Peter's Blog

Money Supply Stalls Amid Weak Jobs and Rising Delinquencies

With recent economic data pointing to an uncertain economic future, M2, a primary measure of the money supply, shows a flattening in the supply of money. But, as more precise measures of money show us, this trend may indicate a latent recession in the dollar-fueled economy. The following article was originally published by the Mises […]

Why Government Isn’t Like Other Institutions

Many on the left and right speak about the government as if it’s equivalent to a business. This rhetoric, deployed to justify the seizure of productive capital or make the state “more efficient,” obscures the fact that business and government are fundamentally different. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions […]

The Politics Behind Government Statistics

Recent statistical revisions have reignited debates over the nature of the state’s economic statistics. No matter who’s in power and all intentional data manipulation withstanding, the simple fact is that these metrics contain pro-intervention assumptions and are by nature political. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions expressed do not […]

The Student Debt Trap

Austrian economists are correct to point out the links between central banking, fiat currency, and the proliferation of bad and unnecessary debt.When society’s money is inflated to serve the interest of the ultimate debtor– the state– bad debt will abound, and the student loan crisis is no different. The following article was originally published by […]

Tariffs Won’t Produce Prosperous Trade Deals

Recent policy from the White House has protectionists lauding President Trump’s so-called “trade deals” around the world. Regardless of the legality of these policies, it’s certain that they entail grave economic risks for the US. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Peter […]

Trump’s Spending Spree Pushes Federal Debt to New Highs in July

This summer has not been pretty for the government’s balance sheet. As many Republicans before him, the Trump administration is spending way too much money, and new debt numbers prove it. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Peter Schiff or SchiffGold. During […]

From Barter to Fiat: Unanswered Questions for Chartalism

Opponents of sound money rely on harebrained explanations of the origin of money. Perhaps chief among them is the Chartalist school of thought, which struggles even to adequately explain what the “first day of money” would look like in its framework. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions expressed do […]

The Myth of “Economic Power”

In an age of large (and often state-protected) corporations, interventionists cite “economic power” as justification for their preferred policy. But, as the late Austrian economist Murray Rothbard explains, so-called “economic power” is essentially different from state coercion. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those […]

Abolish the Bank of Portugal Before It Causes More Damage

Free-marketers are quick (and correct) to blame the Fed for America’s monetary troubles. But as bad as the Federal Reserve is, other countries, like Portugal, have corrupt central banks that rival the Fed in its corporatism, inflationism, and irresponsibility. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily […]

The Fed Claims to Be “Data-Driven,” but the Data Is Flawed

As another month of steady interest rates passes by, the Fed’s favorite claim– that the central bank is “data-dependent”– continues to be made. This claim, of course, is not true. The Fed’s actions are dictated by incentives and pressures that favor cheap credit, not objective data. The following article was originally published by the Mises […]