Counter Markets

Financial Newsletter for Free Marketeers and Libertarian Entrepreneurs

Trends & Strategies for Maximum Freedom

Calls for Central Planning in the COVID-19 Panic Are like the Calls for the “War Socialism” of Old

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By Philipp Bagus In dark hours, when people fear for their lives, they eagerly deliver their freedom to the state. Many want the government take control of their lives, because they think it will be better for them. Ludwig von Mises has written extensively about the erroneous belief that in an emergency the state must take control of the economy because the market economy … [Read more...] about Calls for Central Planning in the COVID-19 Panic Are like the Calls for the “War Socialism” of Old

Why Central Planning by Medical Experts Will Lead to Disaster

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By Gary Galles A great deal of the coverage of the COVID-19 crisis has been apocalyptic. That is partly because “if it bleeds, it leads.” But it is also because some of the medical experts with media megaphones have put forward potentially catastrophic scenarios and drastic plans to deal with them, reinforced by assertions that the rest of us should “listen to the experts,” … [Read more...] about Why Central Planning by Medical Experts Will Lead to Disaster

The COVID-19 “Lockdowns” Are What Twenty-First-Century Mob Rule Looks Like

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By Ryan McMaken As of April 6, forty-one states have statewide "stay-at-home" decrees in place. These orders vary widely from place to place. In some states, there are long lists of exempted industries including marijuana dispensaries, liquor stores, hardware stores, and of course, grocery stores. In some states with these edicts, public lands, state parks, … [Read more...] about The COVID-19 “Lockdowns” Are What Twenty-First-Century Mob Rule Looks Like

Unwealthy is Unhealthy, So Why Mandate It?

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By Richard M. Salsman Abundant historical evidence informs us that poverty both sickens and kills over the long term, that it brings higher rates of morbidity and mortality, not only in less-wealthy, “less-developed” nations but also among poorer folks in wealthier nations. Put positively, wealth promotes health; it thereby increases lifespans and happiness; and it does so … [Read more...] about Unwealthy is Unhealthy, So Why Mandate It?

Controls Breeding More Controls

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By Raymond C. Niles We are experiencing an extraordinary example of the political-economic principle that “controls breed controls.” For example, whenever a government imposes large-scale price controls that results in widespread shortages across an economy, it faces an inevitable subsequent choice: repeal the controls, or impose comprehensive rationing across the economy. … [Read more...] about Controls Breeding More Controls

What Comes After the Coronavirus, Freedom or Despotism?

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By Richard M. Ebeling The coronavirus crisis that has enveloped the world has brought about calls for society and economy-wide action on the part of governments that has been matched by the imposing of radical shutdowns and compulsory mass quarantining as tens of millions of people are told to not to go to work and to stay at home instead. Governments have also been … [Read more...] about What Comes After the Coronavirus, Freedom or Despotism?

This Is Not a Recession — This Is a Government-Imposed Shutdown of the Private Sector

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By Hunter Hastings Economists and Wall Street analysts are using the word recession to describe the looming plunge in output in the US economy. We’ll just make the point early that economists, exhibiting the typical emptiness of their failed science, can’t even agree on the definition of recession. Undeterred by lacking a definition, the geniuses at Goldman Sachs and … [Read more...] about This Is Not a Recession — This Is a Government-Imposed Shutdown of the Private Sector

The Benefits of a Free Society During Pandemics

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By Per Bylund In this time of crisis, many exclaim how impressed they are by the “swift and decisive” actions by the Chinese regime. Instead of recognizing the abhorrent disrespect for human life, the Chinese response is put forth as an exemplar for combating a pandemic. These hailers conveniently forget the many weeks of silencing and censorship that preceded the brutal … [Read more...] about The Benefits of a Free Society During Pandemics

Burner Cards and Financial Privacy

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By J.P. Koning Our ability to make private payments is already quite limited. I sometimes wonder if the wiggle room we currently have will have shrunken or expanded ten years from now. Economist Charles Kahn, is optimistic about the future of financial privacy. “…the demand for privacy, like the demand for other aspects of payments services, is multifaceted,” he writes. … [Read more...] about Burner Cards and Financial Privacy

Focus on People During Economic Crises, Not Macro-Statistics

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By Mark Hornshaw Economics studies human choice under scarcity. Humans must act in the present to provide for the future. Informed choice relies on market data in the form of prices—specific prices for specific things, as we assess various different means to satisfy our ends—that is what economics is about. Macro-statistics such as GDP and CPI, whether they are rising or … [Read more...] about Focus on People During Economic Crises, Not Macro-Statistics

A Litany of Useless Laws Have Been Exposed By the Coronavirus

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By Charles Blain From the start of the COVID 19 outbreak in the United States, state and local governments responded in various ways from issuing emergency orders⁠—citywide shutdowns⁠ to school closures and beyond⁠—but it’s the suspension of various laws and regulations that is exposing the unnecessary regulatory web that burdens businesses. As often happens during … [Read more...] about A Litany of Useless Laws Have Been Exposed By the Coronavirus