Bob Murphy

Author Archive

Obama Is No Peacenik

I have been warning Obama fans that he is not the anti-Bush when it comes to foreign policy. Justin Raimondo makes a much more informed case than I could.

Earlier this week, Michael Crichton died. (I tried linking to his website the day it happened, but it was getting overwhelmed with traffic.) I know the people at RealClimate can’t stand him, but Michael Crichton was a very knowledgeable guy, in addition to writing some cool stories. Here is a talk he gave about global […]

"Did the Fed Cause the Housing Bubble?" Henderson & Hummel vs. Murphy: This Time, It’s Personal

OK I have been putting this off for a few days, hoping to get time to “do it right.” Well, that’s not going to happen; I’m sitting in a hotel room at 6:00 local time, I got out of bed about 16 hours ago, I still have two official work projects to do, plus I […]

Recommended: EconLog

With the recent addition of David Henderson (whom I am going to skewer in a few minutes in a blog post on monetary policy), I really like the blog EconLog. The regulars are Bryan Caplan and Arnold Kling. Caplan is always great to read if he’s criticizing some subtle point in Austrian theory, because it’s […]

And Now For Something, Completely Different

I am currently in Sacramento on top-secret PRI business. (I could tell you, but then I’d have to give you an Indian burn.) When I got off the plane, I had a voice mail from a woman with an awesome British accent telling me the BBC wanted me to discuss interest rate cuts and whether […]

Another Quick Post on the Logic of Non-Voting

In response to my Election Day nose-thumbing, several different challenges were raised. (A few people were outraged at Mises.org as well.) In response, I need to clarify some things. (1) I am not repudiating principled behavior. I realize many of the “economistic” arguments for non-voting rest on such a case, but that wasn’t the case […]

Markets Need Time, Not More Poison

I explain in this Mises.org piece. An excerpt: The present crisis is scary, but only because no one knows what crazy new scheme the government will introduce every other day. Resources were invested improperly during the housing boom, and the economy needs time to heal itself. There is no way around this fact. The sooner […]

Will Wilkinson Has Some Good Advice for Obama

OK I have taken some pot shots at Will Wilkinson in the past, so I should congratulate him on a pretty hardcore NPR commentary. (I write for TownHall so I understand you have to be aware of your medium with these recurring spots. I don’t expect him to shout, “Anarchy! Anarchy!” or even “Minarchy! Minarchy!” […]