Minor Issues

Pundits have labeled piggy banks small change, irrational and wasteful, “just sitting around doing nothing.” As usual, they are wrong.Register to attend Educating for Liberty: Mises Circle in Tampa, February 22, 2025, at Mises.org/Tampa25. Use promo code Minor25 for 10% off the ticket price.Enter the 2025 Bitcoin vs. Gold Prediction Contest at https://mises.org/form/bitcoin-gold--2025-entryOrder a free paperback copy of Murray Rothbard’s What Has Government Done to Our Money? at Mises.org/IssuesFreeBe sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

In the US, the price of hamburger meat ended 2024 near a record high of $5.60 per pound. Is there a magic wand to solve the problem of high beef prices, as well as high pork and chicken prices? Yes, actually. Mark Thornton explains.Additional Resources"Where’s the Beef?" (Minor Issues Podcast): Mises.org/MI_36"Average Price: Ground Beef" (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU0000703112The Skyscraper Curse: And How Austrian Economists Predicted Every Major Economic Crisis of the Last Century by Mark Thornton: Mises.org/CurseRegister to attend Educating for Liberty: Mises Circle in Tampa, February 22, 2025, at Mises.org/Tampa25. Use promo code Minor25 for 10% off the ticket price.Enter the 2025 Bitcoin vs. Gold Prediction Contest at https://mises.org/form/bitcoin-gold--2025-entryOrder a free paperback copy of Murray Rothbard’s What Has Government Done to Our Money? at Mises.org/IssuesFreeBe sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Cuba was once a famous vacation destination for Americans. Although we can now travel to Cuba, most Americans have been deprived of various forms of trading with the Cuban people. Likewise, Cubans have been deprived of trading with Americans and visiting their American relatives. Does anyone think this situation is good for Americans? Does anyone think this impasse is good for Cubans?Enter the 2025 Bitcoin vs. Gold Prediction Contest at https://mises.org/form/bitcoin-gold--2025-entryOrder a free paperback copy of Murray Rothbard’s What Has Government Done to Our Money? at Mises.org/IssuesFreeBe sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Mark Thornton looks forward to 2025—and a little bit backward at 2024—and projects what we might see in the coming new year. He also shares his economic "wish list" for the younger generation in 2025. Enter the 2025 Bitcoin vs. Gold Prediction Contest at https://mises.org/form/bitcoin-gold--2025-entryOrder a free paperback copy of Murray Rothbard’s What Has Government Done to Our Money? at Mises.org/IssuesFreeBe sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Will Americans slay our Leviathan government and restore the American dream? Or, will we fail, and continue to allow cronies, fat-cat politicians, and bureaucrats to live off the fruits of our productive labor? Mark Thornton discusses some pertinent lessons from the French Revolution."The Brilliance of Turgot" by Murray N. Rothbard: Mises.org/MI_AThe Turgot Collection: Writings, Speeches, and Letters of Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune, edited by David Gordon: Mises.org/MI_BDonate $25 or more and receive the December Book Bundle: Mises.org/MinorIssues24Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Is the black-market economy immune to inflation? It would seem that the price of illegal pot has been declining or steady for several years while legal pot is higher in price and everything else has increased in price. We have all been suffering from higher prices, lower quality, and poor service. Is marijuana the magic elixir for economic performance and a cure for the Fed’s inflation? Might it help make America great again?Donate $25 or more and receive the December Book Bundle: Mises.org/MinorIssues24Follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Mark Thornton discusses why increased government spending not only explains ongoing wayward increases in the GDP, employment, and stock price numbers, but also why so many people decided to vote against the incumbent in favor of the challenger, Donald Trump. The key variable is that government spending in GDP statistics does not reflect true economic value the way your personal spending does."Federal Government: Current Expenditures" (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis): fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FGEXPNDDonate $25 or more and receive the December Book Bundle: Mises.org/MinorIssues24Follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

In What Has Government Done to Our Money? Murray Rothbard changes your whole view of the world—not just money. He opens our eyes and clarifies the mysteries of money, banking, and the role of government.See also Economic Depressions: Their Cause and Cure by Murray Rothbard: Mises.org/CureOrder a free paperback copy of Murray Rothbard’s What Has Government Done to Our Money? at Mises.org/IssuesFree.Follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

The gold standard hampers the growth of government power, which helps people more effectively fight bad policy—like the disastrous War on Drugs.Order a free paperback copy of Murray Rothbard’s What Has Government Done to Our Money? at Mises.org/IssuesFree.Follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Yes, college professors are 10-to-1 Democrats over Republicans. Mark Thornton reviews some of the technical literature on the political ideology of college professors in the United States."Economics laureates should disclose their political ideologies in policy petitions" by Emre Kuvvet (Economic Affairs, PDF): Mises.org/MI_95_A"Your Kids Are Already Communists, and College Will Make It Worse" (Minor Issues, Episode 89): Mises.org/MI_89Order a free paperback copy of Murray Rothbard’s What Has Government Done to Our Money? at Mises.org/IssuesFree.Follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.