Peter's Blog

Central Bankers vs. The Dollar

If Donald Trump has his way and recent reports are accurate, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is considering stepping down from his position. While extremely rare, Fed Chairs resigning before the end of their term isn’t entirely unheard of. Powell’s obligations would ordinarily extend to May 2026.

Why Price Stability Is a Dangerous Illusion

One of the long-touted goals of central banking is “price stability,” which, in the minds of central bankers, means low and continuous inflation. Even if this goal wasn’t cover for inflationist policy, it’d still be important to note that “price stability” is actually an unachievable goal when properly understood.

Fed Critics’ Three Central-Banking Myths

Some free-marketers mistakenly believe that the Federal Reserve would be more effective if it operated in a different political environment or had more resources to control the monetary supply. Instead, as the Austrian school emphasizes, the problem is with central banking per se. Central planning never works, especially when the planning is over the money […]

From Private Money to State Power: The Evolution of Currency Control

The Austrian School of Economics demonstrates how money can emerge organically from trade and does not require a government to create or manage it. The reality is that, once governments grow large enough, they seek out control of money to further fund and finance their nefarious ends.

The Fed’s April Fool’s: Pretending to Control Inflation

This year’s April Fools joke from the Federal Reserve is the same this year as every other:  Pretending that a small group of unelected academics can micromanage the economy to create an ideal balance between employment, inflation, and cost of borrowing. The Fed wants to control the economy, but all it achieves is distortion. And […]

Instead of a Bitcoin Reserve, Trump Should Talk a Gold Standard

Bitcoiners are salivating at the idea of the Trump administration pumping their holdings by declaring a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” where the government pledges to hold onto its current stash or, in another version, start buying more bitcoin and using it to pay down the debt. 

Why We Should Bank Free

Free banking is seen by many as something that should be left in 18th century Scotland. Free banking is where each bank issues their own note that is redeemable for a certain amount of a commodity, typically gold. The value of the note is determined by the assessed probability that that bank will indeed be […]

Can Government Stimulus Truly Prevent Recessions?

Conventional wisdom says that the government can help (or is even required to) stimulate the economy, especially during a recession. As mounting evidence grows for a recession happening right now, it’s worth examining how this conventional wisdom is completely wrong and backwards. The government is typically the primary cause of recessions.

The Cantillon Effect Explained: Why Inflation Helps the State at Your Expense

The Cantillon Effect, named after 18th-century economist Richard Cantillon, describes the way newly created money flows through an economy, affecting different sectors and social classes unevenly. When a central bank like the Federal Reserve injects new money into the economy—often through measures like quantitative easing or low interest rates—this money doesn’t distribute itself evenly. Instead, […]

Why Congress Should Remove Jerome Powell

Fed Chair Jerome Powell is under increased scrutiny after he recently admitted to having no plan in place to address stagflation. Despite the Fed’s supposed independence, it’s time for liberty-minded politicians to disempower Powell and his inflationist counterparts. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect […]