Posts by Robert Murphy
Ep. 12 Gene Epstein on Commies, Krugman, and Crushing Debaters
Gene Epstein, former Barron’s economics editor and founder of the Soho Forum, joins Bob for a lively discussion covering a variety of topics. Gene explains that his mother, a card-carrying member of the Communist Party, had an FBI file and was responsible for Gene’s original position as a democratic socialist. It was only through his…
Ep. 11 The Economics of Immigration and a Border Wall
Bob flies solo to provide an introductory framework on how to analyze the economics of immigration, as well as the politics involved in this controversial topic. The point isn’t to pick sides but to sharpen everyone’s arguments. For example: Make sure your arguments about immigration don’t “prove” that having babies makes a country poorer. Mentioned…
Ep. 10 This One Simple Fed Trick Earns the Bankers Billions
Bob flies solo to explain what he means when he tells crowds, “Back in the fall of 2008, as the financial crisis hit, the Fed began paying banks to not make loans to their customers.” Specifically, Bob explains the new Fed procedure of “paying interest on reserve balances.” As of the Fed’s December 2018 meeting,…
Ep. 9 Norman Horn on Morality and Politics, Christianity and the Troops, and How a Christian Libertarian Handles Romans 13
Norman Horn is the founder and president of the Libertarian Christian Institute. He and Bob have a provocative conversation that will enlighten both believers and skeptics alike. They critically analyze the tendency of American Christians to support war, in its domestic and foreign applications. Norman gives Bob the best, succinct analysis of Romans 13 he…
Ep. 8 David R. Henderson on Working in the Reagan Administration, Krugman’s Inflation Memo, and Publicly Challenging the Secretary of Defense
Economist David R. Henderson underwent a personal odyssey in his discovery of free-market economics. David tells Bob the story of his recruitment by Harold Demsetz, and how David ended up at UCLA during its glory days. The conversation turns to David’s time on the Council of Economic Advisors to Ronald Reagan, as well as David’s…