

Mises Institute
Mises Institute
The Mises Institute, founded in 1982, is an educational institution devoted to advancing Austrian economics, freedom, and peace in the classical-liberal tradition. Our website offers many thousands of free books and thousands of hours of audio and video, along with the full run of rare journals, biographies, and bibliographies of great economists.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 20, 2025 • 27min
Charles Beard and American Foreign Policy
Historian Charles Beard championed continentalism—keeping America out of foreign wars. David Gordon explores Beard’s forgotten warnings and their lasting lessons on liberty and foreign policy.
Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on May 16, 2025.

May 20, 2025 • 39min
The Importance of Ralph Raico’s Foreign Policy Revisionism
Ryan McMaken discusses Ralph Raico’s critique of war propaganda, revealing how states systematically shape history to justify endless conflict—and why revisionism is essential for reclaiming peace and liberty.
Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on May 17, 2025.

May 20, 2025 • 38min
False Virtue: The Phony Rationale for American Military Imperialism
Revisionist history isn't denial—it's the pursuit of truth. Tom DiLorenzo exposes the dangerous "Treasury of Virtue" that justifies endless wars and imperialism.
Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on May 16, 2025.

May 20, 2025 • 35min
The True History of World War II
Ron Unz critically reassesses the established narrative of World War II, exploring overlooked historical evidence, scholarly purges, and contested interpretations that significantly redefine our understanding of the conflict.
Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on May 17, 2025.

May 20, 2025 • 47min
How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine
Endless wars abroad destroy liberty at home. Scott Horton explains how U.S. foreign policy disasters—from NATO expansion to Ukraine—threaten peace, prosperity, and freedom.
Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on May 16, 2025.

May 19, 2025 • 52min
Why Are US Drug Prices So High?
Economist Alex Tabarrok joins Bob to review Trump’s executive order on prescription drug pricing. They explore how price discrimination works in global pharmaceutical markets, the unintended consequences of importation policies, and why U.S. consumers often pay more—yet benefit most from drug innovation. Tabarrok also critiques the FDA’s role in delaying treatments and explains how regulatory reform, not price caps, could make healthcare more affordable and effective.
Alex's Article, "Econ 101 is Underrated: Pharma Price Controls": https://Mises.org/HAP500a

May 17, 2025 • 48min
Resurrection of the Skyscraper Curse?
On Economics Explored, host Gene Tunny and guest Dr. Mark Thornton discuss the “Skyscraper Curse,” the uncanny correlation between constructing the world’s tallest buildings and subsequent global economic crises. Mark explains why these architectural achievements often precede financial downturns. With the resurrection of Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower project—destined to become the world’s tallest building—set for completion around 2027, could another global economic crisis be imminent?
Tune in for an eye-opening discussion that connects skyscrapers, economics, and predictions for our financial future.
Additional Resources
“The Skyscraper Curse and Austrian Economics with Mark Thornton” (Economics Explored Podcast with Gene Tunney): https://Mises.org/MI_120_A
The Skyscraper Curse: And How Austrian Economists Predicted Every Major Economic Crisis of the Last Century by Mark Thornton: https://Mises.org/Curse
An Essay on Economic Theory by Richard Cantillon (edited by Mark Thornton): https://Mises.org/MI_120_B
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at https://Mises.org/MinorIssues

May 15, 2025 • 35min
A History of Political Theory in the West
Political Scientist Joseph Solis-Mullen joins Ryan McMaken to review Ralph Raico’s newly published lectures on politics in the West. We recommend this book for all who want a pro-freedom history of political thought.
Be sure to follow Radio Rothbard at https://Mises.org/RadioRothbard
Radio Rothbard mugs are available at the Mises Store. Get yours at https://Mises.org/RothMug
PROMO CODE: RothPod for 20% off

May 14, 2025 • 6min
How Trump Can Lower Drug Prices Without Price Controls
While Trump has not yet turned to price controls to address America‘s absurdly high drug prices, Monday‘s executive order suggests that he soon may. Price controls would only worsen the problem with the drug market. Here are three things he can do instead.
Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/how-trump-can-lower-drug-prices-without-price-controls
The Mises Institute is giving away 100,000 copies of Murray Rothbard’s, What Has Government Done to Our Money? Get your free copy at https://mises.org/gabfreebook
Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

May 10, 2025 • 10min
The Gold-Silver Ratio
In this episode of the Minor Issues podcast, Mark Thornton unpacks the fascinating world of the gold-silver ratio. Once a key player in bimetallism debates and Gresham’s law, this ratio is now making headlines as it hovers near record highs—over 100 ounces of silver to one ounce of gold.
Mark explores the historical context behind these numbers, and explains why these shifts can signal deeper changes in the economy. He also breaks down what the ratio means for different types of investors, how tariffs and trade wars can twist relative prices across the board, and why understanding these shifts is crucial for everyone—not just economists.
Additional Resources
Gold-Silver Ratio Charts at Gold Price: https://Mises.org/MI_119_A
"Bring Back Gold!" by Lew Rockwell: https://Mises.org/MI_119_B
"Gold:silver ratio hits 105, but analysts are not giving up on the ‘little’ sibling" by Neils Christensen (Kitco): https://Mises.org/MI_119_C
Be sure to follow Minor Issues at Mises.org/MinorIssues