Bob Murphy

Author Archive

Piketty Makes “Typos,” Bryan Caplan Cites “Noise”

This is odd. Bryan Caplan apparently wrote in his book on irrational voters: There are countless issues that people care about, from gun control and abortion to government spending and the environment… If you know a person’s position on one, you can predict his view on the rest to a surprising degree. In formal statistical […]

Potpourri

==> Curious what you guys think of this blog post urging Austrians to study math. (I disagree with the author’s opinion of the actual attitude toward math among self-described Austrians, which is mostly why I’m asking.) ==> Contra Krugman, Daniel Kuehn wants to make sure Keynesianism wins fair and square. ==> A neat blog post […]

The FDA’s Vioxx Scandal

I’m co-authoring a book on US health care and we deal with the Vioxx scandal. This is a great example of a major shortcoming in the standard economic argument against the FDA. Typically, libertarian economists will say that the FDA faces incentives such that if it approves a drug that kills people, the FDA will […]

Potpourri

==> I wonder if this is fake, but if it’s real, it’s pretty hilarious. Apparently Jimmy Fallon had a shot with Nicole Kidman but he blew it. (You just need to watch the first 3 minutes.) ==> My article in National Review Online (my first ever?) on why conservatives shouldn’t flirt with a carbon tax. […]

Fiat Money and State Power

In my latest FEE article, I clarify the definition of “fiat money” and I also explain that the State doesn’t have the power to make something money “by fiat.” On social media, people have been pushing back against me, citing (e.g.) legal tender laws. I specifically addressed this in the article, but let me be […]

Piketty Gives the Frenchie Response

Recall Jon Lovitz’s character “Frenchie” from SNL, who would say outrageous things and then say, “Oh I’m sorry, didn’t mean to offend anyone!” That is quite apropos for Thomas Piketty’s response to FoxNews when they asked him about the accusations Phil Magness and I made in our recent paper. “I am really sorry if I […]

Potpourri

==> Steve Landsburg has a good post explaining why falling oil prices don’t affect the case for a carbon tax. ==> Gerald O’Driscoll applies standard arguments for rule of law to Fed policy. (HT2 von Pepe) ==> This guy bought his own country off the coast of Portugal. The quotes are hilarious. ==> The awkward […]

God Uses Bad Guys to Serve Him

I often talk about the way in which the God of the Bible clearly structures events such that even evildoers ultimately serve God’s (good) plan. However, even some of the heroes of the Bible were murderers. In particular, Moses, King David, and Paul were instrumental in the killing of people not in self-defense. (Moses killed […]