More than a century of failure, mass murder, and ruined economies has not been sufficient to dissuade socialists form the idea that socialism—by which I mean Soviet-style socialism, not social democracy—can bring astounding prosperity once the planners work out the kinks. Sure, the Soviet Union failed, North Korea is a basket case, and socialist countries …

Social media has lied about user privacy and has misled the public about the platforms’ status as open forums. But none of this makes these companies monopolies. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. Original Article: “Social Media Companies Aren’t the Good Guys. They’re Also Not Monopolists.”.

Silicon Valley and the media are moving even further left. This is what is to be expected when a single ideological group controls educational institutions and major media outlets over a period of several decades. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. Original Article: “How Decades of Media …

Global health bureaucrats would have a much easier time if they could force “renegade” countries like Sweden into line with the power to force a uniform health policy on everyone. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Millian Quinteros. Original Article: “Global Health Bureaucrats Want Even More Power to Impose …

Listen to the Audio Mises Wire version of this article. There are plenty of good reasons to hate social media. It negatively affects mental health. It provides a skewed and inaccurate view of the real world. It is a tool of manipulation employed by deeply partisan billionaires. But there is one thing that every social media company is not: …

The true cost of covid-19 lockdowns has become so apparent that even WHO officials must now admit these policies lead to mass impoverishment and immense cost in terms of human lives and human health. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. Original Article: “Even WHO Officials Now Admit …

In an article last week for the Financial Times, Richard Milne examined the issue of Sweden’s “dissent” when it came to policy responses to the spread of covid-19. The article is essentially a hit piece on Sweden, containing all the usual strategies of portraying the Scandinavian nation as an irresponsible outlier. Sweden, of course, famously …

Last week, Dr. David Nabarro from the World Health Organization admitted that lockdowns have been devastating for much of the world, noting that “Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never, ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer.” Nabarro went on to list various examples of the economic damage done by lockdowns: Look what’s happened to smallholder farmers all …

A sizable majority of American adults say—when polled—that social media organizations “censor” political viewpoints: A Pew Research Center survey conducted in June finds that roughly three-quarters of U.S. adults say it is very (37%) or somewhat (36%) likely that social media sites intentionally censor political viewpoints that they find objectionable. Just 25% believe this is not …

At best, police data shows four in ten murders in America are never resolved and no suspect is convicted. Lesser crimes have even fewer resolutions. And if we look more closely, things look even worse. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. Original Article: “Despite Big Budgets, Police …

It’s becoming increasingly clear to even mainstream media outlets that things are unlikely to return to “normal” after the 2020 election.
No matter who wins, it is likely the losing side will regard the winning side as having obtained its win using dirty tricks, foreign meddling, or through relentless propaganda offered up by a heavily biased and one-sided news media.
And if about half the country regards the winning president as illegitimate, where does one go from there?
The survey data isn’t exactly calming on this issue. As reported by Politico last week, the percentage of Americans who believe it is justified to use violence to “advance political goals” has quadrupled since 2017, for both Republicans and Democrats.
After

Americans have been trained to regard the US Supreme Court as a principled, non-political institution whose rulings must be obeyed. This assessment of the court is very wrong. And be sure to follow Radio Rothbard at Mises.org/RadioRothbard.

It’s becoming increasingly clear to even mainstream media outlets that things are unlikely to return to “normal” after the 2020 election. No matter who wins, it is likely the losing side will regard the winning side as having obtained its win using dirty tricks, foreign meddling, or through relentless propaganda offered up by a heavily …

Homicides were flat through 2019. Then spring 2020 arrived, and with it a wave of homicides in many American cities. Could the social and economic effects of lockdowns be the cause? This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Millian Quinteros. Original Article: “Rising Homicides This Year May Be Yet Another …

Police reforms are making it easier to monitor police activities, and even to hold officers personally liable when found guilty of abusing their power. But some officers don’t like that at all. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. Original Article: “Police Officers Threaten to Quit If the …

Although many Americans often conflate the two ideologies, conservatism and (classical) liberalism are historically quite distinct. Indeed, conservatism has long been explicitly hostile to both capitalism and classical liberalism. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Millian Quinteros. Original Article: “What Is Conservatism?”.

Listen to the Audio Mises Wire version of this article. Faced with an armed assailant at the Parkland school shooting in 2018, sheriff’s deputy Josh Stambaugh ran away and hid while children were gunned down. He was later fired for his lack of action, but last month arbitrators ruled that Stambaugh must be rehired by …

In Tuesday’s debate, former vice president Joe Biden declared he was opposed to the “defund the police” movement. In a general election, this is not a terribly bold statement on Biden’s part. According to numerous polls, the public has little enthusiasm for sizable cuts to police agencies. Most people, it seems, recognize that some sort …

During Tuesday’s presidential debate, former vice president Biden attempted to paint Donald Trump as the bad-on-crime candidate when he claimed that crime had gone down during the Obama administration but increased during Trump’s term. Whether or not this is a plausible claim depends on how one looks at the data. And given that law enforcement and criminal …

Ryan McMaken and Tho Bishop talk about Tuesday’s debate, why “the issues” don’t matter, and why the debate probably won’t change the minds of many voters. And be sure to follow Radio Rothbard at mises.org/RadioRothbard.

The disputed election of 1876 could have led to another civil war. Fortunately, civilian institutions intervened to create a compromise, and the military was kept out of it. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. Original Article: “If the Election Produces No Clear Winner, the Military Is Definitely …

[Author’s note: This is a condensed and simplified adaptation of an essay on conservatism I wrote for the Encyclopedia of Political Thought, edited by Gregory Claeys, and published by CQ Press (2013).] Conservatism is a group of political and social ideologies that promote traditional social and political institutions, gradualism in political action, and opposition to radical …

Judge Stickman is right that the Pennsylvania lockdown cannot be defended by anyone who takes human rights seriously. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. Original Article: “Federal Judge: Pennsylvania’s Stay-at-Home Order Is an Assault on Human Rights”.

In August, for the fifth month in a row, money supply growth surged to an all-time high, following new all-time highs in April, May, June, and July that came in the wake of unprecedented quantitative easing, central bank asset purchases, and various stimulus packages. The growth rate has never been higher, with the 1970s being …

The United States has always had a love affair with certain generals. George Washington, of course, was immensely popular, and thirteen US presidents were generals before they were president. But prior to the Second World War, generals as a group were not revered or treated with any particular veneration or respect. In fact, in the …

The Fed plans to keep interest rates near zero, while monetizing debt, financing zombie companies, and pouring new dollars into the market. But that may not be enough. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. Original Article: “The Fed Is Planning Another Ultralong Period of Ultralow Rates”.

Far from stopping the spread of covid-19, lockdowns, only push deaths into the future. Unless a vaccine is imminent or a 100 percent total lockdown is imposed, lockdown won’t cause big reductions in total deaths. This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Millian Quinteros. Original Article: “It’s Far Too Late …

Last month, retired generals John Nagl and Paul Yingling wrote an open letter to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley claiming that the military ought to be ready to intervene to remove Donald Trump from the presidency if he loses. But there’s a problem here. If Biden is clearly the winner, the …

This year’s stay-at-home orders and lockdowns imposed by governments on their populations represent a watershed moment in the history of the modern state.
Before March 2020, it is unlikely that many politicians—let alone many ordinary people—thought it would be feasible or likely for government officials to force hundreds of millions of human beings to “self-isolate.”
But it turns out governments were indeed able to force a sizable portion of the population to abandon jobs, religious practices, extended families, and community life in the name of “flattening the curve.”
Whether through fear manufactured by the news media or through outright threats of punishment, business owners shuttered their shops and offices, churches closed

Jerome Powell fielded questions from reporters Wednesday, and he made it clear that the Fed is a long, long way from abandoning its current dovish policy stance. The Fed plans to keep interest rates near zero, while monetizing US debt, financing zombie companies, and pouring new dollars into the market through balance sheet purchases. But even …