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Posts under ‘History’

The Tragedy of Spanish Government

The history of Spain is one beset by human tragedy. At first glance, the economic heritage of Spain seems cyclical, with periods of wealth and power followed by long epochs of poverty. Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes evident that even the years of wealth were at best illusionary.

The Pretence of Knowledge

Hayek’s Nobel lecture on 11 December 1974, on the pretence of knowledge.

Garet Garrett’s Invaluable Lesson

Garet Garrett warned of uncontrolled public debt in 1931, and still the lesson has yet to be heeded. A crisis of interventionism, as termed by Ludwig von Mises, is fast approaching.

The Fake History of the Depression

Economist Robert Murphy on the Great Depression, and his new book.

Roosevelt’s Recession of 1937

Roosevelt’s Recession of 1937, which saw the unraveling of supposed economic growth in the prior years, is oftentimes used as an historical example of what occurs when government decreases spending levels or the central bank fails to continue credit expansion. The use of this event to exemplify these things is disingenuous. More accurate lessons can be drawn, which show that only the market can fix itself.

A Spanish Entrepreneur vs. The State

The story of Pedro Permnyer and Francisco Bultó’s motorcycle manufacturing firm named Montesa.

Money and Capital: A Reply

Hayek’s response to Sraffa’s critique of Prices and Production, in 1934, defending his theory of capital and money.

Dr. Hayek on Money and Capital

Piero Sraffa’s critique of Prices and Production, published in 1932. Sraffa’s critique would form the center of the Cambridge critique of the Austrian theory of capital.

Mercantilism in Spain

Murray Rothbard, in “Economic Thought Before Adam Smith”, gives a historic overview of mercantilism in 16th and 17th century Spain.

Lord Keynes and Say’s Law

Ludwig von Mises corrects the Keynesian misconceptions of Say’s Law, and establishes the importance of Say’s Law within Austrian economic theory. This article was originally published in The Freeman (30 October 2005).

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