Monday marked the 45th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s closing of the gold window. As Paul-Martin Foss noted, the result since has been dramatic inflation as central bankers loss the last remaining shackles imposed by the Bretton-Woods gold-exchange standard. It was this action that helped usher in the modern age of economic hedonism, as central bankers have become enablers to debt-addicted government. Of course, the same politicians who fundraise from "low info voters" using the boogeyman of income inequality are often the biggest cheerleaders for the inflation that helps drive it. As long as policy decisions are driven by politicians who desire a “third way,” instead of understanding the unique insights of Ludwig von Mises and the Austrian school, we’ll continue to see disastrous policy.
Or as Ron Paul put it, no matter who wins in November, Americans will lose.
On Mises Weekends, Jeff discussed libertarian strategy with Adam Camac and Daniel Laguros of the Wake Up Call podcast. How can libertarians achieve a freer society, given the depressing state of politics, in both America and abroad? Jeff shares his thoughts on Liberland, the Free State Project, and how modern technology has become “the great leveler” in the battle of ideas.
Ludwig von Mises is not an easy figure to get your arms around. His writings total tens of thousands of pages. A newcomer to Mises could be lost in this vast body of work. That’s why the Institute is publishing The Mises Reader, and you can be a part of it. Your tax-deductible donation of any amount will help us place this book in the hands of every student seeker of truth. Benefactors supporting this project with gifts of $500, $1,000, or more will be listed in the front of the book.
And in case you missed any of them, here are the articles featured this week on the Mises Wire:
- Socialism: The World's Greatest Generator of Poverty by Allen Mendenhall
- What the Olympics Teach Us about International Trade by Carmen Elena Dorobăț
- DEA Seizes $200 Million from Travelers Using Travel Records by Brittany Hunter
- We Can't Live on Borrowed Time and Borrowed Money Forever by Jeff Deist
- How Government Ruined American Sodas by Max Raskin
- Does the UK Need Even More Stimulus? by Frank Shostak
- Inflation: It’s a Wealth Redistribution Scheme by Russell Lamberti
- Mises Biography Now Available in China
- Price Controls Are Disastrous for Venezuela, and Everywhere Else by José Niño
- Nasty Politics and "Low-Information Voters" Are Nothing New by Ryan McMaken
- Interventionism: Government's War Against Consumers by Ludwig von Mises
- Election 2016: Liberty Loses No Matter Who Wins by Ron Paul
- 5 Reasons Why Austrian Economics Is Better than the Mainstream by Jonathan Newman
- Should We Be Concerned About the Fall in Money Velocity? by Frank Shostak
- Today in 1971: President Nixon Closes the Gold Window by Paul-Martin Foss
- Why Social Welfare Programs and Democracy Cannot Co-Exist by Ryan McMaken
- The Division of Labor Clarified by Murray N. Rothbard
- The Fallacy of the 'Third Way' by David Gordon
