Economics

Karl Marx and the Presumption of a ‘Right Side’ to History, Part II

by Richard M. Ebeling June 12, 2017

Those who speak about being on the “right side of history” have, knowingly or not, adopted a central element in Karl Marx’s analysis of capitalism and the idea that the capitalist system follows a particular course of historical development that is open to scientific explanation and prediction, and which presumes to be placing humanity on a road that leads ...

The Libertarian Angle: Giants of Libertarianism — Milton Friedman

by Future of Freedom Foundation June 6, 2017

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and Richard Ebeling talk about one hero of modern libertarianism, Milton Friedman. Go to the podcast.

Economic Ideas: Frédéric Bastiat on the Law of Liberty and Free Markets

by Richard M. Ebeling May 30, 2017

The defense of economic liberty has never been an easy task. Adam Smith expressed his own despair at this problem in The Wealth of Nations. After presenting his powerful criticisms of mercantilism—the eighteenth-century system of government regulation and planning—he despondently suggested that free trade in Great Britain was as unlikely as the establishment of a utopia. He said that ...

The Libertarian Angle: Libertarian Giants – Bastiat and Hazlitt

by Future of Freedom Foundation May 24, 2017

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and Richard Ebeling talk about the great economists and libertarians Frederic Bastiat and Henry Hazlitt. Go to the podcast.

The Libertarian Angle: Giants of Libertarianism – Ludwig von Mises

by Future of Freedom Foundation May 16, 2017

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and Richard Ebeling talk about the great economist and libertarian Ludwig von Mises. Go to the podcast.

The Consumer Price Index, a False Indicator of Our Individual Costs-of-Living

by Richard M. Ebeling April 10, 2017

For years the Federal Reserve and many other central banks around the world have declared that a key element of monetary policy is the targeting of a two percent rate of annual price inflation. Now the Federal Reserve has suggested that that target rate may be “temporarily” raised to – well, they have been less precise about that. As measured ...

The Libertarian Angle: FA Hayek and Spontaneous Order

by Future of Freedom Foundation March 28, 2017

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and Richard Ebeling discuss how spontaneous order organizes society in an efficient way while at the same time preserving liberty. Go to the podcast.

The Libertarian Angle: Minimum Wage and Free Trade

by Future of Freedom Foundation February 21, 2017

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and Richard Ebeling, along with special guest Donald J. Boudreaux, discuss the economics of the minimum wage and free trade. Go to the podcast.

Economic Ideas: Karl Marx’s Misconceptions about Man and Markets

by Richard M. Ebeling February 20, 2017

Though it may seem strange, Karl Marx was not always a communist. As late as 1842, when Marx was in his mid-20s, he actually said he opposed any attempt to establish a communist system. In October 1842, he became editor of the Rheinische Zeitung , and wrote in an editorial: The Rheinische Zeitung . . . does not ...

Economic Ideas: Karl Marx, the Man Behind the Communist Revolution

by Richard M. Ebeling February 13, 2017

When Karl Marx died in March 1883, only about a dozen people attended his funeral at a cemetery in London, England, including family members. Yet, for more than a century after his death – and even until today – there have been few thinkers whose ideas have been as influential on various aspects of modern world history. Indeed, as ...

The Economic Nationalism of Donald Trump

by Richard M. Ebeling January 30, 2017

Donald Trump has hardly taken his hand off the Bible upon which he took the presidential oath to preserve, protect and defend the U.S. Constitution, and he has already radically and rapidly begun to transform the direction of the American government. Taking up (at least metaphorically) Barack Obama’s pen, he has signed a series of executive orders. Several of ...

Economic Ideas: David Ricardo on Wealth, Inflation, and Freedom

by Richard M. Ebeling January 16, 2017

David Ricardo (1772-1823) was one of the most influential economic theorists of the first half of the nineteenth century. Born in London, England, his father’s family were orthodox Jews originally from Portugal who had moved to England from Holland. His father was a highly successful stockbroker. David Ricardo learned the family business, and most likely would have ...