Zen and the Art of /.*/

Yesterday, I referenced an article over at Strike the Root, that hilariously, though aptly, characterized Keynesian economics as Mathmetical Masturbation.

In a stroke of luck that can only be attributed to divine intervention (perhaps the mysterious workings of the late great Almighty Lord Keynes himself), “Lilburne” today published an article at Mises.org entitled The Second Coming of Keynes [sic].

In classic sycophantic adoration of Keynes’ paraphilia, Krugman recently lamented the fact that Obama’s stimulus projects were under budget, asserting that their only real purpose was to blow the money.

Great article over at Strike the Root about Austrian economics and those damned Keynesians: Hail the Austrians, by Mark Davis

He tells a great little story about being in a calculus class with a bunch of natural sciences students and a bunch of business school students. The business school students were complaining that the economics problems were never assigned.

Those familiar with Libertarian thought are surely also familiar with the notion that secession–from any form of association–is a fundamental right that applies to any subset of a society all the way down to the individual.

Many see state secession from the union as the ultimate solution to the problems of the United States government. But, as soon as one starts to consider this course of action, one shudders to think of the wrath that would likely be rained down upon the poor souls brave enough to try it.

Updated Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 10:40 pm.

Original letter sent to the faculty of the economics department at the College of Saint Benedict / Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN on Monday, July 13th - 11:45 am

My name is Mike Phenow. I am a 2005 graduate of Saint John’s. The nature of my correspondence to the Economics Department is a little unconventional and I thank you for your time in indulging me.

Recent developments have brought the discipline of economics to the fore of nearly everyone’s mind — layman, practitioner, and academic alike. In this regard, I am no exception. The much-watched and closely-scrutinized political events of the past few years — in which I have participated, in my own small ways — have led myself and others on an intellectual journey to discover the true causes of the economic crises — and how the vast majority of economists could have utterly failed to either foresee them or satisfactorily explain them.

Banktron

Sad, but true…

The Fed Under Fire

When Ron Paul’s bill to audit the Federal Reserve (HR 1207) began to accumulate more and more co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, I was somewhat skeptical, thinking that most co-sponsors were merely signing on to look supportive of Washington’s nebulous notions of “accountability” and “transparency.”

To National Socialism (also known as Nazism), of course. The future looks bleak. We are far down the path to serfdom. This way lies misery.

“Headed to National Socialism,” by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

From the article: “…the principles of intervention are universal. The Nazi regime represented not a unique evil in history but rather a now-conventional combination of two dangerous ideological trends: nationalism and socialism. We know both all too well.”

In a contemplative mood on this Independence Day, I took a short break from my work to ruminate on the meaning of the day. I find myself sorely conflicted about the continued observance of this holiday.

The Origin and Nature of Money by Hans-Hermann Hoppe (38:16)

The Origin and Nature of Banking by Hans-Hermann Hoppe (42:41)

A pair of speeches given by Hans-Hermann Hoppe about how money and banking came to be. He does a great job of explaining this in an understandable way. After listening to this, you might have a hard time looking at your paper tickets the same way again. You might also come to realize just how much you’re getting ripped off.

Hyperinflation Nation

Not terribly well done, but a pretty good, short (30-minute) documentary that explains some of the basics and includes a nice collection of clips of some of the champions of economic truth.