greeks on the path to a sound economy, writes Frank Hollenbeck.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Yes, Minimum Wages Still Increase Unemployment

Andrew Syrios — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600

In recent years, some economists, contrary to long-established and widely-accepted economic theory, have been claiming that increases in the minimum wage do not increase unemployment. But both logic and the data say otherwise, writes Andrew Syrios.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

How Truly Free Markets Help the Poor

Ryan McMaken — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0600

Free markets have provided an abundance of goods and comforts for even low-income households. But constant government intervention in the work, lives, and incomes of the poor continues to create many barriers to economic success, writes Ryan McMaken.

See here, here, and here for more information on how the minimum wage makes low skilled workers legally unemployable.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

How Economic Aggregation Hides the Problems of Interventionism

Gary Galles — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0600

Government likes to put out lots of data showing things like income and employment for huge numbers of people. The problem is, this tells us almost nothing about how real-life people are hurt or helped by government intervention, writes Gary Galles.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Folly of 1845: Texas and the Evils of Annexation

Ryan McMaken — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0600

The opposite of secession is annexation wherein governments extend their monopolies over a greater territory. Just as secession naturally limits the power of states, annexation extends it, and should be opposed, writes Ryan McMaken.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

How Government Helped Create the Coming Doctor Shortage

Logan Albright — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0600

If we want to lower the cost of health care, we should seek to increase the availability of health care services, including increases in trained medical personnel. Government, however, acts repeatedly to prevent the entry of more doctors into the marketplace, writes Logan Albright.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Europe Joins the QE Party

Frank Hollenbeck — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0600

The European Central Bank is ramping up its easy-money policies in an effort to spur inflation, which it hopes will improve the economy. The wealthy and powerful will benefit from this, but most everyone else is in big trouble, writes Frank Hollenbeck.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

How Free Markets Enhance Freedom of Choice

Hunter Hastings — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0600

Our daily lives are determined by our choices as individual economic actors. When governments intervene in our personal economics, they intervene in our personal preferences and choices, writes Hunter Hastings.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

How Greek Default May Still Unravel the EU

Frank Hollenbeck — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0600

The Greeks may still default, and that would mean big trouble not so much for Greece as for other EU member states who will be on the hook for even more bailouts, writes Frank Hollenbeck.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The True Cost of the Homeownership Obsession

Ryan McMaken — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0600

The homeownership rate is now back where it was forty years ago. So what did all that federally-subsidized homebuying over the past decade accomplish? There was a lot of malinvestment, and a lot of politically-favored interest groups that got richer, writes Ryan McMaken.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Bait and Switch: "Economic Development" in the States

Jeff Scribner — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0600

States could attract more businesses and jobs by lowering taxes and making government smaller. But since governments hate cutting taxes and regulations, they instead choose to lure new firms with temporary tax breaks and special favors, writes Jeff Scribner.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Voluntary Exchange vs. Government Mandates

Patrick Barron — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0600

True welfare and value can only be achieved through exchange when it is fully voluntary. When the state intervenes to "improve" trade, it destroys value, all the government stats notwithstanding, writes Patrick Barron.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

The "Dog-Eat-Dog" Delusion

Gary Galles — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0600

Opponents of free markets sometimes describe market competition of dog-eat-dog, but that metaphor has nothing to do with markets and everything to do with politics and war, writes Gary Galles.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

Private Volunteers Step In Where Police Are AWOL

Julian Adorney — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Where police fail, as at Ferguson and in Detroit, private firms and volunteers have stepped in. And yet the state continues to claim that its employed enforcers are a thin blue line between order and chaos, writes Julian Adorney.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

All I Want for Christmas is a (Real) Government Shutdown

Ron Paul — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Those who voted for the omnibus to avoid a shutdown fail to grasp that the consequences of blindly expanding government are far worse than the consequences of a temporary government shutdown, writes Ron Paul.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

Politicians to Business Owners: Drop Dead

Peter St. Onge — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0600

It's become common for populists to claim that what's good for businesses is bad for workers. It remains unclear, however, where all those workers are supposed to find jobs, writes Peter St. Onge.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

North Korea: From Hermit Kingdom to Merchant Kingdom?

J. Wiltz — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0600

North Korea is one of the most heavily sanctioned regimes on earth, but in the midst of a new and young generation of North Koreans adept at using black markets, it’s clear that trade with North Korea must be embraced, writes J. Wiltz.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

Central Banks Are Not Innocent Bystanders

Peter St. Onge — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0600

The Economist recently opined that interest rates don't affect investment. This claim is based on an empirical study that contradicts what we already know: that lower prices lead to more demand. In the end, the problem lies with the researches who fail to account for the behavior of central bankers, writes Peter St. Onge.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Economics of Tipping

Kenneth A. Zahringer — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Many people think that tipping is a results from stingy employers not paying a "living wage." But tipping solves multiple economic problems while making employers more likely to hire untried workers, writes Kenneth Zahringer.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

War Making and Class Conflict

Joseph T. Salerno — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Adapted from “Imperialism and the Logic of War Making.”

War is the outcome of class conflict inherent in the political relationship — the relationship between ruler and ruled, parasite and producer, tax-consumer and taxpayer. The parasitic class makes war with purpose and deliberation in order to conceal and ratchet up their exploitation of the much larger productive class, writes Joe Salerno.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

What A Divided Berlin Still Teaches Us Today

Hans-Hermann Hoppe — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Berlin provides us with an example that comes as close to that of a controlled social experiment as one could probably hope to get, writes Hans Hoppe.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Stalemate, Crisis, and the Triumph of the Modern State

T. Hunt Tooley — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

One hundred years ago, the combatants of World War One fought themselves to a standstill. The warring regimes then used the opportunity to clamp down on internal dissent and a host of other liberties, writes T. Hunt Tooley.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Diversity in Goals Brings Diversity in Value

Frank Shostak — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Every person has different goals for himself, which means everyone will value differently the means to attain those ends. No central planner can know these goals and values, writes Frank Shostak.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

Obamacare’s Jonathan Gruber and the Superhero Oath

Gary Galles — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Economists can use their knowledge for both good and evil, and for those in government, such knowledge is often used to deceive and make government programs look less costly than they are, writes Gary Galles.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

State Monopolies Aren’t What They Used to Be

Julian Adorney — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

States wish to gain monopolies and maintain them in all facets of life, while entrepreneurs strive to offer alternatives to the state. It's our job to prevent the state from simply declaring the competition illegal, writes Julian Adorney.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

Woodrow Wilson’s Faith in War

Laurence M. Vance — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Malcolm D. Magee's new book on Woodrow Wilson examines a much-neglected topic: the role of Wilson's religion in his enthusiasm for war and his goal to “conquer, convert, and change the nations.”

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

The Cultural and Political Consequences of Fiat Money

Jörg Guido Hülsmann — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Our global system of fiat moneys favors spenders and borrowers over savers. Low—and moderate—income households who wish to save for the future are at the greatest disadvantage, and this has led to profound cultural changes over the past century, writes Guido Hülsmann.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Middle-of-the-Road Policy: Lessons from Argentina and Venezuela

Iván Carrino — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Ludwig von Mises held that middle-of-the-road policy in economic interventionism eventually leads to widespread socialism. With price controls, protectionism, and rampant inflation, Venezuela and Argentina have proven him right, writes Iván Carrino.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

Nobel Winner Jean Tirole’s Faulty Views on Monopoly

Frank Shostak — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Economics Nobel Prize winner Jean Tirole still clings to the old neoclassical model "perfect competition" and monopoly, writes Frank Shostak. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Pakistan and the Problem of Military Aid

Salmaan A. Khan — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Awash in foreign aid from the United States for decades, Pakistan now finds itself having to look to the very countries that once used Pakistan as a model, to find a way out of its military-industrial malaise, writes Salmaan A. Khan.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

How Macroeconomic Data Encourages Government Intervention

Frank Shostak — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Entrepreneurs need very specific information about their products, markets, customers, and profits. Government macroeconomic data, however, does nothing to assist entrepreneurs to obtain this important information, but only helps justify economic intervention, writes Frank Shostak.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Why The Theory of Money and Credit Is More Important Than Ever

Richard M. Ebeling — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Eighty years ago, Mises's The Theory of Money and Credit first appeared in English. It remains one of the most important books on money and inflation penned in the twentieth century, and it still offers the clearest analysis and understanding of booms and busts, inflations and depressions, writes Richard Ebeling.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

World War I in Our Minds: A Historical View

T. Hunt Tooley — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

With 100 years having passed since the start of the First World War, the view of the war among historians and the public has evolved in many ways. Historian Hunt Tooley examines the turning points in how the world sees the Great War. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Moral Hazard and Socialism in Collective Security Agreements

Patrick Barron — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600

Collective security agreements allow many countries's politicians to shift the cost of national defense to taxpayers outside their own countries. Moral hazard, belligerence, and over-reliance on military solutions often ensue, writes Patrick Barron.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Price Deflation and Price Inflation Are Always "Optimal"

Mateusz Machaj — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Price changes are the solution to a problem, not the problem itself. We should focus on what causes the price changes in the first place, writes Mateusz Machaj. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Understanding "Quid Pro Quo"

Gary Galles — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The term “quid pro quo” has been twisted to now include government handouts and state-mandated exchanges, writes Gary Galles.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Index Card of Allowable Opinion

Thomas E. Woods, Jr. — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Tom Woods explains the “unacceptable“ opinions behind freedom and free markets.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Do We Need a Lender of Last Resort?

Nicolás Cachanosky — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Efficient banks have many options for lenders and credit when banking crises hit. It's the inefficient and insolvent banks that must turn to a central bank, writes Nicolás Cachanosky. But do we really want central banks that reward insolvency and encourage inefficiency? This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

An Austrian Economist Reports From a Mainstream Economics Conference

Christopher Westley — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Christopher Westley reports from this year's National Association of Business Economists Convention. He finds that the mainstream's intellectual blinders are firmly in place, and that the “fatal conceit” Friedrich Hayek wrote about in 1988 is alive and well in 2014.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Rothbard on Self-Defense and War

David Gordon — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Libertarians — and Murray Rothbard in particular — are not pacifists, but reject the killing of innocents and other unjustified forms of military aggression, writes David Gordon.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Dianna Keiler.

Sports Stadiums: Temples to Crony Capitalism

Salmaan A. Khan — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Although it's clear that they offer no economic net benefit, American cities are building taxpayer-funded sports stadiums every chance they get. Billionaire team owners and politicians benefit greatly while ordinary taxpayers do less well, writes Salmaan A. Khan. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

How Much Is Obama's War on ISIS Going to Cost?

Daniel McAdams — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

How much is Obama's war on ISIS going to cost you? You don't want to know, writes Daniel McAdams.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Left and Right Agree: War Is Popular

Andrew Syrios — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Don't expect sustained opposition to war to come from either side, writes Andrew Syrios. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

The Problem With Steve Forbes’s New Gold Standard

David Gordon — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

In their new book "Money", Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Ames write with insight about the dangers of inflation and easy money, but ultimately, they fail to follow through on their analysis and instead make peace with monetary expansionism, writes David Gordon. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

What the Feds and Bernie Madoff Have in Common

Brandon Dutcher — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Not unlike governments, ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff used his victims' money to exhibit his "generosity" through charitable giving projects, writes Brandon Dutcher. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

How Third-Party Payers Drive Up Medical Costs

Willem G. Cornax — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The modern health insurance industry, a by-product of government regulation and tax policy, has led to a system in which the consumer of medical services doesn’t know the costs or final prices charged for services. Without a functioning system of price signals, prices cannot be contained, writes Willem Cornax. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Scottish Referendum Gives Reasons to be Hopeful

Ron Paul — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The smaller the size of government, the less power it has to hobble free enterprise with taxes and regulations, writes Ron Paul. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Mises’s Contribution to Understanding Business Cycles

Murray N. Rothbard — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

In "The Theory of Money and Credit", Mises provided the basics for the long-sought explanation for that mysterious and troubling economic phenomenon — the business cycle, writes Murray Rothbard. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Regulate It First, Learn About It Never

Gary Galles — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Politicians and regulators usually don’t know what they don’t know about everything from health care to your small business, but that sort of compound ignorance won’t stop them from regulating the minutiae of everyday life and commerce, writes Gary Galles. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Drug Warriors Claim Colorado Going to Pot

Mark Thornton — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Drug warriors rely on bad and manipulated data to make the claim that respecting private property rights in Colorado is “terrible public policy,” writes Mark Thornton. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Why Historical Revisionism Matters

Ralph Raico — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Historical revisionism is the process of unmasking government excuses for war and war-making, writes Ralph Raico. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Unseen Costs of the Minimum Wage

Josh Grossman — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Supporters of minimum wage hikes claim they have little or no effect on employment, the law of demand makes it clear the effects of price controls are very real, writes Josh Grossman. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

The NCAA Racket

Andrew Syrios — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The NCAA ensures there is no functioning job market for athletes and no competition to which students might go seeking higher pay, writes Andrew Syrios. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

The Ethics of Entrepreneurship and Profit

Hans-Hermann Hoppe — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

In a free market, entrepreneurs profit by providing something of value that people will voluntarily purchase, writes Hans-Hermann Hoppe. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

A Lesson in Economic Analysis from the Minimum Wage Debate

Kenneth A. Zahringer — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Supporters of government interventions like minimum wages. Careful analysis reveals another story, however, writes Kenneth Zahringer. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Is This the Libertarian Moment?

Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Political consultants and mainstream reporters are fixated on electoral politics, as if no other form of societal change were conceivable, writes Lew Rockwell. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Six Myths About Money and Inflation

Patrick Barron — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Politicians and the mainstream media have faith in the central banks to manipulate and manage the global economy. Unfortunately, things are not so easy, writes Patrick Barron. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Austrians, Fractional Reserves, and the Money Multiplier

Robert Batemarco — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Austrian economists have been wrongly accused of many intellectual crimes when it comes to fractional reserve banking. Robert Batemarco adds some clarity to the debate.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Carl Menger’s Revolution

Mateusz Machaj — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Menger, Walras and Jevons are credited with creating the marginal revolution in economics. Carl Menger's contribution to this revolution, however, should be regarded as something distinct, unique, and more rigorous, writes Mateusz Machaj. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale

The Importance of Literary Criticism from a Free-Market Perspective

Matthew McCaffrey — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

There’s a lot of exciting work being done in the field of literary studies, which isn’t usually known for its sound economics, writes Matt McCaffrey. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Intolerance Behind Elizabeth Warren’s 11 Commandments of Progressivism

William L. Anderson — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Elizabeth Warren outlines 11 Commandments of Progressivism and each requires coercion and politics to succeed, writes William Anderson. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Pioneers in Free-Market Literary Criticism

Jo Ann Cavallo — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Thanks to Henry Hazlitt, Paul Cantor and others, a body of work by free-market literary critics is now beginning to emerge, writes Jo Ann Cavallo. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Austrian Capital Theory and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Mark Tovey — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Austrian capital theory explains why creating a more technologically-advanced society is easier said than done, writes Mark Tovey. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Blaming That Cold Weather Culprit

Devin Leary-Hanebrink — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The Fed and it's friends blamed cold weather for much of the year's lackluster economic growth. But cold weather does not explain the economic slowdown because cold weather does not stop economic activity, it merely shifts it to other activities and products, writes Devin Leary-Hanebrink. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Don’t Assume What Is "Unseen" Doesn’t Exist

Gary Galles — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Economists often rely on the assumption of “other things equal.” The problem arises when politicians ignore the economy and unintended results, writes Gary Galles. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

US Sanctions on Russia May Sink the Dollar

Ron Paul — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

US sanctions against Russia are just the latest incentive for the world's economies to avoid dealing with the dollar, writes Ron Paul. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Police States and Private Markets

Jeff Deist — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

When it comes to your local police, there is no shopping around, there is no customer service, and there is no choice, writes Jeff Deist. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

This audio Mises Daily is the transcript from a talk delivered at the 2014 Houston Mises Circle.

You Can’t Run an Economy with Spreadsheets

Nicolás Cachanosky — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

An economy cannot be successfully planned with computers and technicians. Mises and Hayek proved this decades ago, writes Nicolás Cachanosky. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

The Dating Market: Anarchy in Action

Julian Adorney — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Dating someone can come with a very high opportunity cost and can lead to great emotional distress and more, writes Julian Adorney. So why doesn't the government regulate dating? This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Fed and the “Salvador Dali Effect”

Dante Bayona — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The Fed and the Treasury are betting on the fact that the dollar will remain the world’s reserve currency forever, and that the US can inflate without consequences indefinitely. The international victims of the scheme, however, are looking for a way out, writes Dante Bayona. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Higher Ed Cronyism in Serbia: A Case Study

Predrag Rajsic — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

If the payoff is high enough, universities are happy to award degrees based on political connections, writes Predrag Rajšic. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Golden Rule vs. Catholic Case Against Free Markets

Randy England — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

It is now fashionable in some intellectual Catholic circles to disparage free markets at every turn, but this requires the critics to ignore the core of free-market philosophy: the Golden Rule, writes Randy England. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Confusing Capitalism with Fractional Reserve Banking

Frank Hollenbeck — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Low interest rates combined with high-risk fractional reserve banking creates a powder keg on which we’re sitting today, writes Frank Hollenbeck. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Tax Cuts Are Only for the Powerful

Crosby Kemper III, Rex Sinquefield — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Politicians tell us that tax cuts aren't necessary for economic growth. But when a politically-powerful company offers to move to town and hire people, the politicians fall all over themselves to offer a tax cut. Ordinary business owners, meanwhile, get no such offers, writes Crosby Kemper III and Rex Sinquefield. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

The Savings and Loan Debacle: Twenty-Five Years Later

Dale Steinreich — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Many still blame “deregulation” for the financial disaster that was caused by an intricate web of federal laws and regulations, writes Dale Steinreich. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Understanding Argentina’s Coming Default

Nicolás Cachanosky — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The Argentine government has a habit of spending without restraint and then trying to cheat its creditors. But this time, it's run into a problem, writes Nicolás Cachanosky. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Hollywood and the State: A Longtime Partnership

Salmaan A. Khan — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Hollywood has a long history of joining forces with the US government. In recent decades a complex system of subsidies and direct assistance from various government agencies in the making of movies has helped bring the state and the entertainment industry even closer together, writes Salmaan Khan. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The State’s Worst Atrocity

Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

War has been at the heart of much pro-government ideology, and remains so today, writes Lew Rockwell. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

The "Entrepreneurial" State is Anything But

Tyler Kubik — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

With the failure of central planning, many economists see government as an entrepreneurial institution that fosters efficiency and economic growth, writes Tyler Kubik. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

World War One and the End of the Bourgeois Century

Ryan McMaken — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The First World War began one hundred years ago, and it was a total disaster for Europe. The war destroyed not only the bodies and capital of millions of human beings, but it also destroyed the ideology and economy of the peaceful and prosperous century that had come before, writes Ryan McMaken. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

A Brief History of Progressivism

Andrew Syrios — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

“Progressives” throughout history repeatedly show a fondness for social engineering and state control, writes Andrew Syrios. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Why Faster Is Sometimes Better, But Not Always

Jonathan Newman — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Booms and busts are brewing in the real economy, but computers that can quickly solve math problems won’t tell you much about how business cycles work, writes Jonathan Newman. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

When State-Subsidized Industries Attack

Dave Albin — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The corn, sugar, and ethanol industries in the US are all part of a complex system of government subsidies and other favors, writes Dave Albin. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The War on Drugs Is Not Like The War on Poverty

Randall G. Holcombe — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Unlike the War on Poverty, the War on Drugs is a real and bloody war by the United States against a minority group known as drug buyers and sellers, writes Randall Holcombe. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Labor Unions Are Anti-Labor

George Reisman — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Labor unions work to prevent increases in the productivity of workers, which is ultimately the only way to increase real wages, writes George Reisman. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

How Government Uses “Efficiency” as an Excuse to Steal

Gary Galles — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Only individuals can determine what is efficient for themselves, writes Gary Galles. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

When High Taxes Lead to Revolution

Peter St. Onge — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The lack of revolutions, even in highly-taxed societies points to the possibility that many are willing to tolerate rather high taxation rates, writes Peter St. Onge. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Should We Build a McDonald’s on the Rim of the Grand Canyon?

Ryan McMaken — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

It is worth remembering that much of the tourist economy in the West is a subsidized invention of the federal government, writes Ryan McMaken. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

How to Start Reforming the Federal Reserve Right Now

Brendan Brown — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Real reform of the Fed begins with setting interest rates free, the abolition of deposit insurance, and ending the Fed’s position as lender of last resort, writes Brendan Brown. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Problem with Right-to-Work Laws

Logan Albright — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Right-to-work laws substitute one government mandate for another, writes Logan Albright. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

The Neo-Mercantilist Hysteria Over US Trade Deficits

Joseph T. Salerno — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Keynesians are fond of overstating both the magnitude of the trade deficit and its alleged negative effects, writes Joseph Salerno. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

How the Drug War Drives Child Migrants to the US Border

Mark Thornton — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

It is not a coincidence that an increasing percentage of child migrants to the US border are from areas devastated by the American drug war, writes Mark Thornton. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Industrial Policy Is Still a Loser

Stewart Dompe — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Stiglitz wants to revitalize industrial policy through greater government intervention to favor certain technologies over others, writes Stewart Dompe and Adam C. Smith. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Robert Hale.

Jean-Baptiste Say: An Underrated Revolutionary

Carmen Elena Dorobăț — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Say’s insights continue to challenge interventionist economists to this day. Everl Schoorl’s new biography sheds new light on Say’s life and works, writes Carmen Dorobat. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

How To Have Law Without Legislation

Murray N. Rothbard — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Rothbard explores Bruno Leoni’s call for a return to the ancient traditions and principles of "judge-made law" as a method of limiting the state and insuring liberty. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

What Is the Rate of Return on the Louisiana Purchase?

David Howden, Daniel Fernández-Renau Atienza — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The true benefits of the Louisiana and Alaska Purchases are less clear than their value to pro-government propaganda, writes David Howden and Daniel Atienza. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

The Jeffersonian Secessionist Tradition

Thomas J. DiLorenzo — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

In examining newspaper editorials of the nineteenth century and Jefferson's own views of secession, Thomas DiLorenzo explores the once-widespread belief, both North and South, that the American states were part of a voluntary union. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Why the Mainstream Fails to Understand Recessions

Hal Snarr — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Many Austrians saw the bust coming, and thanks to Austrian economics, we also better understand the details of how booms and busts work, writes Hal Snarr. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

How Government Forces the Poor Into Black Markets

Peter St. Onge — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Industrious low-income people often must turn to doing business in the black market to avoid the burdensome costs of government regulations, writes Peter St. Onge. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Shinzo Abe and the Three Magic Arrows

Andy Sirkis — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Shinzo Abe’s so-called “three arrows” of monetary stimulus, fiscal stimulus, and structural reform, have crippled the Japanese economy, writes Andy Sirkis. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

When Steelers Steal

Christopher Westley — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

In a free-market economy, firms threatened with competition often respond by searching for ways to increase efficiencies, attempting to lower costs and improving on economies of scale and scope. Meanwhile, protectionists and labor unions seek to avoid having to become more efficient by simply outlawing competition, writes Christopher Westley. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Why Timid Reforms of Central Banks Won’t Work

Frank Hollenbeck — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 01:00:00 -0500

It is now clear that the Fed and the European Central Bank are hard-wired to inflate the money supply while encouraging banks to make excessively risky loans, writes Frank Hollenbeck. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Early Catholic Social Teaching: The State as Robber

Bryan Cheang — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Many Christians call for legislation to regulate, control, and ban activities that they deem as social vices, writes Bryan Cheang. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Why the Fed Is Nothing to Celebrate

Benjamin M. Wiegold — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

For 100 years, the Fed has served to protect the interests of powerful banks through inflationary monetary policy, writes Benjamin Wiegold. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Europe’s Mario Draghi Starring in Bernanke’s Show

Brendan Brown — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

ECB’s Mario Draghi has taken over from Ben Bernanke as the world’s most enthusiastic money printer, writes Brendan Brown. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

My Social Justice Is Better Than Yours

D.W. MacKenzie — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Socialism can only be maintained when one group imposes its will by force on all other groups, writes D.W. MacKenzie. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Government Roads, Subsidies, and the Costs of Fracking

Salmaan A. Khan — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

A result of a complex system of subsidies and other government favors, it is unclear that fracking would be sustainable in a truly free marketplace, writes Sal Ahmed. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Limited Government Is a Vain Hope

David Gordon — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Given the many failures of the state, many will mistakenly seek a solution in “limited government," writes David Gordon. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Turning Piketty Right Side Up

George Reisman — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

In his new book, Capital In the Twenty-First Century, Piketty fails to understand how savings and investment work, writes George Reisman This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Even the Feds Admit Minimum Wages Cause Unemployment

Nicholas Freiling — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

A little-known loophole in federal law allows people with disabilities to be employed below the minimum wage, writes Nicholas Freiling. Why the exemption? This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

You Didn’t Consent to be the State’s Victim

Walter Block — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Defenders of government coercion often claim that residence within a state’s boundaries imply consent to be taxed, writes Walter Block. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

The European Central Bank’s House of Cards

Frank Hollenbeck — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The European Central Bank’s recent move to negative interest rates is a sign that the ECB is hitting the panic button, writes Frank Hollenbeck. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Higgs, Hoppe, and the Cycle of the State

Dan Sanchez — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The vastly greater productivity of a relatively-free populace makes for greater per capita tax revenue, writes Dan Sanchez. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Why Foreign Politicians Hate Your Freedom

Ryan McMaken — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Governments don’t like it when neighboring countries offer freedoms not available at home, writes Ryan McMaken. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Everything Popular Is Wrong: Malinvestment and Consumers

J. Dayne Girard — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Any government intervention in the economy, such as, loan programs, regulations, and subsidies, creates malinvestments, writes Dayne Girard. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Profits Do Not Make Health Care Unaffordable

Rich Brents — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Government intervention in health care has driven up health care prices. Mainstream journalists choose to focus on profits and “greed” as the problem, writes Rich Brents . This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

How Smugglers Made America

Mark Thornton — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Smuggling has often played a pivotal role in important events and episodes in American history, writes Mark Thornton. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

What Henry Hazlitt Can Teach Us About Inflation in 2014

James Grant — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

In 1946, as now, the government held up the threat of deflation to justify a policy of ultra-low interest rates, writes James Grant. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Natural Disasters Don’t Increase Economic Growth

Frank Hollenbeck — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Although Frédéric Bastiat disproved it years ago, many still believe that natural disasters increase economic growth, writes Frank Hollenbeck. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Why the Cost of Government Is Higher Than You Think

Gary Galles — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

When governments spend, regulate, and tax, they decrease household take-home pay while diverting savings and investment to the government class, writes Gary Galles. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Allan Davis.

Why Central Bank Stimulus Cannot Bring Economic Recovery

Patrick Barron — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Merely increasing demand does not increase production or produce wealth, writes Patrick Barron. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

The High Cost of Minimum Wages

Benjamin M. Wiegold — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Swiss voters recently rejected a proposal to introduce the world’s highest minimum wage, writes Benjamin M. Wiegold. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

How Inflation Helps Keep the Rich Up and the Poor Down

Jörg Guido Hülsmann — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Inflation puts a brake on social mobility: the rich stay rich (longer) and the poor stay poor (longer) than they would in a free society, writes Guido Hülsmann. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

The New Skyscraper Curse

Mark Thornton — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Thanks to cheap money and malinvestment, new record-setting skyscrapers are being planned and built as the global fiat-money-induced boom continues, writes Mark Thornton. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

How Central Banks Are Waging War on Your Savings

Mark Thornton — Fri, 30 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Easy money policy hurts most people, particularly workers and savers, and redistributes their wealth to the ruling elites, writes Mark Thornton. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

What Libertarians Should Learn From the Abolitionists

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 29 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Libertarians must never compromise, even if it means accepting partial victories, writes Murray N. Rothbard. Murray Rothbard (1926–1995) was dean of the Austrian School. He was an economist, economic historian, and libertarian political philosopher.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Health Care and the Candy Store Called Socialism

Jim Fedako — Fri, 23 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

In socialist countries of old, it was easy to find cookies and candies in state-owned stores while fresh meat and bread was rare, writes Jim Fedako. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Joe Kohlhaas.

How Consumers Rule In a Free Economy

Christopher Westley — Wed, 21 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

One of Carl Menger’s contributions was his primacy of the consumer in determining value and price, not only in the marketplace but in all economic activity, writes Christopher Westley.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Why They Hate Peace

Ron Paul — Tue, 20 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

War increases government spending, inhibits free trade, and lays the foundation for numerous future conflicts, writes Ron Paul. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

The Mythology of the Supreme Court

Ryan McMaken — Mon, 19 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Supreme Court justices are politicians, who behave in the manner Public Choice theory tells us they should, and they seek to preserve and expand their own power, writes Ryan McMaken. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Democracy, War, and the Myth of the Neutral State

Luigi Marco Bassani, Carlo Lottieri — Wed, 14 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The real sovereign is the small ruling class that makes the final decisions in the state of emergency, writes Carlo Lottieri and Luigi Marco Bassani. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

What Individualism Is Not

Frank Chodorov — Tue, 13 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Enemies of laissez faire wish to saddle it with much unsavory baggage, writes Frank Chodorov. Frank Chodorov (1887–1966) was an advocate of the free market, individualism, and peace.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Differences Don’t Necessarily Equal Discrimination

Andrew Syrios — Fri, 09 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

To blame every income discrepancy on discrimination leads to very odd conclusions, writes Andrew Syrios. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Markets Are About Much More Than Material Goods

Gary Galles — Tue, 06 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The affluence of free markets makes it possible to pursue goals few of us would have the means to pursue otherwise, writes Gary Galles.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Europe and Deflation Paranoia

Frank Hollenbeck — Mon, 05 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

The European Central Bank is deeply concerned about deflation, and deflation paranoia is a convenient way to justify propping up southern Europe, writes Frank Hollenbeck.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Joe Kohlhaas.

Our Oligarchs Can Thank James Madison

Ryan McMaken — Fri, 02 May 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Recent research has shown that the United States government functions to benefit wealthy interests while ignoring the average citizen, writes Ryan McMaken. This audio version of the Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Why We Should Sell Alcohol at College Football Games

Mark Thornton — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 01:00:00 -0500

Mark Thornton presents the case for selling beer at college football games.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Clay Barnett.

Drugs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Mark Thornton — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 01:00:00 -0500

The Big Pharma–FDA nexus is just one giant conflict of interest against the general public, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Vices Are Not Crimes

Murray N. Rothbard — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 01:00:00 -0500

Spooner's anarchism was, like his abolitionism, another valuable part of his pietist legacy. For, here again, his pietistic concern for universal principles brought him to a consistent and courageous application of libertarian principles, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

On Equality and Inequality

Ludwig von Mises — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 01:00:00 -0500

The fact that men are born unequal in regard to physical and mental capacities cannot be argued away, writes Ludwig von Mises.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

The Watermelon Summit

Thomas J. DiLorenzo — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 01:00:00 -0500

Watermelon: "green" on the outside, red on the inside. Rio Earth Summit: "Watermelons of the World Unite!"

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

Ron Paul: Mr. Republican

Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 01:00:00 -0500

In this article, Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. touches on Ron Paul's political career.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

Hitler's Economics

Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 01:00:00 -0500

Hitler is the modern archetype of political evil, but many who condemn him still embrace his policies, writes Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

Government Medical "Insurance"

Murray N. Rothbard — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 01:00:00 -0500

Instead of solving the initial problem, the intervention creates two or three further problems, which the government feels it must intervene to heal, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

Is Greater Productivity a Danger?

David Gordon — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:00:00 -0500

Tim Jackson, a professor of sustainable development at the University of Surrey, suggests that greater productivity may have reached its "natural limits", writes David Gordon.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

Free Economy and Social Order

Wilhelm Röpke — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 01:00:00 -0500

The market economy as a field of liberty, spontaneity, and free coordination cannot thrive in a social system that is the very opposite, writes Wilhelm Röpke (1899-1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

What Soviet Medicine Teaches Us

Yuri N. Maltsev — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 01:00:00 -0500

In 1918, the Soviet Union became the first country to promise universal "cradle-to-grave" healthcare, writes Yuri N. Maltsev.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

The Fascist Threat

Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 01:00:00 -0500

Fascism cartelizes the private sector and denies fundamental rights and liberties to individuals. This describes mainstream politics, writes Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

The Task Confronting Libertarians

Henry Hazlitt — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 01:00:00 -0500

Libertarians must form and maintain organizations not only to promote their broad principles but to promote these principles in special fields, writes Henry Hazlitt (1894–1993).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

The Fiasco of Fiat Money

Thorsten Polleit — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 01:00:00 -0500

Today's worldwide fiat-money regime has effects that extend beyond what most people would imagine, writes Thorsten Polleit.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Harold Fritsche.

The Idea of a Third System

Ludwig von Mises — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Clarence Darrow Puts the State on Trial

Douglas E. French — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:00:00 -0500

You always remember books that change your mind, because these books are so few and far between, writes Doug French.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

The Smithian Conquest of France

Murray N. Rothbard — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The audio version of the Mises Daily article for August 23, 2011. [6:50]

The Costs of Compulsory Education

AG Smith — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Education will only be reformed once parents and entrepreneurs are free to create real alternatives to broken systems, writes Aaron Smith.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker

Malthus and the Assault on Population

Murray N. Rothbard — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The Malthusian fallacy created the common view that economics is cold, hardhearted, excessively rational, and opposed to the welfare of people, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Myth of the Voluntary Military

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

"Desertion" sounds ominous, but it merely describes the right to quit, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Welcome to Needle Park

Mark Thornton — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

No one wants a needle park in his or her neighborhood, but that is exactly what prohibition brings. Prohibition also brings increased violence and property crime. Legalization would bring commercially produced products that are reasonably priced, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Lower the Debt Ceiling

Mark Thornton — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

If Congress passed legislation that systematically reduced the debt ceiling over time, the economy could be rebuilt on a solid foundation. Entrepreneurs in the productive sectors would realize that an ever-increasing proportion of resources (land, labor, and capital) would be at their disposal, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

A Problem in Psychology

Frank Chodorov — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

It is simply impossible for one immersed in the political game to think normally. If we accept as normal the thought processes of those who make a living in the marketplace, then the tergiversations of the political mind must be considered abnormal or "crooked", writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

What Is Walmart's Crime?

William L. Anderson — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The NYT is angry because the courts did not stick it to another American business, writes William L. Anderson.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Yes, There is a Revolution Afoot

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

There is a revolution afoot, one that is happening much more quickly than the Industrial Revolution. We are living in the middle of it, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Prohibition vs. Private Solutions at the Electric Daisy Carnival

Jonathan M. Finegold Catalan — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The ability to find cities to host their events lies largely on the ability to minimize drug-related problems, writes Jonathan M. Finegold Catalan.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Joel Sams.

Creating the Anthrax Crisis His Career Needed

Floy Lilley — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Bruce Ivins had the skill, the opportunity, and the motives to single-handedly produce the crisis that the state needed, writes Floy Lilley.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

In Defense of Tomb Robbing

Adam Young — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The grave robber joins the bootlegger, the gunrunner, the drug dealer, and the ivory poacher as another phony criminal created by laws that shouldn't exist, writes Adam Young.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

The Why of Gun Ownership

James Ostrowski — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Something happened in Buffalo, New York, that contradicts the propaganda of those who support "gun control", writes James Ostrowski.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

Arbitration of Disputes

Morris and Linda Tannehill — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Disputants would be far better off if they could choose among competing arbitration agencies and thereby reap the benefits of competition and specialization, writes Morris and Linda Tannehill.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Holly Hinton and Joel Sams.

Why Legalize Now?

Mark Thornton — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Why the sudden pressure against drug prohibition? It is a burden on taxpayers. It is a burden on government budgets. It is a burden on the criminal-justice system. It is a burden on the healthcare system. The economic crisis has intensified the pain from all these burdens, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Education Is More Than Instruction

Albert Jay Nock — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The person of intelligence tends to "see things as they are," never permits his view of them to be directed by convention, by the hope of advantage, or by an irrational and arbitrary authoritarianism. His consciousness is uncontrolled by prejudice, prepossession, or formula, writes Albert Jay Nock (1870–1945).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Joel Sams.

McDonald's as the Paradigm of Progress

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

This great company keeps reinventing itself to serve the public: real people, not abstractions, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Socialism Confounds Government and Society

Claude Frédéric Bastiat — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Every time we object to a thing being done by government, they conclude that we object to its being done at all, writes Frédéric Bastiat (1801–1850).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Joel Sams.

Swan Song of the Old Right

Murray N. Rothbard — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The Old Right of the postwar period had a rugged and near-libertarian honesty in domestic affairs as well, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Do You Hate the State?

Murray N. Rothbard — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The abolitionist would blister his thumb pushing a button that would abolish the state immediately, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Got Milk?

Mark Thornton — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Milk in its natural state — raw milk — is consumed by very few Americans, because it is illegal in many states and thoroughly discouraged by federal health organizations, regulators, and the Big Dairy lobby. Its dangers are minimal, and those are due to its prohibition, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The Heat Is On!

Mark Thornton — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

We should thank our lucky stars for air conditioning — and hope that that government won't destroy it, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

FDR and the Collectivist Wave

Ralph Raico — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Roosevelt began negotiations to welcome the model killer state of the century into the community of nations, writes Ralph Raico.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Nathaniel Foote.

Defending the Advertiser

Walter Block — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Advertising must be defended by those who believe in freedom of speech — for that is all advertising is, writes Walter Block.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

On Hubris, the Experts, and Healthcare-System Reform

Andrew Foy, MD — Tue, 31 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The way to become an expert is as follows: don't challenge the prevailing orthodoxy of the institution; learn the history, underlying principles, and the inner workings of the institution; regurgitate the orthodoxy as you've been taught; celebrate the march of the state, writes Andrew Foy.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk: Economist, Minister, Aristocrat

Eugen-Maria Schulak, Herbert Unterköfler — Fri, 27 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

In Austria, hardly any other economist has achieved the same kind of fame as Böhm-Bawerk, write Eugen-Maria Schulak and Herbert Unterköfler.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Paul Strikwerda.

What Is Money?

Claude Frédéric Bastiat — Fri, 27 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

A man would die of hunger who, having decided that money is real wealth, should carry out the idea to the end, writes Frédéric Bastiat (1801–1850).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Holly Hinton and Joel Sams.

A Case for Private Eyes

William L. Anderson — Thu, 26 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Don't leave the job of criminal investigation to the politicized state, writes William L. Anderson.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

What Drives Higher Unemployment?

Patrick Barron — Tue, 24 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

In an unhampered free-market system, the Ricardo effect is benign and progressive. It is just an interesting observation, writes Patrick Barron.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker

William Graham Sumner and the Conquest of the United States by Spain

Ralph Raico — Tue, 24 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The great sociologist William Graham Sumner explains how the imperialist wars result in the very opposite of their stated intentions.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Hayekian Courage

Investors Business Daily — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

A tribute from the 100th anniversary of his birth by Investors Business Daily. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Ideological and Political Underpinnings of the Great Society

Robert Higgs — Mon, 09 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

For the most part, the Great Society represented the culmination of economic, political, and intellectual developments dating back a century, writes Robert Higgs.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Keynes and the Pyramids

Paul A. Cantor — Tue, 03 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Keynes loved the pyramids. The attempt to rehabilitate the reputation of the pyramid project is part of a larger cultural effort to prop up the respectability of government in general and the nation-state in particular, writes Paul A. Cantor.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Joel Sams.

Six Fundamental Errors of the Current Orthodoxy

Robert Higgs — Mon, 02 May 2011 01:00:00 -0500

What they don't understand: aggregation, relative prices, interest rates, capital structure, money pumping, and regime uncertainty, writes Robert Higgs.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

The "Old Lady" Hasn't a Clue

Patrick Barron — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

A recorded mini lecture and video display purported to explain this mysterious phenomenon (mysterious to the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, anyway). I knew that I was going to hear either a self-critical explanation or, more likely, some hogwash. Hogwash won, hands down, writes Patrick Barron.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Nathaniel Foote.

Introduction to 'Liberty Defined'

Ron Paul — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

I use the term "liberal" without irony or contempt, for the liberal tradition in the true sense was devoted to freeing people from the shackles of the state, writes Ron Paul.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Money Can't Buy You Economic Prosperity

Shawn Ritenour — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

We cannot eat money. We cannot wear money. We cannot live in money. Money can't buy you love, writes Shawn Ritenour.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Pre-Fascist Italy: Tax and Borrow and Spend

John T. Flynn — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The balanced budget passed away definitely in 1911, not to return again until a revolution had swept from the people of Italy their freedom, writes John T. Flynn (1882–1964).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Nathaniel Foote.

The Discovery of the Self: The Theory of Subjective Value

Eugen-Maria Schulak, Herbert Unterköfler — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Menger went on to accomplish a radical break with tradition: a thoroughly individualistic view of humanity and of the world, writes Eugen-Maria Schulak and Herbert Unterköfler.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Paul Strikwerda.

The Moral Imperative of the Market

Friedrich A. Hayek — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

If it is true that prices are signals which enable us to adapt our activities to unknown events and demands, it is evidently nonsense to believe that we can control prices, writes Friedrich A. Hayek (1899–1992).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Nathaniel Foote.

Why Rich Families Hate Capitalism

Ludwig von Mises — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Often the dispersion of a fortune starts already in the lifetime of the businessman when his buoyancy, energy, and resourcefulness become weakened, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Meet My Benefactor

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

I happened to sit down next to a man last week who has been my benefactor for my entire life and the large part of his, and yet we had never met. In fact, though he has been serving me faithfully for three decades, looking after my well-being and trying to improve my standard of living, he didn't even know my name, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Nathaniel Foote.

The Austrian School's Critique of Marxism

Eugen-Maria Schulak, Herbert Unterköfler — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

According to Mises, socialism would be bound to fail not because of morality but because of insuperable intellectual difficulties, writes Eugen-Maria Schulak and Herbert Unterköfler.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Paul Strikwerda.

Introduction to the Bastiat Collection

Mark Thornton — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

If we were to take the greatest economists from all ages and judge them on the basis of their theoretical rigor, their influence on economic education, and their impact in support of the free-market economy, then Frédéric Bastiat would be at the top of the list, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The Anticapitalistic Bias of American Intellectuals

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

In the U.S., an almost unsurmountable gulf separates "society" from the intellectuals, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

Capitalism at the Farm Stand

Stefano R. Mugnaini — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

They think they are doing battle with capitalism and corporate greed; I say it is a pure and beautiful example of a market exchange, writes Stefano R. Mugnaini.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Brad O'Connell.

Henry David Thoreau

Frank Chodorov — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

If you want to know Thoreau, you had better pass up the diagnosticians and get down to reading Thoreau himself, writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Democracy and Liberty

Frank Chodorov — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

It is generally accepted that a government can enslave the citizens — unless it is a democratic government. Mistake!

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

Public Service Is an Ignoble Calling

Robert Higgs — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:00:00 -0500

It's difficult to say "Bush School of Government and Public Service" aloud without gagging, writes Robert Higgs.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

OMG! There's Discrimination in the Modeling Industry!

Ben O'Neill — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Professor Block is a handsome fellow. But he is not likely to appear on the catwalk anytime soon, writes Ben O'Neill.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

World War II Did Not End the Great Depression

Art Carden — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The illusion of wartime prosperity is rooted in how national income was calculated and in how the statistics were compiled, writes Art Carden.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Introduction to 'Great Wars and Great Leaders'

Ralph Raico — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

From the 18th century to our own time, the liberal tradition has stood firmly against war, based both on principle and on the reality of how and why wars begin, and also the wicked damage they do to society. The excuses for wars mask the underlying reason for them, writes Ralph Raico.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

On Doing Something About It

Frank Chodorov — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

If a prominent politician hires a hall to make a speech, stay away; the absent audience will bring him to a realization of his nothingness, writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

Foreword to The Tragedy of the Euro

Jesús Huerta de Soto — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

It is a great pleasure for me to present this book by my colleague Philipp Bagus, writes Jesús Huerta de Soto.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Vienna Before the Austrian School

Eugen-Maria Schulak, Herbert Unterköfler — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

To young Menger, the cityscape still appeared as that of "old Vienna": enclosed on three sides by a city wall and moat, writes Eugen-Maria Schulak and Herbert Unterköfler.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Paul Strikwerda.

Innovation Requires Economic Freedom

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

The foremost aim of despotic government is to prevent any innovations that could endanger its own supremacy. Its very nature pushes it toward extreme conservatism, the tendency to retain what is, no matter how desirable for the welfare of the people a change might be, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

How John Wanamaker Succeeded

Orison Swett Marden — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

John Wanamaker was the Gilded Age genius who pioneered the department store, the posted single price for goods, the money-back guarantee, and the practice of giving away free products as a way to promote a business. He believed that commerce would save the world, writes Orison Swett Marden.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

The Rise of the West

Robert Higgs — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Throughout history, material privation and chronic insecurity were the norm, writes Robert Higgs.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

Why Vote?

Mark Brandly — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

You will not affect the election, but you might die in a car crash trying, writes Mark Brandly.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

No Treason, no. 1

Lysander Spooner — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Before the civil war, there were some grounds for saying that, at least in theory, our government was a free one — that it rested on consent, writes Lysander Spooner (1808–1887).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Brad O'Connell.

Seeing Like a State

Mike Reid — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Government planners developed a particular aesthetic obsession: they were frustrated by the untidy complexity of real human societies, writes Mike Reid.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Everyone Has the Right to __________

Ben O'Neill — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Social justice actually refers to an intention to use force to acquire one's desires. Not to earn desirable goods by rational thought and action, production and voluntary exchange, but to go in there and forcibly take goods from those who can supply them, writes Ben O'Neill.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Colin Hussey.

Albert Jay Nock

Frank Chodorov — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 01:00:00 -0500

Nock was perhaps the finest stylist in 20th-century American literature, writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

The Road to Cultural Serfdom: America's First Television Czar

Paul A. Cantor — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Have you ever wondered why the "tiny ship" famously tossed in the opening credits of Gilligan's Island was named the SS Minnow?

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

The Austrian School in Brief

Eugen-Maria Schulak, Herbert Unterköfler — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The Austrian School of economics, also called the Viennese School of economics, was founded by Carl Menger in Vienna during the last third of the 19th century. Today, the tradition is larger and more vibrant than ever before, writes Eugen-Maria Schulak and Herbert Unterköfler.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Paul Strikwerda.

Hamilton's Curse

Art Carden — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

What DiLorenzo offers is not a biography of Hamilton but instead a critical examination of his ideas and a historical exploration of how they have shaped American history. DiLorenzo contrasts the statist, mercantilist, and nationalist philosophy of Hamilton with the strict constitutionalism of Jefferson, writes Art Carden.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Once-Temporary Tariff

F.W. Taussig — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

When the Civil War closed, the revenue acts that had been hastily passed during its course constituted a chaotic mass, writes F.W. Taussig.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Brad O'Connell.

The Scottish Enlightenment and Presbyterianism

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Hutcheson, Hume, and Smith, while scarcely orthodox Calvinists, were dedicated Presbyterians according to their own lights, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Alleged Unbroken Trend Toward Progress

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

What is called economic progress is the effect of an accumulation of capital goods exceeding the increase in population, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Government Paper Money

Murray N. Rothbard — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The world had never seen government paper money until the colonial government of Massachusetts, 1690, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Matthew Mezinskis.

Human Nature and the "Perfect" Society

Frank Chodorov — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Man the producer must have freedom, while man the predator puts limitations on freedom, writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Francis Hutcheson: Teacher of Adam Smith

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Hutcheson brought to Scottish philosophy a solid belief in natural rights and in the beneficence of nature, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Commodity Money in Colonial America

Murray N. Rothbard — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Gold and silver are international commodities, and, when not prohibited by government decree, foreign coins are perfectly capable of serving as standard moneys, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Matthew Mezinskis.

How Marshall Field Succeeded

Orison Swett Marden — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

This world-renowned merchant seeks no fame for his business achievements. Yet there is no story more full of encouragement and inspiration for youth, writes Orison Swett Marden.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

I Watch Westerns

Frank Chodorov — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The characters are rugged individuals — ingenious in their ability to fend for themselves, under all manner of adverse conditions — and asking for help from nobody, writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

QE2 and Egypt

Mark Thornton — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Higher food prices set off the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt and the mass protests in countries like Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, and Iran. People in these countries buy more unprocessed foods and spend a much higher percentage of their income on food, so they have been severely impoverished by Bernanke's QE2, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

How to Acquire Political Power: The Economics of Winning Elections

Mark Brandly — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Voters are faced with bundled choices, they vote infrequently, no individual's vote will affect the election, voters have little incentive to be highly informed about the candidates' policy positions, and the winning candidate is not obliged to deliver on his promises. Candidates who understand these simple facts will have an advantage over political opponents, writes Mark Brandly.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

The Healthcare Herring

Charlie Virgo — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Announcing that 50 million Americans are uninsured means nothing. It could be our government's involvement that has led to the current situation, writes Charlie Virgo. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Keith Hocker.

Daniel Bernoulli and the Founding of Mathematical Economics

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The use of mathematics necessarily leads the economist to distort reality by making the theory convenient for mathematical symbolism and manipulation. Mathematics takes over, and the reality of human action loses out, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

How Thomas Edison Succeeded

Orison Swett Marden — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The trouble lies in the fact that people do not have an object — one thing to which they stick, letting all else go. Success is the product of the severest kind of mental and physical application, writes Orison Swett Marden.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Brad O'Connell.

To Hell with Farming

An Ex-Farmer — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

God knows I had enough to do without sitting and listening to the city people tell me what an idyllic life I had and how they envied me. But I didn't notice any of them grabbing a hayfork and pitching in, writes An Ex-Farmer.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Brad O'Connell.

Physiocracy and Free Trade in 18th-Century France: Strategy and Influence

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

It is theoretically conceivable but scarcely likely that the ruling class will rush to embrace a philosophy and a political economy that will end their power and put them, in effect, out of business, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

A Soviet Foreign Policy: A Revisionist Perspective

Murray N. Rothbard — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

It is vital — indeed, it is literally a life-and-death matter — that Americans be able to look as coolly and clear-sightedly, as free from myth, at their government's record in foreign affairs as they increasingly are able to do in domestic politics, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

'Objective' Value and Cost of Production

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

It was the physiocrats who broke with centuries of sound economic reasoning and contributed to what would become, in the hands of Smith and Ricardo, a reactionary and obscurantist destruction of the correct analysis of value, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Why the Definition of Probability Matters

Mark R. Crovelli — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Human beings do not possess a mystical property of "probability" inside them; rather, they always act on their subjective beliefs and values. Probability in the human world is thus merely a measure of man's uncertainty about the subjective beliefs and values that influence the actions of other men, writes Mark R. Crovelli.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

The Chimera of a Perfect State of Mankind

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

It is man's nature to strive ceaselessly after the substitution of more satisfactory conditions for less satisfactory. This motive stimulates his mental energies and prompts him to act. Life in a perfect frame would reduce man to a purely vegetative existence, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Meet Crystal Meth

Mark Thornton — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Crystal meth is a horrible drug, but it is also a cheap date, the poor man's cocaine. During cocaine's heyday, meth was nearly extinct on the illegal market. Then came the war on cocaine, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Don't Buy Government Bonds

Frank Chodorov — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

When the state spends more money than it receives in taxes — a fact indelibly written into the bond — it is deliberately committing an act of bankruptcy. Is dishonesty transmuted into its opposite when committed by a legal entity, writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Classical Liberalism and the Single Tax on Land

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The famous physiocratic tenet that only land is productive must be considered bizarre and absurd. It is certainly a tremendous loss of insight compared to Cantillon, who identified land and labor as original productive factors, and entrepreneurs as the motors of the market economy, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Bigotry of the Literati

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

A superficial observer of present-day ideologies could easily fail to recognize the prevailing bigotry of the molders of public opinion and the machinations that render inaudible the voice of dissenters, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ted Whelan.

About Socialism and Socialists

Frank Chodorov — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

In every country the socialists have become office seekers, aiming to get hold of the reins of government by parliamentary methods, and for no other purpose than to enjoy the prerogatives and perquisites of office, writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ted Whelan.

With Or Without a God: Natural Law and Property Rights

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The 17th-century Dutch Protestant Hugo Grotius, deeply influenced by the late Spanish Scholastics, developed a theory of natural laws that he boldly declared was truly independent of the question of whether God had created them, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Economic Nationalism Is a Philosophy of War

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

It is certainly true that our age is full of conflicts which generate war. However, these conflicts do not spring from the operation of the unhampered market society. It is not capitalism that produces them but anticapitalistic policies, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Flooding the World with Truth

Douglas E. French — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

In our times, a major reason, and perhaps the major reason, for the phenomenal progress of the ideas of liberty is the work of the Mises Institute. This is the infrastructure that gives rise to and supports all the rest. We need your help, writes Doug French.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The New Deal and Prohibition

Albert Jay Nock — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Prohibition and the New Deal are alike in their professed intention. Both assumed the guise of disinterested benevolence towards the body politic. We are judged incapable of setting up an adequate social defense against vicious rum-sellers and malefactors of great wealth, writes Albert Jay Nock (1870–1945).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Donna Orlando.

The Egalitarian Program

Ludwig von Mises — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The envy-driven masses do not care a whit for what the demagogues call the "bourgeois" concern for freedom of conscience, of thought, of the press, for habeas corpus, trial by jury, and all the rest. They long for the earthly paradise that the socialist leaders promise them, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Physiocracy and Free Trade in 18th-Century France

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The first self-conscious school of economic thought developed in France shortly after the publication of Cantillon's Essai. They called themselves "the economists" but later came to be called the "physiocrats," after their prime politico-economical principle: physiocracy (the rule of nature), writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Richard Cantillon: The Founding Father of Modern Economics

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The honor of being called the "father of modern economics" belongs not to its usual recipient, Adam Smith, but to a gallicized Irish merchant, banker, and adventurer who wrote the first treatise on economics more than four decades before the publication of the Wealth of Nations, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Bureaucracy in Retreat

Jonathan M. Finegold Catalan — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Julian Assange, through WikiLeaks, has made available to society a vast collection of information that undermines the state's legitimacy. Assange cracked the government's veil of benignity and brought into question the state's tactics. His website undermines its moral authority, writes Jonathan M. Finegold Catalan.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Private Property

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Private ownership of the means of production is the fundamental institution of the market economy. It is the institution the presence of which characterizes the market economy as such. Where it is absent, there is no question of a market economy, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Lord Townshend on Trade and Morality

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Charles, the third Viscount Townshend (1700–1764), has been shamefully neglected by virtually all historians of economic thought. He is virtually unknown and is often confused with his son of the same name, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Role of Environment in History

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The environment determines the situation but not the response. To the same situation different modes of reacting are thinkable and feasible. Which one the actors choose depends on their individuality, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

John Law: Proto-Keynesian

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Like today's central bankers, John Law proposed to "supply the nation" with a sufficiency of money. The increased money was supposed to vivify trade and increase employment and production — the "employment" motif providing a nice proto-Keynesian touch, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Rationalization in Politics and Life

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

A man who is obliged to justify his handling of a matter in the eyes of other people often resorts to a pretext. As the motive of his deviation from the most suitable way of procedure he ascribes another reason than that which actually prompted him, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Prop. 19 Goes up in Smoke

Mark Thornton — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Plans are already in the works to put the initiative back on the ballot for 2012, which is expected to have higher turnout from young people. But in order for the ballot initiative to succeed, we must first understand why it failed, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The North Brothers: Building Economic Theory "From Principles Indisputably True"

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Weighing in on the side of John Locke, not only on interest rates but also in a general and comprehensive vision of economic laissez-faire that even surpassed Locke, were two brothers, Dudley and Roger North, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

History and Fiction

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

It is a hopeless task to interpret a symphony, a painting, or a novel. The interpreter at best tries to tell us something about his reaction to the work. He cannot tell us with certainty what the creator's meaning was or what other people may see in it, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

They're No Angels

Stephen Mauzy — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

If it were not for the police, lawlessness and chaos would rule; therefore, we owe our safety, our civilization, our very lives to the selflessness and dedication of the police; thus, police are our "heroes." So we were told, and so we believed, writes Stephen Mauzy.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

John Locke vs. the Mercantilists

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 01:00:00 -0500

John Locke, the Protestant Scholastic, was essentially in the hard-money, metallist, anti-inflationist tradition of the Scholastics; his opponents, on the other hand, helped set the tone for the inflationist schemers and projectors of the next century, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Collectivist Dogma

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The collectivist doctrines look upon the individual merely as a refractory rebel. This sinful wretch has the impudence to give preference to his petty selfish interests as against the sublime interests of the great god society, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Sir Josiah Child: False Friend of Freedom

Murray N. Rothbard — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0500

One of Josiah Child's main deviations from free-market and laissez-faire doctrine was to agitate for one of the favorite programs of the mercantilists — to push the legal maximum rate of interest ever lower. Formerly discredited "usury laws" were making a comeback on faulty economic rather than natural-law or theological grounds, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Real Reason for FDR's Popularity

Mark Thornton — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0500

What if a president took a different direction and sought popularity by expanding rather than reducing liberty? There is a model here they could follow, but it is not one you have thought of. It is Franklin D. Roosevelt, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Liberty and Property: the Levellers and Locke

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0500

There is no clash between Locke's libertarian concerns and devotion to "classical virtue." Devotees of liberty, property, and free markets have generally been moralists as well as adherents of a free-market economy, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Positivism and Behaviorism

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The most obtrusive champion of the neopositivist program concerning the sciences of human action was Otto Neurath, who, in 1919, was one of the outstanding leaders of the short-lived Soviet regime of Munich and later cooperated briefly in Moscow with the bureaucracy of the Bolsheviks, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

The Brilliance of Turgot

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0500

If we were to award a prize for "brilliancy" in the history of economic thought, it would surely go to Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, the baron de l'Aulne (1727–1781). His career in economics was brief but brilliant and in every way remarkable, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Historicist Relativism

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The technique of the historicists' indictment of capitalism is simple indeed. They take all its achievements for granted but blame it for the disappearance of some enjoyments that are incompatible with it and for some imperfections that still may disfigure its products, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Sir William Petty and 'Political Arithmetic'

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The leading Baconian in political economy, who was also, fittingly, a pioneer in statistics and in the alleged science of "political arithmetic," was the fascinating opportunist and adventurer Sir William Petty (1623–1687), writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Rejection of Economics

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Modern economics traces all human actions back to the value judgments of individuals. It never was so foolish, as Myrdal charges, as to believe that all that people are after is higher incomes and lower prices, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Prophet of "Empiricism": Sir Francis Bacon

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The status and reputation of Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626) is one of the great puzzles in the history of social thought. What had he actually accomplished to warrant all the accolades? Essentially, he was the metaempiricist, the head coach and cheerleader of fact grubbing, exhorting other people to gather all the facts, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Chimera of the Group Mind

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0500

In their eagerness to eliminate from history any reference to individuals and individual events, collectivist authors resorted to a chimerical construction, the group mind or social mind, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

The East India Company and Its 17th-Century Defenders

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Thomas Mun set forth what would become the standard mercantilist line. He pointed out that there was nothing particularly evil about the East India Company trade. The company imported valuable drugs, spices, dyes, and cloth from the Indies, and it re-exported most of these products to other countries, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Harmony of the “Rightly Understood” Interests

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Nature does not generate peace and good will. The characteristic mark of the "state of nature" is irreconcilable conflict. Each specimen is the rival of all other specimens. The means of subsistence are scarce and do not grant survival to all, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Ultimate Source of Profit and Loss on the Market

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0500

For hundreds of years, politicians (like a certain current US president) have pushed the idea that one man's profit is another man's loss. The job of the state is to even the score. Mises explains that the whole assumption is wrong at its very core.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Sir Thomas Smith: Mercantilist for Sound Money

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Rothbard shows that Gresham's law was introduced not by Sir Thomas Gresham but by the "arrogant, boorish, and feisty" Sir Thomas Smith the Elder (1513–1577), a bitter critic of debasement who was exiled from the court in 1549. He fought back with a book.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Critics of Marxism

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0500

It seems now that almost everyone, from journalists to academics to clergy, relies unthinkingly on Marxian doctrines. Their deterministic ideas seem impervious to any argument. Of course, they've never read Ludwig von Mises.

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Introduction to 'Strictly Confidential'

David Gordon — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Rothbard's vast published output does not exhaust his thinking and writing. To the contrary, a large number of important items have never been published. Many of these are reports he wrote for the William Volker Fund, writes David Gordon.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

The Limits of Property Rights and the Problems of External Costs and External Economies

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Carried through consistently, the right of property would entitle the proprietor to all the advantages that the good's employment may generate — and all the disadvantages resulting from its employment, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Tudor and Stuart Absolutism

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

English justifications of absolutism stressed time and again that the subjects must obey the king in any and all circumstances, whether or not the king or his actions were good or evil, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Ideas and Interests

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

There is no such thing as interests independent of ideas, preceding them temporally and logically. What a man considers his interest is the result of his ideas, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Impassioned, Funny, Learned, Brilliant, Unfoolable, Relentless

Brian Doherty — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

These documents are a joyful alternative career of Rothbard's writings and research, and as such inherently one of the most valuable (and most fun) intellectual resources of the past century, writes Brian Doherty.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Market Data: Power, War, and Man

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Critics condemn economic theory for disregarding the role that power plays in real life. Real man, they say, is not free to choose and to act: it is not his value judgments but the forces of power that determine market phenomena. These objections are no less spurious than all other statements of the critics of economics, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Conflict of Ideologies: Marxism vs. the Majority

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Marx and Engels, two men of unquestionable bourgeois background, hatched the class ideology of the proletarian class. They believed their adversaries could only be either bourgeois idiots or proletarian traitors, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Wage Rates as Affected by the Vicissitudes of the Market

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

It is good luck for the laborer if market conditions are such that a kind of work he is able to perform is lavishly remunerated; it is chance, not personal merit, if his innate talents are highly appreciated by his fellow men, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Fleury, Fénélon, and the Burgundy Circle

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Men of influential and privileged status are rarely inclined to toss all their privileges aside to engage in the lonely and dangerous task of working outside the inherited political system, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Ideological Impregnation of Thought

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

To conceal the fact that Marx invented his concept of ideology expressly to discredit the economists, he elevated it to the dignity of a general epistemological law, valid for all ages and for all branches of knowledge, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

Remarks About the Popular Interpretation of the "Industrial Revolution"

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Indeed, deplorable conditions existed, but one must not blame the factory owners, who did all they could to eradicate them. These evils were caused by the economic order of the precapitalistic era — the "good old days", writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Belesbat, Boisguilbert, and the Natural Order of the Free Market

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Free trade and free markets, through the harmony of reciprocal benefits, advance the interest and happiness of all by each seeking his own personal utility and self-interest, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Class Struggle

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

This socialist or communist doctrine of "class struggle" fails entirely to take into account the essential difference between the conditions of a status or caste society and those of a capitalistic society, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily, excerpted from the audiobook version, is narrated by John Pruden.

ACTA: The War on Progress, Freedom, and Human Civilization

Gennady Stolyarov II — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) contravenes every principle of civilized society, both in its content and in the nature of the proceedings leading to its creation, writes Gennady Stolyarov II.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The History of Capitalism

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The truth is that capitalism has poured a horn of plenty upon the masses of wage earners, who frequently did all they could to sabotage the adoption of those innovations that render their life more agreeable, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Rising Opposition to Collectivism by Merchants and Nobles

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

When Jean-Baptiste Colbert died on September 6, 1683, there was celebration throughout France. In fact, only the soldiery prevented the populace from joyfully dragging Colbert's body through the streets, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Defending the Blackmailer

Walter Block — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

If the blackmail offer is rejected, the blackmailer may exercise his rights of free speech and publicize the secret. There is nothing amiss here. All that is happening is that an offer to maintain silence is being made. If the offer is rejected, the blackmailer does no more than exercise his right of free speech, writes Walter Block.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach‎.

Wages and Subsistence

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The horror of starvation no longer terrifies men living in a capitalist society. He who is able to work earns much more than is needed for bare sustenance, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Peasants, Rise Up! The Croquants of the 17th Century

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The rebels' overriding grievance was against the tax farmers and tax officials: "It is they who have forced [the peasants] to take up arms, changing their ploughshares for swords, in order to ask Your Majesty for justice or else to die like men."

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Our Miracle of Pentecost

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

For the first time in the history of the world, I'm able to communicate with anyone in the world instantly, regardless of language. The great barrier of all of human history has been overcome, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Gross Wage Rates and Net Wage Rates

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

In deciding to hire a worker, the employer does not ask himself what the worker gets as take-home wages. The only relevant question for him is, What is the total price I have to expend to secure the services of this worker?

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Louis XIV: Apogee of Absolutism

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

According to Louis XIV, a king is superhuman, a man who is above all and sees all and is the only one working for the "public" good, which is identical with his own, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Defending the Litterer

Walter Block — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

There is one small, seemingly insignificant detail that destroys the case against litter and the litterer. Litter can only take place in the public domain — never in the private domain, writes Walter Block.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Introduction to 'Theory and History'

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Man chooses ultimate ends first and then the means to attain them. These acts of choosing are determined by thoughts about which the natural sciences do not know how to give us any information, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by John Pruden.

Catallactic Unemployment

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

In a free market, an unemployed man has always chosen unemployment over working in a place, at a time, in a way, or for a wage that he dislikes, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert and Louis XIV

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

What manner of man was this, then, this grand bureaucrat who scorned the interests of mere individuals and merchants as petty and narrow, who presumed always to speak and act for the "national" and even "public" interest, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Ten Economic Blunders from History

John S. Chamberlain — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Take cover when you hear a political leader talking about economic affairs. You can bet a bad decision is incoming. Every so often the great ones manage to land a real whopper that takes them down along with their whole country. Here are ten examples from history. This audio version of the Mises Daily is narrated by Brad Sandelin.

John S. Chamberlain lives in Natick, Massachusetts, and works as a software engineer specializing in earth science and artificial intelligence. He has an A.B. in politics from Princeton University and an M.S. in computer science from Northeastern University.

Defending the Gypsy Cab Driver

Walter Block — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

A proper solution to the taxicab crisis is not to co-opt the movement of gypsy cab drivers by the offer to take them into the system, but rather to destroy the system of restrictive cab licenses, writes Walter Block.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Gathering Data while Washington Burns

Mark R. Crovelli — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

It should come as a monumental embarrassment to future social scientists to observe that their mainstream predecessors were worse than useless for predicting and remedying the disaster, writes Mark R. Crovelli.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Work for Free

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The job applications pour in by the buckets, all padded with degrees and made to look as impressive as possible. It's all just paper. But experience and reputation are gold, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

The Anti-Educational Effects of Public Schools

Gennady Stolyarov II — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

With so many state governments' budgets now under severe strain, there are serious discussions about how to cut state funding to public education. Hopefully, the schools themselves will become only a memory of a less-enlightened past, writes Gennady Stolyarov II.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The Fallacies of Nonmonetary Explanations of the Trade Cycle

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

A satisfactory explanation of business fluctuations must not be built upon the fact that individual firms make bad investments. Trade-cycle theory must explain the general upswing of business activities and the following general depression, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Under the Rule of the Cardinals, 1624–1661

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal de Richelieu (1585–1642), considered the mass of Frenchmen simply as animals to be prodded or coerced in ways that were optimal for the French state, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Defending the Slumlord

Walter Block — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The owner of ghetto housing differs little from any other purveyor of low-cost merchandise, writes Walter Block.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Role Played by Unemployed Factors of Production in the First Stages of the Boom

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The beginning of a new credit expansion runs across remainders of preceding malinvestment and malemployment, not yet obliterated in the course of the readjustment process, and seemingly remedies the faults involved. In fact, however, this is merely an interruption, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Grandiose Failure of François du Noyer

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

If monopoly companies for specific products or specific areas of trade were good, reasoned François du Noyer, sieur de Saint-Martin, why not go one better? Why not one big company, one gigantic monopoly for virtually everything?

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Defending the Rate Buster

Walter Block — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

There is as much work to be done as there are unfulfilled desires. Therefore, no matter how much work the rate buster completes, he cannot possibly exhaust or even make an appreciable dent in the amount of work to be done, writes Walter Block.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Market Economy as Affected by the Recurrence of the Trade Cycle

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

People rebel against the insight that the malinvestment and overconsumption of the boom period are the cause of the bust. They refuse to believe that such an artificially induced boom is doomed. They are looking for the philosophers' stone to make it last, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Barthélemy de Laffemas: The First Major French Mercantilist

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Barthélemy de Laffemas comes to our attention because of the dozens of execrable pamphlets he wrote on behalf of the mercantile system that he was helping to put into place in France, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Living Outside the Statist Quo

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The state makes a mess of everything it touches. Examples from the book include how and why the "hot" water in our homes became lukewarm and what can be done about it, and how traffic laws became a racket for extracting wealth from the population, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Our Greatest Presidents?

Ralph Raico — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

In the 1940s and early '50s, a school of establishment historians existed who made it their business to extol the virtues of the "Great Presidents." This was a childishly transparent attempt to turn a bit of left-liberal politicking into the verdict of history, writes Ralph Raico.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

The Monetary or Circulation-Credit Theory of the Trade Cycle

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The British Currency School did not criticize the multifarious projects to lower or abolish interest by means of a banking reform. They tacitly ratified the naïve presumption of money's neutrality, and many decades passed before the spell was broken, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Building the Ruling Elite

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The system of mercantilism needed no high-flown "theory" to get launched. It came naturally to the ruling castes of the burgeoning nation-states. Theory came later — to sell to the deluded masses, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Defending the Speculator

Walter Block — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The truth of the matter is that, far from causing starvation and famines, it is the speculator who prevents them. And far from safeguarding the lives of the people, it is the dictator who must bear the prime responsibility for causing the famine in the first place, writes Walter Block.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Credit Expansion vs. Simple Inflation

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

There are instances in which the methods of genuine credit expansion are used for an utterly different purpose: to allow the government to take advantage of the facilities of banking as a substitute for issuing fiat money, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Mercantilism and Inflation

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

In the early 1700s, France turned on the taps of paper-money inflation. At the same time, England turned instead to a more subtle device for accomplishing the same inflationary objective: the creation of a new institution in history — a central bank, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Murray Rothbard at His Semicentennial

Ralph Raico — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Rothbard was a man of great achievement and immense scholarship, an indefatigable worker, and the most significant anarchist writer then living — indeed the most significant name in the whole noble history of individualist anarchism, writes Ralph Raico.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Prosperity vs. Peace

Michael A. Heilperin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Collectivism and interventionism emphasize the importance of national boundaries. Indeed, they make territorial expansion once more worthwhile because, within the wider area, there are more resources and a greater scope for planning, writes Michael A. Heilperin.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Alleged Absence of Depressions Under Totalitarianism

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 28 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

If the dictator invests more and thus curtails the means available for current consumption, the people must eat less and hold their tongues. No crisis emerges, because the subjects have no opportunity to utter their dissatisfaction, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Mercantilism in England

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 27 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Seeing the rise of effective new competition, the older artisans and manufacturers turned to the state apparatus to try to shackle the efficient upstarts. But again and again, the market managed to get a leg up in its unending, zigzag struggle with power, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

A Society of Mutual Benefactors

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Wed, 26 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Anyone who champions the well-being of society should especially celebrate commercial centers, stock markets, international trade, and every sector in which money changes hands in exchange for assets, goods, and services, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Malinvestment, Not Overinvestment, Causes Booms

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 21 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The whole entrepreneurial class is in the position of a master builder whose task it is to erect a building out of a limited supply of building materials. Our master builder's fault cannot be overinvestment, but only an inappropriate employment of the means at his disposal, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Murray N. Rothbard — Fri, 21 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

France's absolutism and strictly enforced mercantilism put it out of the running as a leading nation in industrial or economic growth, despite that its early industrial development had seemed promising and that its population was six times that of England, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The New Bureaucratic Man

Jim Fedako — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The supporters of socialized healthcare dream that everything will remain the same, except that someone else will pay the bill. But man changes by degree as liberty is lost, writes Jim Fedako.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Role of Interest in Entrepreneurial Calculations

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The drop in interest rates makes unrealizable projects appear profitable and realizable. Entrepreneurs embark upon the execution of such projects. Business activities are stimulated. A boom begins, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Mercantilism in Spain

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 13 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

When the influx of silver and gold from the Spanish colonies in the New World dried up, little or nothing remained. But that was not all. Royal action also managed to destroy several flourishing sectors of the Spanish economy, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Education Bubble

B. T. Donleavy — Wed, 12 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The average range of tuition inflation is normally 8% annually, and prices have not fallen or stabilized once since 1977, regardless of economic climate. This symptom may be attributed to cheap and accessible money, writes B. T. Donleavy.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Thank Goodness for Capitalism

Jonathan M. Finegold Catalan — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

There are thousands of people around the world wishing to live in the average American household, where bread is just a fraction of one's income instead of the day's main objective. What is it about the First World that allows its citizens such luxury, writes Jonathan M. Finegold Catalan.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

The Nature of Interest

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 07 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Men are always forced to choose between satisfaction in nearer and remoter periods of the future. We cannot even think of a world in which originary interest would not exist as an element in every action, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Mercantilism as the Economic Aspect of Absolutism

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 06 May 2010 01:00:00 -0500

As the economic aspect of state absolutism, mercantilism was of necessity a system of state-building, of big government, of heavy royal expenditure, of high taxes, of (especially after the late 17th century) inflation and deficit finance, of war, imperialism, and the aggrandizing of the nation-state, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Jean Bodin: Apex of Absolutist Thought in France

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:00:00 -0500

While Montaigne paved the way for the dominance of absolutist thought in France, surely the founder or at least the locus classicus of 16th-century French absolutism was Jean Bodin (1530–96), writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Zamyatin Foresaw Totalitarianism and the Politics of Sex

Floy Lilley — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:00:00 -0500

We, this satirical and heretical dystopian futurist book, ends by resolving whether or not the protagonist can find penultimate happiness in the cocoon of the One State even as his lover faces execution.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The Skeptic as Absolutist: Michel de Montaigne

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:00:00 -0500

It is a favorite conceit of modern, 20th-century liberals that skepticism, the attitude that nothing can really be known as the truth, is the best groundwork for individual liberty, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Are We a Self-Hating Commercial Society?

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:00:00 -0500

In a few short hours, I was assaulted ten times with the demand that I display social consciousness. Can we all please cut the sham and go back to plain old buying and selling? Why blur the distinction between the commerce and charity?

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Giovanni Botero: The First Malthusian

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The overall view of Botero is that the morality and justification for actions of the prince are diametrically opposed to the principles that must guide the ordinary citizen, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Who Was Niccolò Machiavelli?

Murray N. Rothbard — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Machiavelli was reviled throughout Europe during the 16th century and on into the next two centuries. He was considered to be a conscious preacher of evil, a diabolic figure who had unleashed the demons in the world of politics, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Some Applications of the Time-Preference Theory

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Even Marx did not contest the fact that private initiative and private ownership of the means of production were indispensable stages in the progress from primitive man's penury to the more satisfactory conditions of the 19th century, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Absolutist Thought in Italy

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:00:00 -0500

By the 12th century, the Italian city-states had evolved a new form of government, new at least since ancient Greece. The Italian city-states became republics, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Civil War in America

Lord Acton — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

It is remarkable that the Constitution was little trusted or admired by the wisest and most illustrious of its founders, and that its severest and most desponding critics were those whom Americans revere as the fathers of their country, writes Lord Acton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The West's Available Capital Goods

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Economics is about human choice and action. The praxeological concept of time is not the concept of physics or biology. It refers to the sooner or the later as operative in the actors' judgments of value, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Religious Radicalism and Absolutist Moderation in 16th-Century France

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Calvin's embattled followers, enjoying rising aspirations against non-Calvinist rulers, developed justifications for resistance to evil rulers. These were first set forth in the 1550s by the English "Marian exiles" in Switzerland and Germany, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Federal Reserve as a Confidence Game: What They Were Saying in 2007

Mark Thornton — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Printing up money and lowering the value of all dollar-denominated assets while simultaneously benefiting political friends and accomplices is surely a fraud that could be classified as a confidence game, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

International Monetary Cooperation

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The international gold standard works without any action on the part of governments. It is effective, real cooperation of all members of the world-embracing market economy. There is no need for any government to interfere, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

George Buchanan: Radical Calvinist

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Over two decades before the Spanish Jesuit de Mariana, George Buchanan arrived, for the first time, at a truly individualist theory of natural rights and sovereignty — and therefore a justification for individual acts of tyrannicide, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The American Revolution

Lord Acton — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

The motive was empire on one side and self-government on the other. It was a question between liberty and authority, between government by consent and government by force, writes Lord Acton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Stimulus Scam

Antony P. Mueller — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Fake booms and their consequent busts are directly linked to financial cycles, which in turn reflect the swings in money creation. Fiat money lies at the heart of this process, writes Antony P. Mueller.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Steven Ng.

Copernicus and the Quantity Theory of Money

Murray N. Rothbard — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Copernicus became the first person to set forth clearly the "quantity theory of money," the theory that prices vary directly with the supply of money in the society. He did so 30 years before Azpilcueta Navarrus, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Gold Standard

Ludwig von Mises — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The attempts to create a double standard of gold and silver failed lamentably. It was this failure that generated the gold standard — a manifestation of a crushing defeat of the governments and their cherished doctrines, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Inflationist View of History

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

With an inflationary or deflationary policy, a government does not promote the public welfare, the commonweal, or the interests of the whole nation. It merely favors one or several groups of the population at the expense of other groups, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Salmasius: High-Water Mark of Early-Modern Interest Theory

Murray N. Rothbard — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Salmasius pointed out that moneylending was a business like any other, and thereby entitled to charge a market price. Competition lowers the price. If one doesn't like high interest rates, the more usurers the better, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Bimetallic Nightmare

Garet Garrett — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Congress decreed that gold and silver dollars should be interchangeable and put upon the Treasury a mandate to keep them equal in value. How? By what magic? Why, by the magic of a phrase, writes Garet Garrett (1878–1954).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Economics of Calvin and Calvinism

Murray N. Rothbard — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

John Calvin's main contribution to the usury question was in having the courage to dump the prohibition altogether. He had only contempt for the Aristotelian argument that money is sterile, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Government Against Capitalists

Ludwig von Mises — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The governments of almost all countries are engaged in a campaign against the capitalists. They are intent upon expropriating them by means of taxation and monetary measures, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Gold and Bank Secrecy

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The gold standard is not a game but a social institution. Its working does not depend on the preparedness of any people to observe some arbitrary rules. It is controlled by the operation of inexorable economic law, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Roosevelt Myth

Garet Garrett — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

From backstage, the New Deal was an incredible confusion, unable, as Mr. Flynn thinks, to make sense even to itself; and the man least competent to make sense of it was the president, writes Garet Garrett (1878–1954).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Omnipotent Government

Hans F. Sennholz — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Mises illustrates his case with a review of the fall of Germany, from the collapse of classical liberalism to the rise of nationalism and socialism. But Germany merely constitutes an early example of the things to come, writes Hans F. Sennholz (1922–2007).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Writers Can Prosper Without Intellectual Property

Gennady Stolyarov II — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

If composers could set still-unmatched records of productivity without copyrights while earning a living, writers could do this in an environment that did not give them the hope of forever subsisting off past accomplishments, writes Gennady Stolyarov II.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

What Price a Planned Economy?

Friedrich A. Hayek — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

We are witnessing a great tragedy: more and more people being driven by indignation about the suppression of political and intellectual freedom joining the forces which make its ultimate suppression inevitable, writes Friedrich A. Hayek (1899–1992).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Gennady Stolyarov II.

Free Banking and Contract Law

Ludwig von Mises — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Those Americans who twice succeeded in doing away with a central bank were aware of the dangers; but they failed to see that the evils they fought were present in every kind of government interference with banking, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Does the State Protect Us?

Frank Chodorov — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

When the enemy is at the gates, the individual abdicates his self-reliance and places himself unreservedly under the direction of the captain; he gives up his freedom in order to attain freedom. Or so he thinks, writes Frank Chodorov (1887–1966).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Origins of Money

Carl Menger, Douglas E. French — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Carl Menger, from his classic treatise, on the origins of the means of payment.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Libertarianism in Ancient China

Murray N. Rothbard — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

To the individualist Lao Tzu, government, with its "laws and regulations more numerous than the hairs of an ox," was a vicious oppressor of the individual, and "more to be feared than fierce tigers."

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

'Atlas Shrugged' at Fifty

Barbara Branden — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

I think of Ayn's happiness and expectation, I think of the pain and bitter disillusion that scarred the rest of her life — and something inside me twists in pain for her, and tears stand in my eyes, writes Barbara Branden.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Money Substitutes

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

A money-substitute can be embodied either in a banknote or in a demand deposit with a bank subject to check ("checkbook money" or deposit currency), provided the bank is prepared to exchange the note or the deposit daily free of charge against money proper, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Sustainability: An Assault on Economics

Tyler A. Watts — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Ah, the greens. They're not just treehuggers anymore. They've been browbeating us to recycle, eat soy, save energy, drive less, ride the bus, and a thousand other ways to "act local" for many years now, writes Tyler A. Watts.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Gennady Stolyarov II.

Should the State Support the Arts?

Claude Frédéric Bastiat — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

When we disapprove of government support, we are supposed to disapprove of the thing itself whose support is discussed. Actually we desire to see those activities seeking their own reward, writes Frédéric Bastiat (1801–1850).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Gennady Stolyarov II.

Aristotle on Private Property and Money

Murray N. Rothbard — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Although Aristotle, in the Greek tradition, scorned moneymaking and was scarcely a partisan of laissez-faire, he set forth a trenchant argument in favor of private property and delivered a cogent attack on communism, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Compulsory Social Insurance

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Being ill is not a phenomenon independent of conscious will and of psychic forces working in the subconscious. A man's efficiency is not merely the result of his physical condition; it depends largely on his mind and will, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Specific Value of Money

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

The task of the theory of money consists merely in dealing with that component in the valuation of money which is conditioned by its function as a medium of exchange, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Notion of Neutral Money

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

The notion of a neutral money is no less contradictory than that of a money of stable purchasing power. Money without a driving force of its own would not, as people assume, be a perfect money; it would not be money at all, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

The Determination of the Purchasing Power of Money

Ludwig von Mises — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The demand for a medium of exchange is the composite of two partial demands: the intention to use it in consumption and production and the intention to use it as a medium of exchange, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Freedom Is Slavery

Ludwig von Mises — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:00:00 -0500

There prevails in the writings of many contemporary authors the disposition to represent every extension of governmental power and every restriction of the individual's discretion as a step forward on the road to liberty, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilly.

Demand for Money and Supply of Money

Ludwig von Mises — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Money is the thing which serves as the generally accepted and commonly used medium of exchange. All the other functions which people ascribe to money are merely particular aspects of its primary and sole function, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.

Conceived in Liberty

William Henry Chamberlin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the American Revolution there is no demagogic attempt to set human rights against property rights. It is recognized that the right to acquire and own property is a basic and very important human right, writes William Henry Chamberlin.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Freedom Is Indivisible

Bruce Winton Knight — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Now that our country is expected to be the foremost champion of the "free world" (for how long and at what cost nobody knows), it has become more important than ever for Americans to think clearly about American freedom, writes Bruce Winton Knight.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Our Enemy, the State

Albert Jay Nock — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0500

If we look beneath the surface of our public affairs, we can discern one fundamental fact, namely, a great redistribution of power between society and the State. This is the fact that interests the student of civilization, writes Albert Jay Nock (1870–1945).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

A Four-Step Healthcare Solution

Hans-Hermann Hoppe — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0500

It's true that the US health-care system is a mess, but this demonstrates not market but government failure. To cure the problem requires not different or more government regulations and bureaucracies, writes Hans-Hermann Hoppe.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Essence of Freedom

Robert Montgomery — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The pleaders for statism insist that while all-powerful government might be inherently bad under a despot or dictator, it can be a perfectly wholesome thing under democratic auspices with the principle of majority rule, writes Robert Montgomery.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The 19th-Century Bernanke

Dan Sanchez — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Nicholas Biddle was the president of the American central bank that preceded the Fed. When his bureaucratic cradle was rocked, he quickly morphed into a Machiavellian monster, writes Dan Sanchez.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Does Government Spending Bring Prosperity?

Percy L. Greaves, Jr. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:00:00 -0500

If the government reduces both taxes and spending, it will leave more money in private hands. This money then can, and will, employ more people at higher real wages to make more of what people want most writes Percy L. Greaves, Jr. (1906–1984).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Economic Comeback of Germany

Hans F. Sennholz — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The "miracle" of Germany's revival was not the result of a conscious rejection of socialism, but was rather an accident of political and social conditions. Germans meant by freedom the freedom to impose their own controls, writes Hans F. Sennholz (1922–2007).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Welfare State: Promising Protection in an Age of Anxiety

Robert Higgs — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Our ancestors relied on themselves; we rely on the welfare state. But the "safety net" that governments have stretched beneath us seems more and more to be a spider's web, writes Robert Higgs.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

It Started with Plato

S. Harcourt-Rivington — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Plato was the first of the "planners" and the true founder of socialism. In his Republic the Athenian philosopher set out a blueprint for the evolution of what has come to be called the "Welfare State", writes S. Harcourt-Rivington.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Rereading Our Enemy, the State

Cecil Palmer — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:00:00 -0500

It has in common with the classics all those qualities of clear thinking, objective presentation and lucid exposition which distinguish the wise philosopher from the merely intellectual pamphleteer, writes Cecil Palmer.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

When Stimulus Does Not Stimulate

Shawn Ritenour — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Obama's stimulus plan is equivalent to a giant welfare scheme. Instead of the money going to lower income Americans, however, it is meant to go to municipal bureaucrats of various stripes. Instead of productive American citizens determining what to do with their own scarce resources, the state is stepping in and dictating how they will be used. Consequently, such spending is essentially government consumption, which is what vulgar Keynesians think we need now more than ever, writes Sharn Ritenour.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Auditing the Fed will Audit the State

George Ford Smith — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The Fed is a racket at heart, a con game writ large — what else can you call an organization with the exclusive privilege of printing money in the trillions and handing it over to friends? But if this is true, what does that say about the state, the organization that created and sanctions it? Is the Fed an honest mistake in the state's otherwise undying efforts to preserve our liberty, or might it be a key component of a bigger racket, writes George F. Smith.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Inflation: What You See and What You Don't See

Thorsten Polleit — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500

People are being told by governments, central bankers, and leading mainstream economists that money-base expansion is not inflationary — because the money would remain in the portfolios of banks and would not spill over into the hands of firms and private households. This is, to put it mildly, an uninformed view. Let us start right from the beginning, writes Thorsten Polleit.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Costs of Carbon Legislation

Robert P. Murphy — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The real threat to humanity comes from governments growing ever more powerful in the name of fighting climate change. Whether you are a "denier" or whether you think carbon dioxide emissions need to be sharply reduced very quickly, you should be extremely skeptical of the process now unfolding in Washington. This isn't about saving the planet; it's about money and power, writes Robert P. Murphy.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Government: The Cause of—and Solution to—All Our Problems

Thomas E. Woods, Jr. — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Sometimes I wish our overlords would get their stories straight. First, Alan Greenspan told us it was impossible to tell if a bubble existed at any given time. Now we have Barack Obama insisting that not only can we detect bubbles, but we can also deflate them with sufficient dispatch to prevent them from causing any serious economic disturbances, writes Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The Upside-down World of John Maynard Keynes

Mark Thornton — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

John Maynard Keynes often employed flowery language like "animal spirits" and "liquidity trap" to describe things he did not understand. He was, after all, more of a bureaucrat than an economist. In fact, he would best be described as an anti-economist because he eschewed things like supply and demand and held the opinion that government could run the economy, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The Hayek-Keynes Debate, 1931-1971

Sudha R. Shenoy — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

If the current level of output and employment is made to depend on inflation, a slowing down in the pace of inflation will produce recessionary symptoms. Moreover, as the economy becomes adjusted to a particular rate of inflation, the rate must itself be continuously increased if symptoms of a depression are to be avoided: to inflate is to have "a tiger by the tail", writes Sudha R. Shenoy (1943-2008).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Liley.

The Case Against "Smart Taxes" on Carbon

D.W. MacKenzie — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Today is Earth day, and a week ago we "celebrated" tax day. It is fitting, in a sense, that Earth Day and Tax Day are only one week apart. Those who blame global warming on human activity see taxation as an effective and desirable means of preventing environmental global catastrophe. In a recent publication, former Bush advisor Greg Mankiw has extended an "open invitation to join the Pigou club" by embracing the idea of regulating greenhouse gases with corrective taxes, writes D.W. MacKenzie.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Introducing A Tiger By the Tail

Joseph T. Salerno — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

It is perhaps the finest introduction to the thought of a major thinker ever published in the discipline of economics. What makes it unique is the fact that it comprises selections and short excerpts from a broad range of Hayek's works written over a span of forty years. Despite its broad coverage, the book is amazingly compact and coherent, seamlessly integrating the main themes from Hayek's writings on money, capital, business cycles, and international monetary systems, writes Joseph T. Salerno on A Tiger by the Tail.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

There Will Be Hyper(Inflation)

Thorsten Polleit — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The German hyperinflation was the result of a policy that considered the financing of government debt by an accelerating increase in the money stock as the politically least unfavorable method. It seems that the state of opinion hasn't actually changed much. Today, there is great public support when it comes to expanding the base-money stock for financing ailing banks, insurance companies and, most important, rising government debt, writes Thorsten Polleit.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Trends Can Change

Ludwig von Mises — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Study of the past, it is assumed, discloses the shape of things to come. Any attempt to reverse or even to stop a trend is doomed to failure. Man must submit to the irresistible power of historical destiny. This doctrine is devoid of any logical or experimental verification. Historical trends do not necessarily go on forever, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Open Letter from One Non-Economist to Another

Matthew J. Novak — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Through your commentary, you provide intellectual cover for a system and structure of power that does not deserve your support. Would you consider that the truth may be vastly different from what you have come to accept as fact? Government's role in regulating this system of human interactions has grown to enormous proportions. Because of this, we have had a system operating in America for some time now that cannot even remotely be described as free-market capitalism, writes Matthew J. Novak.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Works of Leonard E. Read

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The works of Leonard E. Read, who founded the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in 1946, are now online at the Mises Institute. It is probably not the complete collected works, but it is all that he collected in book form. These are books that shaped several generations of activists, donors, writers, and intellectuals. They are the books that kick-started the libertarian movement after World War II, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Miraculous Market

Leonard E. Read — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Think of it! The finest orchestrations ever known to man, the most beautiful music any individual on earth has heard — all mine, and done for me privately when I want it, and where I want it, and for no more than the flick of a switch. Staggering! Yet I, like most Americans, take it for granted. We absorb the enjoyment and let it go at that; we drink of the cup without gratitude, as if the gift were automatically our due, writes Leonard E. Read.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Political Chances of Genuine Liberalism

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The main error of widespread pessimism is the belief that the destructionist ideas and policies of our age sprang from the proletarians and are a "revolt of the masses." In fact, the masses — precisely because they are not creative and do not develop philosophies of their own — follow the leaders. The ideologies which produced all the mischief and catastrophes of our century are not an achievement of the mob. They are the feat of pseudoscholars and pseudointellectuals, writes Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Stimulus, Savings, and Stocks

Mark A. Pribonic — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0600

As the president signs the trillion-dollar stimulus package into law, financial networks are abuzz with investment pundits speculating on what companies will benefit, and thus what stocks should be purchased. Such analysis makes an error of causality commonly found in equities research. It assumes a direct correlation between business activity and stock prices, writes Mark A. Pribonic.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Why Socialism is Popular With Voters, Despite Their Intellectual Distaste for It

Tim Kern — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0600

I've always been perplexed by the dichotomy that often divides people's avowed beliefs and their actions. It may be hard to accept the moral and economic evils of socialism, in the abstract, but it's also hard to vote against it. It turns out to be fairly easy, however (if potentially dangerous), to give an example of its insidiousness, writes Tim Kern.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Red Hot Lies: How Global Warming Alarmists Use Threats, Fraud, and Deception to Keep You Misinformed

David Gordon — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

This audio version of the Mises.org Daily Article was read by Dr. Floy Lilley.

David Gordon covers new books in economics, politics, philosophy, and law for 'The Mises Review', the quarterly review of literature in the social sciences, published since 1995 by the Mises Institute.

The Case for Natural Money

George Ford Smith — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Studying Jörg Guido Hülsmann's latest book, The Ethics of Money Production, is a vastly enriching experience. After building his case for natural money on the inviolability of an individual's right to his own property, he then shows us how the state has spent the last 400 years usurping this right for the benefit of a privileged few through its protection of fractional-reserve banking, writes George F. Smith.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Jaguar Inflation

Robert R. Prechter, Jr. — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

I am tired of hearing economists argue that government and the Fed should expand credit for the good of the economy. Sometimes an analogy clarifies a subject, so let's try one. It may sound crazy, but suppose the government were to decide that the health of the nation depends upon producing Jaguar automobiles and providing them to as many people as possible, writes Robert R. Prechter, Jr.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Tax-Cutting Keynesians

Robert P. Murphy — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

In their zeal to oppose the lunacy of the so-called "stimulus" plan, many radio talk show hosts and other pundits have fallen into the Keynesian trap. Rather than the politicians spending nearly a trillion dollars, they argue, it would provide much more stimulus if the government gave massive tax cuts. Although the instincts behind such arguments are sound, they often betray an underlying Keynesian mindset, writes Robert P. Murphy.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Dangers of Disputing Warming Orthodoxy

David Gordon — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Unfortunately, we cannot remain neutral while the experts battle. The global-warming advocates support drastic measures that would seriously affect production. Some of them go further and call for curbs on human population. In this connection, it is more than a little disturbing that John Holdren, chosen by Barack Obama as his science advisor since the publication of Horner's book, is a close associate of Paul Ehrlich, writes David Gordon.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Why Congress Must Stop the Fed's Massive Pumping

Frank Shostak — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

If it were possible to lift real economic growth by means of money pumping, world poverty would have been eradicated a long time ago. Real economic growth requires real savings to fund various activities that support and promote it, writes Frank Shostak.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Is There Such a Thing as Austrian Investing?

Sterling T. Terrell — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Equity markets have collapsed in value, bond yields are off, real-estate markets are (in many places) in a state of disarray, monetary devaluation through government inflation is a constant dilemma, bailouts occur weekly, and wars and rumors of wars seem to lurk in the distance. Investing of any sort is enough to make one's stomach turn in times such as these. The hole in the backyard and that spot between the mattresses keeps looking better and better, writes Sterling T. Terrell.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature

Murray N. Rothbard — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Economists of this century of the broadest vision and the keenest insight — men such as Ludwig von Mises, Frank H. Knight, and F.A. Hayek — came early to the conclusion that mastery of pure economic theory was not enough, and that it was vital to explore related and fundamental problems of philosophy, political theory, and history, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Economics and Its Opposite

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

One of the fatalities of publishing at a rocket pace is that some amazing treasures get overlooked. So this column, perhaps the first of a series, covers some titles in the Mises Store that have not received much attention in the praiseworthy swirl of mania over Rothbard's Mystery of Banking and America's Great Depression, and Mises's Causes of the Economic Crisis, titles which speak directly to the moment. I'll start with an unlikely title here, a book by an author you have never heard of, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

The Nationalization of Credit?

Ludwig von Mises — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

The mixing of politics and business not only is detrimental to politics, as is frequently observed, wrote Ludwig von Mises in 1926, but even much more so to business. Many large enterprises must give thousands of considerations to political matters, which plants the seeds of bureaucratism. But all this does not justify the proposals to bureaucratize completely and formally all production through the nationalization of credit.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

A Fake Banking History of the United States

Thomas J. DiLorenzo — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

John Steele Gordon's "short history" of banking is filled with falsehoods. He blames Jefferson's opposition to central banking for economic problems that were in fact created by Hamilton's Bank of the United States. The system of financial regulatory dictatorship that Gordon praises, and which is about to be forced down the throats of the American public, has been tried before in other countries, and always with terrible results, writes Thomas J. DiLorenzo.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Is a Government Part of a Free Country?

David Gordon — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Libertarians of course believe in the free market; if you find someone who favors the government provision of medical care or education, e.g., you know immediately that he is not a full-fledged libertarian. But how far can one take the free market? Can it handle absolutely all the essential services of society, including defense and justice? Here libertarians split, writes David Gordon.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

In Praise of Bankruptcy

Henry Thompson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Bankruptcy is a normal part of economic life, covered by laws that guarantee stockholders will be compensated as much as possible. More efficient firms move in to take over what is left of bankrupt firms, buying what can be put to productive use. There is no crime in bankruptcy and, if handled quickly, little economic harm. The present financial problems would disappear quickly if the government let the markets operate and let inefficient firms go bankrupt, writes Henry Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Private Coinage

Murray N. Rothbard — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

The idea of private coinage seems so strange today that it is worth examining carefully. We are used to thinking of coinage as a "necessity of sovereignty." Yet, after all, we are not wedded to a "royal prerogative," and it is the American concept that sovereignty rests, not in government, but in the people. How would private coinage work? In the same way as any other business, writes Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilly.

The Importance of Capital Theory

Robert P. Murphy — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

As I have read countless analysts, including professional economists, offer "solutions" to the financial crisis, I have become more convinced of the importance of capital theory. You see this with the dichotomy people keep drawing between the financial markets and the "real economy," a distinction that is useful for some purposes but which in this context often reinforces the idea that the stock market is really just a casino, writes Robert P. Murphy.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Liberation by Internet: How Technology Destroys Tyranny

Gennady Stolyarov II — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -0500

As a decentralized communication system facilitating the sending and receiving of messages by billions of people, the Internet has greatly shifted the balance of power away from governments and toward sovereign individuals. Even in its early days, the Internet played a vital role in bringing about the downfall of the Soviet Union's government. Since then, it has catalyzed tremendous economic, social, and political liberation in countries ranging from Cuba to the United States, writes Gennady Stolyarov II.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Skyscrapers and Business Cycles

Mark Thornton — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Building the world's tallest building has been a matter of particularly bad timing by entrepreneurs. Even if they were able to successfully steal away enough tenants from the remaining pool of renters, the economic problem for society is that valuable resources are lost in the process of constructing buildings that are underutilized. However, it is not the entrepreneur's formula that is at fault, but a system-wide failure known as the business cycle, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Inflation Deflation Red-flation Blue-flation

Matthew Beller — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0500

A debate has been raging for some time among those in the finance industry about whether the United States is currently experiencing inflation, deflation, stagflation, reflation, hyperinflation, or maybe even some other sort of "-flation" that only Dr. Seuss could imagine. Given the confusion, this article will add some color to the debate by offering usable definitions of the terms inflation and deflation and then attempt to show what is occurring in today's economy, writes Matthew Beller.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ron Jennings.

The Non-Issue that Should Be an Issue

Gregory Bresiger — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Republicans used to talk about reducing the welfare state. I remember when candidate Ronald Reagan in 1980 promised to end the Energy and Education departments. Some Republicans, who themselves have caught the entitlement-spending/social-engineering bug, now propose the creation of a federal department of families.

Indeed many Republicans, who once said they were against the welfare state, now brag they are better at running the welfare state than the Democrats, writes Gregory Bresiger.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ron Jennings.

On the Impossibility of Limited Government and the Prospects for a Second American Revolution

Hans-Hermann Hoppe — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0500

At the outset of the American "experiment," the tax burden was light. Money was gold and silver. The definition of private property was clear and seemingly immutable, and the right to self-defense was sacrosanct. No standing army existed, and a firm commitment to free trade and a noninterventionist foreign policy appeared to be in place. Two hundred years later, matters have changed dramatically, writes Hans-Hermann Hoppe.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Speculation and the Housing Bailout

Mark A. Pribonic — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Reminiscent of a juvenile accepting a dare to do something stupid, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Senator Christopher Dodd, crowed to reporters the other day that committee members had done what many thought would be impossible: the committee agreed to legislation that would rescue homeowners facing foreclosure. Not to disappoint the senator from Connecticut, but few of us ever doubted the ability of politicians to dilute the risks and rewards of voluntary exchange, writes Mark A. Pribonic.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Ron Jennings.

Isaiah's Job

Albert Jay Nock — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Albert Jay Nock wrote, "The only element in Judean society that was particularly worth bothering about was the Remnant. Isaiah seems finally to have got it through his head that if anything substantial were ever to be done in Judea, the Remnant would have to do it. This is a very striking and suggestive idea; but before going on to explore it, we need to be quite clear about our terms. What do we mean by the masses, and what by the Remnant?"

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Economics of a Free Society

Ron Paul — Fri, 23 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500

There will come a day that the world financiers will rush from dollars just as they have recently rushed into dollars, causing even worse chaos in the international financial markets. Without a stable monetary unit, the speculation will continue and worsen. Overreaction is now becoming more commonplace, but this is a predictable consequence of a world gone mad with fiat currencies, debt creation, and overspending. Massive debt liquidation will come, writes Ron Paul.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Challenge to America: A Current Assessment of Our Republic

Ron Paul — Fri, 23 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500

The cliché "Third Way" has been used to define the so-called compromise between the conventional wisdom of the conservative and liberal firebrands. This nice-sounding compromise refers to the noisy rhetoric we hear not only in the US Congress but also in Britain, Germany, and other nations as well. The question, though, remains: Is there really anything new being offered? The demand for bipartisanship is nothing more than a continuation of the Third Way movement of the last several decades, writes Ron Paul.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Is Our Future Really $0?

Fernando Herrera-Gonzalez — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Chris Anderson, a well-known business guru in the world of online commerce, imagines a world in which all internet services are free. But he has made an error.

The reason some goods are given away for free in some markets has no relation to any hypothetical notion of "marginal costs tending to zero." In fact, those supposed free goods are "given" to us in exchange for our time and attention. As time is an increasingly scarce resource, its value is steadily rising, in terms of storage, processing, and bandwidth, writes Fernando Herrera-Gonzalez.

Does Money Taint Everything?

Jeffrey A. Tucker — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Let's pull this sentence out of the civic pieties of our time and see what's wrong with it: "We should all volunteer our time in charitable causes and give back to the community in a labor of love."

We can't argue with the instruction here, or the sentiment behind it. My argument is with the choice of language. It contains a word and three phrases the common usage of which can be highly misleading, writes Jeffrey A. Tucker.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Natural Disasters, It Turns Out, Are Bad

Mark Thornton — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500

It seems that we may never rid ourselves of the broken-window fallacy, writes Mark Thornton.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by the author.

Unintended Consequences in the Process of Socializing Health Care

D.W. MacKenzie — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500

The movement towards socialized medicine is strong but widely misunderstood. Many ordinary people see health care as a right and complain that it is too expensive. Some economists also see problems with the existing health care system and propose public-sector alternatives. One serious problem with those who want socialized medicine is that they fail to see the problems that already exist with governmental involvement in health care, writes D.W. MacKenzie.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

What Is Fascism?

John T. Flynn — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0500

John T. Flynn writes that it is government system that accepts responsibility to make the economic system work at full energy, using the device of state-created purchasing power effected by means of government borrowing and spending, and which organizes the economic life of the people into industrial and professional groups to subject the system to control under the supervision of the state.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Has Capitalism Failed?

Ron Paul — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Capitalism should not be condemned, since we haven't had it. Capitalism presumes sound money, not fiat money manipulated by a central bank. It's not capitalism when the system is plagued with incomprehensible rules regarding mergers, acquisitions, and stock sales, along with wage controls, price controls, protectionism, corporate subsidies, international management of trade, complex and punishing corporate taxes, privileged government contracts to the military-industrial complex, and a foreign policy controlled by corporate interests and overseas investments, writes Ron Paul.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

What You Should Know About Inflation

Henry Hazlitt — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0500

No subject is so much discussed today — or so little understood — as inflation. The politicians in Washington talk of it as if it were some horrible visitation from without, over which they had no control — like a flood, a foreign invasion, or a plague. It is something they are always promising to "fight" — if Congress or the people will only give them the "weapons" or "a strong law" to do the job, writes Henry Hazlitt (1894–1993).

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Evolution of an Anti-Anti-Communist

B.K. Marcus — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0500

While his claim of ideological steadfastness on his "basic political views" may have been correct, Rothbard did change his mind on questions of strategy and alliance, most significantly on the question of "McCarthyism" and the broader anti-Communist movement of the American Right, which he eventually rejected in favor of a more nuanced (and largely misunderstood) anti-anti-Communism, writes B.K. Marcus.

This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

Mises and Climate Change

Clifford F. Thies — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0500

It is one thing to be concerned about the possible impact of the sum of many tiny human actions on the climate of the planet on which we find ourselves, for this is entirely consistent with choosing life. It is quite another thing to presume that we are doomed unless, whatever we are doing, we stop doing it right now, writes Clifford F.

This. This audio Mises Daily is narrated by Floy Lilley.

The Why of Gun Ownership

James Ostrowski — Fri, 09 May 2003 01:00:00 -0500

Something happened in Buffalo, New York, late last year that contradicts the propaganda of those who support "gun control" — the control of law-abiding people who wish to own a gun for protection against the assorted nefarious elements in this world. A citizen actually used a gun, a shotgun, to defend his home and his family against armed intruders. ("Man who fatally shot intruder was victim of previous home invasion," Buffalo News, November 14, 2002.)

No, his gun was not taken from him and used against him. No, his gun was not stolen. No, he did not have time to wait for the police, though they did arrive moments later and also fired at the intruders, wounding one of them. Yes, he was able to get to his gun in time. Yes, he did point and aim and hit the evil target. According to the propaganda, people rarely if ever use guns in self-defense.

Gun control is one of those notions that seems to make sense on the surface, that reasonable people are initially inclined to accept; that seems to offer an easy solution to a difficult problem. That is the problem with gun control. It is wishful thinking: simplistic, naïve, even juvenile. It is typical liberal thinking: social problems can be solved by putting words on paper in state and federal statute books. And not only liberals. The Bush administration has upset the National Rifle Association by agreeing to legislation that would extend the ban on semiautomatic firearms that were previously in use for decades and are virtually never used in crimes.

Whenever you hear about bans of this or that weapon, remember that no word on paper ever changed human nature. There are bad people out there who will prey on good people. They will not be deterred by words on paper in Albany or Washington, DC. Good people, however, wishing to obey the law, will be deterred. That is why muggers, rapists, and murderers know that in gun-control havens like New York City and Washington, DC, citizens are virtually helpless against them.

Alas, the powerful gun-control lobby is losing its war. The general public always believed what the Constitution said, that "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." The left-liberal legal establishment said the opposite: the right of the people to bear arms means that the people do not have the right to bear arms.

It turns out the people were right. An ever-increasing number of judges and legal scholars, even left-liberals, now acknowledge what should have been obvious. Americans have an individual right to bear arms. These include Harvard law professors Alan Dershowitz and Laurence Tribe and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

A major book, highly touted by gun controllers such as Gary Wills, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture, by Emory University professor Michael A. Bellesiles, has been thoroughly discredited as based on shoddy if not fraudulent scholarship and the author has been forced to resign his professorship. Bellesiles tried to contest conventional wisdom and argue that in colonial times, Americans had few guns and many did not work. (Joe Stromberg wrote an early review.)

He didn't seem to be aware that the American Revolution was sparked by an attempt by British gun controllers to seize American guns at Concord. At Lexington and Concord, these allegedly poorly armed Americans somehow managed to inflict 273 casualties on the best-trained army on earth, the Redcoats.

A good antidote to Bellesiles's book is Guns and Violence by Bentley College history professor Joyce Lee Malcolm, published this year by Harvard University Press. Malcolm argues that in England the rate of violent crime had been declining for centuries as more guns became available, and only started to increase with the passage of stricter gun-control laws.

Finally, we found out on September 11, 2001, that the entire $400 billion security apparatus of the federal government cannot protect us from catastrophic terrorism, but a few handguns in the cockpits, long discouraged by federal policy, might have saved the day. The idea that pilots should be permitted to be armed against intruders is still controversial, after nearly two years and two bloody wars that killed many thousands.

The primary purpose of the Second Amendment is to provide the citizenry with the means for resisting governmental tyranny. In the 20th century, many governments around the world murdered millions of their own unarmed or disarmed citizens. This occurred in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Communist China, Nationalist China, and elsewhere.

It did not happen, and could not happen, here, where 70 million Americans own firearms. Fortunately, the Second Amendment, the amendment that provides Americans with the means to protect all the others, is here to stay.