Peter's Blog

As Inflation Rises, Prepare for Crime

Inflation breeds desperation, and desperation breeds crime. As central banks in Europe and Canada cut interest rates, and expectations remain that the Fed will wait to cut until at least September if it cuts this year at all, our endlessly-wise global central bankers, the benevolent all-knowing stewards of the global economy, can’t seem to agree […]

Chinese Central Bank Halts Gold Acquisitions

China has called quits on its 18-month gold buying spree, causing precious metal prices to stumble this week as the world’s largest buyer unexpectedly closes its tab. In 2023, the People’s Bank of China purchased more gold than any of the world’s other central banks, swelling its reserves of the precious metal to more than […]

Three States Start Summer with Sound Money Policies

Earlier this year, four states took steps toward strengthening sound money by lifting or reducing taxes faced by holders of physical gold and silver. Only a few months later, three other states have actually implemented new sound money policies, and by doing so, they have improved their citizens’ economic standing.

Jobs: You NEED to Look at the Household Survey

The analysis below covers the Employment picture released on the first Friday of every month. While most of the attention goes to the headline number, it can be helpful to look at the details, revisions, and other reports to get a better gauge of what is really going on.

Charter Schools Showcase the Power of Educational Freedom

Public schools are losing students to charter education, and government officials are doing whatever they can to bail them out. On March 6th, Colorado House Bill 1363 was proposed. The legislation included several anti-charter school reforms, including decreasing funding and allowing public schools with declining enrollment to prohibit new charter schools within the district. However, […]

China’s RE Crisis: A New Experiment in State Intervention

The real estate market is responsible for anywhere from 20% to over 30% of China’s GDP (depending on who you ask). And with the latest meltdown that began with the implosion of Evergrande, the situation just keeps getting worse, inspiring a slew of government interventions beyond the scope of what would be possible in a […]

Big Food, Bigger Conspiracy

Food has gotten big. Literally. A walk through the produce aisle of a 21st-century grocery store would enthrall people of any historical period other than our own. The size of tomatoes and heads of lettuce is unprecedented in the history of humankind. In just a few short generations we have become accustomed to increasingly genetically […]

The Bank of Japan Just Contradicted Itself

On one hand, the Band of Japan says that it wants long-term interest rates to be dictated by market forces. But on the other hand, the BoJ has been spending 6 trillion yen per month buying bonds to prop up its currency. In other words, it’s doing everything in the world to control short-term interest […]

Did an AI-Generated Bloomberg Report Just Send Berkshire Hathaway to Zero?

Trading on the NYSE has just been halted due to a ”technical glitch” that sent Berkshire Hathaway to zero, and they’re claiming it’s because of issues with the limit up and limit down bands that are used to halt trading when a stock becomes too volatile. But as ZeroHedge is reporting, it may actually be […]

Why People Value Worthless Paper Money

Fiat money is intrinsically worthless and yet people still value it. Where does this value come from? Our guest commentator cites Austrian thinkers Menger and Mises. He traces the purchasing power of paper money back its historical root: real money, i.e. physical gold.