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The Politics and Economics of Plato, Aristotle, and the Ancient Greeks

In Aristotle, we find a more subtle and sophisticated understanding of some economic themes than in Plato. While Aristotle’s answers were incomplete and often misdirected, as well as incorrect, he at least was among the first to ask the types of questions that centuries later became part of the heart of economic analysis and understanding.

Cain's 9-9-9 Plan: Raising Taxes on The "Lower Class"?

Cain's 9-9-9 Plan: Raising Taxes on The "Lower Class"?

Some people criticize Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan for the wrong reasons. Advocates of wealth redistribution complain that it raises taxes on the lower and middle working classes. This is true. Many of them will actually have to start paying some taxes rather than...

Greeks May Look North To Iceland’s Debt Default

As a final bailout framework for Greece continues to elude negotiators from France and Germany, the situation on the ground in Athens continues to deteriorate alarmingly. Protests have turned increasingly violent and riots have occurred in the most sensitive portions...

Greeks May Look North To Iceland’s Debt Default

As a final bailout framework for Greece continues to elude negotiators from France and Germany, the situation on the ground in Athens continues to deteriorate alarmingly. Protests have turned increasingly violent and riots have occurred in the most sensitive portions...

Herman Cain's 9-9-9-9 Plan

Herman Cain's 9-9-9-9 Plan

Herman Cain has been gaining much traction with his 9-9-9 Plan, a bold proposal to replace our dysfunctional tax code with what could be a simpler, less invasive, and more economically stimulative alternative. While I don’t agree with the full spectrum of Mr....

Economic Ideas and Their Consequences

Economic Ideas and Their Consequences

The public standing of economics and economists has been declining for some time. In the 1960s and 1970s, economists were seen, and they saw themselves, as the saviors of the economy. They talked of “fine-tuning” the economy, of changing government...

The End of Civilization As We Know It

The End of Civilization As We Know It

What we are seeing in Europe is that that model is inherently unsustainable. The concept of individual rights is the only standard for government action that puts an objective limit on what the government can do. The post-war leaders of Europe were completely ignorant...

Fiddling While The Euro Burns

Last week, eurozone finance ministers postponed, yet again, the most difficult decisions on the Greek debt crisis. The assembled powers could have forced an orderly Greek default or they could have taken steps to push Greece out of the union. Instead, they simply...

Fiddling While The Euro Burns

Last week, eurozone finance ministers postponed, yet again, the most difficult decisions on the Greek debt crisis. The assembled powers could have forced an orderly Greek default or they could have taken steps to push Greece out of the union. Instead, they simply...

How the Government Can Create Jobs

On Tuesday, September 13, Peter Schiff, the CEO of Euro Pacific Capital, www.europac.net  testified before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending. The hearing entitled, “Take Two: The...

The Central Role of Saving and Capital Goods

The Central Role of Saving and Capital Goods

As the popular philosophy of the common man sees it, human wealth and welfare are the products of the cooperation of two primordial factors: nature and human labor. All the things that enable man to live and to enjoy life are supplied either by nature or by work or by...

Obama’s Job Destruction Plan

Although it was labeled and hyped as a “jobs plan,” the new $447 billion initiative announced last night by President Obama is merely another government stimulus program in disguise. But semantics are of supreme importance in American politics…some...

President Obama: Job Killer in Chief

This morning many on Wall Street were stunned by the big fat zero put up by the August jobs report, the worst showing in 11 months. The data convinced many previously optimistic economists that the United States will slip back into recession. I believe that we have...

Payroll Tax and Unemployment

Payroll Tax and Unemployment

Remember when President Obama and his team promised that if only we passed an emergency “stimulus” bill allowing them to wantonly spend $787 billion, unemployment would be capped at 8%? Two years later, having soared as high as 9.8%, July’s unemployment rate stands at...

Krugman’s War Cry Won’t Avert Depression

Paul Krugman sounded the war cry this Sunday on Fareed Zakaria’s program Global Public Square. After all, he asserted, only spending equivalent to another World War could lead us back to prosperity. That, and a healthy dose of inflation. Krugman argued that...

Gold is the True Reserve Currency

The reliance upon the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency and “safe haven” asset has created a perverse, but deeply entrenched, mindset among global investors. In fact, many believe the major financial players have no alternatives to owning...

Gold Faces Short-Term Price Trap

Although I believe gold still faces a very rosy future, an agreement in Washington that avoids default and growing concerns of a global economic slowdown could create significant near-term headwinds for gold investors. While the dysfunction of the US government is on...

President Obama Demagogues Default

President Obama has continued and increased the reckless spending of the previous Administration. Now, as the federal debt reaches its statutory limit, he is spreading fear and panic in the hopes of having it raised. Many of the key people responsible for...

Blueberry Economics

SEA ISLE, N.J. — I should be worrying about how the politicians are killing the nation financially, but that’s on the back burner today because the 25th annual Red, White and Blueberry Festival is right up the road and they’re estimating that 10,000...

Debt Ceiling Myths

The debt ceiling debate that has dominated the headlines over the past month has been thoroughly infused with a string of unfortunate misconceptions and a number of blatant deceptions. As a result, the entire process has been mostly hot air. While a recitation of all...

Sovereign Debt Blows Big Holes in Big Banks

The past few days have been very bad for the world’s largest banks. American behemoths Citigroup and Bank of America are down about 7% each. Across the Atlantic, things are far worse. BNP Paribas, Barclays, and Banco Santander are all down 13% or more… and...

It Ain’t Money If I Can’t Print It!

I have been forecasting with near certainty that QE2 would not be the end of the Fed’s money-printing program. My suspicions were confirmed in both the Fed minutes on Tuesday and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s semi-annual testimony to Congress yesterday. The...

The Psychology of Bond Investors

Those who take issue with the outlook of Austrian economists in general, and Euro Pacific Capital in particular, have pointed to the persistence of low bond yields as proof that our philosophy does not hold water. We argue that as the United States takes on ever more...

The Cause and Evidence of Inflation

In a heated debate on the February 1st episode of CNBC’s “The Kudlow Report”, financial commentator Donald Luskin offered his “textbook” definition of inflation as “an overall rise in the general price level.” I...

Hard to Take a Bone from a Dog

Most people, provided they have a minimum of experience, know that taking a bone from a dog is a risky proposition. In terms of political power, few dogs are bigger than the American voting public. Taking away, or even threatening to take away, the major entitlements...

The Extinction of Retirement

For the better part of a century the foundations for a semi-comfortable retirement for many Americans have rested on the financial pillars of rising real estate and equity prices, positive real interest rates on savings, the continued solvency of public and private...

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