I made a statement in a recent op-ed published at Values and Capitalism that banks do student-borrowers a favor by allowing them to use money in the present pay it back in the future. Considering the nature of some of the feedback I received, I think it is worth exploring in more detail why this…
Recently I have been frustrated by the controversy over whether Britain’s policy of austerity has led to a double dip recession in the UK. Progressive economists like Paul Krugman assert that a policy of austerity has been an utter failure, proving that government spending is needed to lift an economy out of malaise and put…
It was my senior year of high school at Trinity Christian High School. I was required to write a 20-30 page senior thesis throughout the year in order to graduate, and that thesis was required to outline 3 things: my personal religious beliefs, a defense/argument for a particular issue, and (most importantly) how my worldview…
Last week, Dr. Jeffrey Herbener (a professor of mine at Grove City College) testified before Congress on the issue of the Federal Reserve and sound money. Among many things, here is one particular statement he made in his written testimony that often proves quite contentious:
“The primary step in monetary reform, then, is to turn…
Is the economy in for another bubble? We’ve seen the housing bubble pop, and before that we had a tech bubble. These events divide the profession, as every economist has their own pet theory describing bubbles. Economics news hunters seek these bubbles much like Ahab sought Moby Dick; the first to spot the bubble (or…
Writing about the record number of Americans purportedly living in poverty, Think Progress blogger Travis Waldron makes a huge economic error when considering the effects of government “safety net programs”. See his quote below:
“The number of workers in poverty would be even higher were it not for government safety net programs that have reduced…
Money can be defined as the general medium of exchange, or the most widely traded good. However, it is neither a consumer nor a producer good.
Suppose Robinson Crusoe, Friday, and Jackson are all on their island. Crusoe wants a rabbit from Friday’s collection, but he knows that Friday will not accept the fedora that…
It is easy to deride recent claims by certain economists that the federal government has no business offering aid to the victims of last month’s Midwestern tornado outbreak. As pictures of destroyed homes and devastated families flood the media, it is hard to imagine a person who is unwilling to offer whatever government aid is…
A recent episode of South Park got me thinking that Matt Stone and Trey Parker just may know basic economics. The episode attempts to explain the jewelry business. It depicts old people buying jewelry at ridiculous prices from a home shopping channel and then giving it as gifts to their children. The children immediately take…
Sometimes anti-government rhetoric can go too far, as Katrina vanden Huevel points out at The Nation. While it may be endearing and folksy to accuse the government of getting in the way of business and job creation, Huevel thinks it is dead wrong.
And common sense seems to be on her side. Look at all…