Bob Murphy

Author Archive

Tackling Ted Cruz

In my latest piece at Mises.org I take on the notion that the Fed’s announcement of “tight” money in the summer of 2008 is ultimately to blame for the financial crisis. I am running around with holiday travel but hopefully by the weekend I will return to my earlier post (here on the blog) about […]

Santa Needs Market Prices

Wow, it’s a good thing my latest FEE article is running in December. Otherwise it would just be weird.

On Paris Climate Deal (and Alleged Fate of Humanity), Show Your Work, Dr. Krugman

My latest post at IER. C’mon tell me this isn’t a good line: Notice the absurdity, and we’re still in Krugman’s first two paragraphs. The existence of humanity itself is allegedly on the line—Krugman wonders if there will even be future historians—and yet this Paris meeting won’t solve the problem. Isn’t it weird that a […]

Tricking People Into Thinking Bible Verses Are From the Koran

I’m sure this will provoke a discussion I end up regretting, but if you go watch the video at this link (I can’t seem to get just the YouTube video) you’ll see two Dutch guys reading verses from the Bible, but telling people they’re from the Koran. The people recoil from the violence and repression […]

Krugman Says Economy Not So Bad

Tom and I discuss his column in Contra Krugman Episode 13.

A Quick History of the Climate Change Policy Debate

1) CHORUS: Look at the peer-reviewed literature, you evil deniers. 97% of scientists agree, we need massive carbon tax STAT! 2) BOB: Actually, neither the IPCC reports nor the Obama Administration’s chosen computer models support the policies that are being pushed in the name of “consensus.” 3) NOAH SMITH: Ha, you think we can trust […]

Science Is Prediction: Back-Testing the Market Monetarist-Endorsed Ted Cruz Explanation for the 2008 Crash

(Please don’t lecture me on the post title: I am making a wisecrack related to Dan’s very useful advice on a previous post.) Recently Ted Cruz was grilling Janet Yellen. So far, so good. But then he said: Senator Cruz: In the summer of 2008, responding to rising consumer prices, the Federal Reserve told markets […]

Scott Sumner, the Rortyian Historian

Scott Sumner has flirted with the notion that there is no such thing as truth, that “truth” is whatever your colleagues let you get away with. (I’ve dug up this post of him merely talking about it, but I’m pretty sure there are others where it looks like Scott is receptive to the idea.) And […]