Hi Mises Forum,
I love the discussions that go on in this community. It's great to learn from liked minded folks.
Like many folks here, I am a dedicated dilettante when it comes to Austrian Economics and libertarianism. I've attended Mises U, have presented at ASC, and have used mises.org as my primary resources of learning. Suffice it to say, there is so much more to learn.
I have been lurking the forums for a year or two. I was reluctant to have a bona fide account as I thought it would be difficult to keep up with the speed and intensity of many of the forum topics. However, I thought it was time to delve in:).
Looking forward to learning, sharing, and discovering knowledge.
J++
Hey! Are you from Phillipines?
My ethno-linguistic/geo-political background is Ilocano/Filipino, but my national citizenship is American. I live in and was born and raised in California:).
How about yourself?
Pardon my spelling error on "greetings".
Indian: born, raised, living.
There are some scattered free market economists in this country, perhaps as many as you can count on your finger, and Walter Block generously forwarded me to a few of them when I had once sent him mail.
Most of them work in very modest public sector universities, but they don't mind being free marketers working in the public sector, because it's only an activity that is done by the private sector as well anyway; it's not like being some wonk or working in the government's Finance Department.
Do you also read some non-Austrian stuff, to get the other side, now and then? I read a few books by Mishkin, a Federal Reserve Board of Governors member, and he's pretty pro-property, pro-market as well, except when it comes to the work done by his own office.
Welcome Jonathan!
Neat to see that your presentations are up on Mises.org!
I try to read non-Austrian literature, time permitting.
I do find I have a deeper understanding of the Austrian School when I have I can compare and contrast it with another school of thought. I'll even throw Marx and socialism into the mix to gain perspective.
However, there is still a plethora of Austrian literature I need to touch.
Thanks Grayson! I am glad to be here:).
Welcome, Jonathan!
To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process. Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!" Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."
Bonjour monsieur! *tips hat
In States a fresh law is looked upon as a remedy for evil. Instead of themselves altering what is bad, people begin by demanding a law to alter it. ... In short, a law everywhere and for everything!
~Peter Kropotkin
Welcome J double plus!
Hi Liberty Student,
I take it we have met before, or at least emailed? As you know my signature:).
Hello!
"If we wish to preserve a free society, it is essential that we recognize that the desirability of a particular object is not sufficient justification for the use of coercion."
By any chance, you heard of or contacted Madhusudan Raj? He is teaches Austrian Economics at the department of Economics and the department of Human Resource Development, South Gujarat University, Surat, India.
I had the pleasure of meeting him at Mises U 2008.
Welcome, it's great to have you participating in this forum!
I am listening to your Mises Institute presentation on business cycles, excellent! ABCT is my favorite topic and is the reason I came to the forum in the first place. I believe the debate about business cycles is not merely academic, I believe it is a matter of life and death since millions of people are impacted by the decision to intervene in the economy.
May I ask, how do your fellow MBA candidates, and your professors, respond to your views on economics? How do they respond when you explain to them why the economy collapsed in Sept '08?
Again, welcome. Look forward to reading your posts.
"The market is a process." - Ludwig von Mises, as related by Israel Kirzner. "Capital formation is a beautiful thing" - Chloe732.
All: Thanks for the warm welcome:).
Chloe732: Thanks for listening:). It's a topic I too find deep fascination.
In regards to my fellow MBA candidates, it's a mixed bag.
I have constant debates with my hardcore Keynesian classmate, ever since day one. We are even having one now, as we speak. (I am sure you can guess which one he is.)
Most do not agree with central banking and the fractional reserve as the culprit of booms and bust. Blame is placed on the "greedy" wall street folks and the financial instruments (CDS) that allegedly lead to the crash.
Some classmates have been a little more receptive to ABCT, especially the malinvestment of capital leading to the boom and bust. However, it has been a hard sell on the gold standard or commodity based money and 100% reserve banking.
My economics professor was open to discussion, but in the end, was not swayed by my arguments, especially when it comes to the Austrian monetary and fiscal (non) policy. She was receptive to the similarities between Minsky and Mises, granted Minsky leaned or was a Keynesian. Another professor was a bit more receptive to the free market argument, once I boiled it down to the minarchist argument that governments role is to in the protection of property rights, nothing more, nothing less.
One of the biggest hurdles among the students and professors was that of "rational man" (non-Miseseian sense) and the "efficient market hypothesis". I have debunked both over and over again with multiple professors, stating that these are not true free market (Austrian) concepts. But the two are stereotypes of the "free market". It is difficult to change minds when misinformation is already ingrained within them.
Very interesting, Jonathan.
It sounds like you are part of a small minority who holds these views. Tu ne cede malis...
Regarding the comments you linked to from your blog post, those people need to study the subject of money. They don't realize how money originates, ie, by becoming the most marketable commodity. They repeat inaccurate beliefs about the nature of commodity money. Maybe a few of them will discover Mises.org.
It's really good to have you contributing to the forum.