Peter's Blog

Joe Biden: Economic Ignoramus

Are “greedy” corporations driving inflation? Could taxing billionaires solve the federal government’s fiscal problems? According to President Joe Biden, the answer to both questions is yes. And the correct answer is no.

An Economics Lesson from the Pilgrims: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Nov. 24, 2023

Did you know Thanksgiving almost didn’t happen thanks to the Pilgrims’ experiment with socialism? It didn’t work. Fortunately, they figured out some economic truths and the rest is history. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey tells the Thanksgiving story you almost certainly didn’t hear in school. He also explains why […]

Is All This Military Spending Really Good for the Economy?

Is war and military spending really good for the economy? A lot of people seem to think so. In fact, President Joe Biden is selling the latest proposal to send military aid to Israel and Ukraine as an economic stimulus plan. But this notion that spending money for war somehow boosts the economy is rooted in […]

Banning “Price Gouging” Hurts More Than It Helps

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for 33 Florida counties on Saturday in anticipation of Hurricane Idalia, thus activating one of the most misguided and counterproductive economic policies imaginable. Yes, with the sweep of his pen, DeSantis banned “price gouging.”

Reclaiming the Definition of Inflation

People are confused about the definition of inflation. And because they don’t really know what inflation is, they can’t grasp what’s causing it. Or how to fix it. That’s why it’s imperative that we reclaim the meaning of inflation.

The Fed’s Fundamental Problem

Inflation was running rampant for months before the Federal Reserve launched its inflation fight. As you’ll recall, we were told over and over again that inflation was transitory. But now that the central bank is on the job, most people are confident Powell and Company can get rising prices back under control. Perhaps they shouldn’t […]

Socialism Sounds Good on Paper But It Was Deadly for the Pilgrims

When I was a kid, we used to say some things only “sound good on paper.” In other words, they seem like good plans, but there is no way they’re going to work in the real world. That’s socialism in a nutshell. The Pilgrims found this out the hard way during their first couple of […]

Economically Ignorant Americans Want More Stimmy Checks to Fight Inflation

Proving that most people have no idea what causes inflation, the majority of Americans in a recent poll said they want the federal government to hand out stimulus checks to combat inflation.

Feelings Trump Economics: Price Gouging Edition

Hurricane Ian is taking aim at Florida. That means there is already talk of “price gouging.” People have a visceral emotional reaction to people raising prices during a disaster. But it is nothing but feelz. In fact, “price gouging” serves an important economic function. Not allowing prices to rise actually causes more harm.

Inflation Is State-Sponsored Terrorism

Americans have been laboring under the burden of inflation for well over a year. We feel the pain everywhere, from the gas pump to the grocery store. Once it became impossible to sell the “inflation is transitory” narrative any longer, the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates to fight inflation. As a result, the bubble […]