Peter's Blog

The State’s Endless Quest for a Free Lunch

Through its insistence on controlling the money supply, the modern state has turned coin clipping and rank monetary debasement into exalted progressive doctrine. The state’s printing of new money seems like a “free lunch,” but we all know that there’s no such thing. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The opinions […]

The Myth of the “Elastic” Currency: Why the Economy Never Needed It

One of the most pernicious myths about central banking is its necessity to expand and contract the money supply to facilitate the “needs of trade.” But, as the Austrian School of Economics demonstrates, a static money supply is perfectly fine for trade, and it doesn’t entail the destructive inflation that comes with central bankers. The […]

Inflation: The Hidden Embezzlement

Critics of inflationary policy are correct to describe inflation as a subtle tax, with the heaviest burden falling on the poor. While inflation is indeed a regressive tax, it’s also helpful to view and describe money printers just as we would counterfeiters or embezzlers. The following article was originally published by the Mises Institute. The […]

Schiff on Macroscopic: The Dollar Is Doomed

On his recent appearance on The Macroscopic Podcast, Peter lays out a constitutional case for sound money and connects it to current policy choices that he says are wrecking the dollar. He walks through the legal foundation for gold and silver, criticizes the Trump administration’s mix of tariffs and debt-driven policy, and warns that global […]

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 […]

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 […]

How Inflation Undermines Culture and Values

Inflation has come to be one the defining economic phenomena of this generation. As the money supply grows seemingly without end, it’s easy to miss how the erosion of our money wreaks both economic and – more subtly– cultural havoc.

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.

Who’s Got Beef?

As the Fed becomes even more dovish on inflation, average Americans are paying the price on everyday goods and services. The price of beef, in particular, exemplifies the problems that arise when the government tinkers with interest rates and grows deficits with no end.

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.