The Human Action Podcast

Bob responds to recent tweets that believe trade deficits are a sign of economic strength. He also includes an op-ed from Robert Barro and a clip from Milton Friedman, to show that even big gun economists can often speak in misleading ways when it comes to trade deficits.Bob's Article on Free Traders Defending Deficits

One of the common worries about a hard money like gold or Bitcoin is that large price deflation could make lending and investment impossible because nominal interest rates can't go below 0%. Bob explains why these fears are invalid.The Charts Used in This Episode Can Be Viewed Here: Mises.org/HAP491a The Mises Institut

Bob first reviews the standard libertarian case for legalizing drugs as the way to neutralize the Mexican drug cartels. Then he plays a recent clip where Dave Smith argues that drug prohibition leads to violence because (among other factors) you can't call the cops if someone steals your product. Bob argues that libert

Grove City College has recently digitized its collection of post-war materials—including photos, correspondence, and manuscripts—from the great Austrian economist, Ludwig von Mises. Mises' biographer, Guido Hülsmann, joins Bob to discuss some of the treasures that have been made available online.Explore the Grove City

Some have proposed that the spending cuts identified by DOGE be directed towards a $5000 tax rebate for Americans who pay federal taxes. Critics warn it could be inflationary, just like the COVID-era stimmies. Bob disagrees, explaining that the DOGE spending cuts offset the impact.Rothbard's Making Economic Sense: Mise

Josh Hendrickson is the chair of the Economics Department at the University of Mississippi. He recently brought to Twitter's attention a 41-page document released in November by Stephen Miran, the Harvard PhD whom Trump has nominated as the new chair of the Council of Economic Advisors. The document spells out a strate