
Minor Issues
Succinct economic commentary by Dr. Mark Thornton, senior fellow at the Mises Institute.
Latest episodes

Dec 2, 2023 • 0sec
All-Time Highs!
In this week's episode, Mark looks at "All-Time Highs" in such things as stocks, real estate, and stock indexes. Housing prices hit an all-time high this week, and gold is not far behind. While all-time highs—or even "new highs"—are unambiguously good for owners of these assets, it is much more ambiguous as a signal about the future. Gold might be an exception to this rule, as Mark explains.
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Get your free copy of Murray Rothbard's Anatomy of the State at Mises.org/IssuesFree.

Nov 25, 2023 • 0sec
Jim Chanos and Stock Markets
In this week's episode, Mark looks at the implications of famed investor Jim Chanos shutting down his hedge fund which specialized in shorting stocks. The closure comes as stock markets in the US hit all time record highs. Mark frames these two events in light of the Austrian Theory of the Business Cycle.
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.
Get your free copy of Murray Rothbard's Anatomy of the State at Mises.org/IssuesFree.
Additional Resources
"The Social Function of Stock Speculators" by Robert P. Murphy: Mises.org/Minor46_A
"Short Sellers Keep the Market Honest" (Wall Street Journal) by Jim Thanos: Mises.org/Minor46_B
"Jim Chanos, Short Seller Who Took on Enron and Tesla, to Close Hedge Funds" (Wall Street Journal) by Gregory Zuckerman Follow and Peter Rudegeair: Mises.org/Minor46_C

Nov 18, 2023 • 0sec
Mohamed El-Erian's New Views on the Fed
In this week's episode Mark reports on Pimco's former financial guru Mohamed El-Erian and his new views on the Fed. Mark also does some minor deconstruction of recent financial news to paint a clearer picture of imminent recession—something mainstream economists will be reluctant to call until 2025.
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Nov 11, 2023 • 0sec
Seed Corn and Dry Powder
On this week's episode, Mark looks at the financial condition of the government and of American citizens on the cusp of the next recession. The financial condition of the United States Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and the American citizenry is weak; debt is high and rising, and this is very worrisome in an economic environment of rising interest rates and a weakening global economy. Please share this episode with a curmudgeon.
The U.S. Debt Clock: USDebtClock.org
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Nov 4, 2023 • 0sec
Monetary Chaos
On this week's episode, Mark addresses how we the people can prevent the government and the Federal Reserve from grabbing more power and implementing their own preferred "solutions" to economic issues. This is the third round of monetary chaos the Fed has subjected us to in recent history—a history from which valuable lessons can be learned.
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Oct 28, 2023 • 0sec
On the Cultural Impact of the Paper Dollar
On this week's episode, Mark recaps Professor Guido Hülsmann's recent lecture on the cultural impact of the paper dollar. Hülsmann explains how an ever-inflationary monetary system and depreciating currency are leading to moral decay and divisiveness in America.
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.
Additional Resources
"The Cultural Impact of the Dollar" by Guido Hülsmann: Mises.org/Minor_42A
"Abundance, Generosity, and the State: An Inquiry into Economic Principles" by Guido Hülsmann: Mises.org/Minor_42B

Oct 21, 2023 • 0sec
Where Did the Dollar Come From?
On this week's episode, Mark takes a look back to where our dollar came from. Our nation started with silver as money: the Silver Dollar, and before that the Spanish Peso in colonial times. That type of large silver coin goes back to the early 1500s and the Early Modern Era when such coins expanded trade, improved the food supply, led to commercially produced clothing, and gradually changed housing from mud-and-grass construction to brick-and-lumber construction. Our modern paper dollar is worth less than 5% compared to silver.
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Oct 14, 2023 • 0sec
Separation 101
Mark contemplates the political divide in America, the lack of a middle ground, the political divisions in DC, and the turmoil over the Speaker of the House. Looking around the world, similar problems exist in many places; but, there is a tried and true solution, which Mark explains.
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Oct 7, 2023 • 0sec
Hometown Entrepreneurs in Mississippi
In this week's episode, Mark looks at the "Home Town" entrepreneurs in Laurel, Mississippi, who have done so much to turn around the fortunes of their poor and struggling hometown. Mark points out that this is going on all around us, but is seldom recognized—except in the isolation of forgotten small towns. Entrepreneurs make the good of the world we live in, and can help fix the problems that we face.
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.

Sep 30, 2023 • 0sec
The Data Shutdown—Smokescreen?
This episode examines the impending Government Shutdown, which will suspend new releases of the government's "vital" economic statistics. How will the "Data Dependent" Fed manage its policy behind the cloak of missing data? Mark suggests it's best to consider that the Fed is playing its typical confidence game.
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues.