Economics

Archive for Economics

Follow-Up on Rothbard and Consumption Taxes

Incidentally, Bob Wenzel and I have been exchanging emails that are as chummy as the bounds of heterosexuality permit. I think we are in 99% agreement on Rothbard’s views towards a consumption tax. So this isn’t me “attacking” anybody, just making sure people don’t draw erroneous inferences from some of Rothbard’s arguments. In this piece […]

Robert Wenzel Takes the Fight to Radio

Having conquered the world of online Austro-libertarian financial commentary, Robert Wenzel is eyeing new territory: I am happy to announce the launch of the “Robert Wenzel Show”. I will be recording the shows on Saturday and they will be up on EPJ on Sunday at 7:00 AM EST. I hope to expand the show down […]

More Frank Talk From DeLong on NGDP Targeting

You know, I’ve had my differences with Brad DeLong–and I really can’t stand his habit of editing people’s comments–but he’s actually a straight shooter. Robert Waldmann had asked the entirely reasonable question, “Jan Hatsius (and Brad DeLong) argue that the Fed should declare its intention of buying whatever quantity it takes of long-term Treasuries to […]

Krugman Is the Herman Cain of Bailouts and the Euro

No, I don’t mean Krugman favors a $999 billion bailout (that’s much too small), I mean that he simultaneously tries to take both sides of a hot-button issue. (Poor John Stossel!) In a snarky post entitled, “A Tale of Two Krugmans,” I alluded to the fact that Krugman thought he blew up the case for […]

Clash of the Titans

I was bracing myself for a rebuttal from Bob Wenzel when I had some harsh words for his take on the consumption tax not affecting consumers at all (save in their role as producers), but not a peep. Then I realized it was because he was engaged in a multi-front war. Wenzel was on the […]

The Plot Thickens: I May Agree 100% With Rothbard After All

Thanks to Marris, I think this is the passage from MES that made me think I had a disagreement with Rothbard on an income tax’s impact on saving (pp. 917-919 of the Scholar’s Edition): Some economists maintain that income taxation reduces savings and investment in society in yet a third way. They assert that income […]

Rothbard Bask

Well I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Blogging something that could even be construed as a critique of Bob Wenzel’s take on something having to do with Austrian economics–even though you twice deny that that is what you are doing–is as reckless as peeing on an electric fence. To refresh your memory, yesterday I wrote […]

Murphy Debate With Sumner in January

It’s on. (I was going to link to an Eazy-E video of the song with that title, but remembered that women and children read this blog.) We haven’t picked an official date yet, but Sumner and I will go toe-to-toe in January. The topic? Anthropogenic climate change. He’s for, I’m against. Or maybe we’ll talk […]