Sunday Best - Mar 15th 2009

1) All-time best: The Compound Interest Paradox by FSK
A brief explanation of why a central bank fiat monetary system is unsustainable.

2) Best news-related: Further Adventures in the Quantum Wrongness Field, Economic Crisis Edition by Glen Allport
Short and comprehensible overview of why the current political prescriptions for overcoming the recession will not work and, in fact, be a great burden for generations to come.

3) Best discussion: 100% Reserve Gold Standard Banking and Loans on the Mises Institute boards
Thoughts on how a non-fractional reserve banking system might work out.

Sunday Best - Mar 8th 2009

1) All-time best: The Idea of a Private Law Society by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Professor Hoppe on how law can emerge without a state proclaiming it.

2) Best news-related: Rush to Judgment by Peter Schiff
'Austrian' investment giant Peter Schiff's take on Rush Limbaugh's recent comments regarding the Obama administration, the inappropriate Republican response and what to do.

3) Best discussion: Formal Debate on Manoralism on the Mises Institute boards
After countless skirmishes between so-called "left-libertarians" and "right-libertarians", two representatives of these groups try to settle the issue in a final debate: would people in a free society prefer entrepreneurially run enclaves or solid property ownership?

Sunday Best - Mar 1st 2009

1) All-time best: Detroit Iron by Karen De Coster
A touching summary of why American V8s are still the best cars in the world from a time when the not-so-glorious bailout of the Big Three seemed like a bizarre joke. If you're not in love with cars already, you probably will be after looking at the photo gallery ...

2) Best news-related: Return of the war party by Pat Buchanan
Should we go to war again? No, says Pat Buchanan, and so do I.

3) Best discussion: Disappointed Anarchists on the Mises Institute boards
What would a stateless society look like? Would we see a revival of conservatism or more counter-culture? GilesStratton has some provocative thoughts on that one.

Sunday Best - Feb 22nd 2009

1) All-time best: Libertarian Anarchism: Responses to Ten Objections by Roderick T. Long
A classic of libertarian theory by one of its most famous academic proponents, Dr. Roderick T. Long.

2) Best news-related: Battling the Threat of Famine with One Hand Tied -- Thanks Again Greenpeace and FOE by Ronald Bailey
While crops worldwide are being infected with a dangerous rust, adaption to this new situation becomes increasingly difficult due to the political minefield of genetic engineering. Demonizing technology will hardly improve global living standards - and it's a play with fire (or, more appropriately, "a pending disaster in global agriculture") in this particular case.

3) Best debate: Most Libertarian Country on the Mises Institute boards
A discussion on the freest place on earth that turned into an argument over secular statism. Quite thought-provoking.

Sunday Best - Feb 15th 2009

1) All-time best: Schelling Points by khydraa
An analysis of why the state is still seen as a moral and sound entity despite its obvious systematic and ethical flaws. Also contains some interesting historical evidence for the claims made. An enlightening read for anyone wondering why the state is so effective at, well, governing people.

2) Best news-related: National Healthcare FAIL: Japan by David Z
A sickening case of socialized medicine failing to help those who are really in need. It's just an empirical observation, of course, but proves the libertarian point that socialization of certain sectors of the economy does by no means guarantee that they will be available to you should you have to depend on them.

3) Best debate: Does free will exist? on the Anti-State boards
Maybe it's because I have been pondering on the issue myself for quite some time now, but I found these exchanges very helpful and instructive. One should not be so quick to accept and promote the idea of "free will", even if one is advocating freedom in general.

Sunday Best - Feb 08th 2009

I decided to add a new feature to my blog: the Sunday Best. Every Sunday, I'll post a reading recommendation in three categories:

1) All-time best article
2) Best news-related story
3) Most inspiring debate

Today, the winners are as follows:

1) All-time best: The Hunt Brothers' Silver Corner by FSK
I've yet to see anyone describe the events surrounding the attempted cornering of the silver market by the Hunt family in the 1970s that accurately. Almost a Shakespeare play. Very well-informed documentation of the events that happened, a must-read.


2) Best news-related: The Federal Reserve's Self-Imposed Dilemma by Gary North
An excellent description of the catch-22 the Federal Reserve has maneuvred itself into lately. You'll recognize the direness of the situation once you understand the mechanisms behind it. Definitely worth a look.


3) Best debate: Microsecession as a strategy and the prospects for a new Hanseatic League by Stranger on the Mises Institute boards
It's been going for one and a half months now and discusses the idea of tiny libertarian micro-societies either splitting off from existing state territories or being founded on uninhabitated islands to function as a regional trading centre and a model project for libertarians to point to. Is that the right approach? You decide.