Bob Murphy

Author Archive

You Can’t Inoculate Yourself Against My Logic

I am in a debate on State-mandated vaccinations at FEE. Don’t bother voting for me, though; there’s a greater chance you will be struck by lightning than changing anyone’s mind. An excerpt from my side: This is a crucial point, and it shows why the case for mandatory vaccines is so much weaker than, for […]

Let Me Show Mercy

Josiah was cracking a joke, but he brought up something important: I really do not remember things that I wrote only a few years ago. So now I am amending my harsh view. When I see Krugman totally contradict some principle that he espoused in 2011 because now it hurts his political conclusion, I no […]

Potpourri

==> Tell me this isn’t the funniest headline for a real study. I have known this about male economists for a while. Women should not emulate them. No amount of career success is worth your soul, ladies! ==> I was googling a topic and stumbled across this National Review article from back in January, where […]

Awwwkward

In this post Paul Krugman is happy about the Greek vote. He writes: Tsipras and Syriza have won big in the referendum, strengthening their hand for whatever comes next. But they’re not the only winners: I would argue that Europe, and the European idea, just won big — at least in the sense of dodging […]

Similar Politics, Different Worldview

Recent events have only confirmed for me something I noticed a while ago: There are plenty of people who share my political outlook–even some who say they are fans of my writing–who nonetheless have utterly different worldviews. I am a libertarian anarchist in the tradition of Rothbard because I take moral and legal rules seriously, […]

Adam House on Medical Marijuana

I got to know Adam when we drove to Atlanta to catch a Jordan Page house party. He has an interesting story in that he came back from Afghanistan–where he originally thought he was defending American liberty–only to find (as I think he would describe it) that the country had been sold out to bankers […]

Two Libertarian Views on War

When evaluating the so-called War on Poverty or Drugs, libertarians will often say something like, “After boatloads of money and many lives ruined in waging such efforts, decades later we haven’t really solved the underlying problem.” Thus, they do not support such “wars.” On the Fourth of July, libertarians will often say something like, “By […]

Scott Sumner to Fed: “There Is No Justification for Listening to My Advice”

I know you guys think I’m just being a mosquito, buzzing around Scott Sumner’s ear and criticizing him for no good reason. Well you’re wrong. I am the sentinel in the night, guarding the integrity of the USD from Sumner’s attempted debasement, while you have barbecues and watch fireworks. Now I know very well what […]