History

EconTalk podcasts on history with Russ Roberts – One-on-one discussions with an eclectic mix of authors, professors, Nobel Laureates, entrepreneurs, leaders of charities and businesses, and people on the street. The emphases are on using topical books and the news to illustrate economic principles. These podcasts explore topics such as the Great Depression, the founding the United States, the end of protectionism in Britain and France, and the history of trade. From Econtalk.org

The Industrial Revolution and Free Trade, edited by Burton W. Folsom, Jr – The Industrial Revolution is one of the most misrepresented and demonized periods in history. This volume tells the true story. The advent of mass production and the rise of free trade made more goods available to more people less expensively than ever before. In spite of long hours and hard conditions, factory workers increased their wealth, lengthened their lives, and improved their standard of living. The anthology contains 22 articles by Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, Henry Hazlitt, Murray Rothbard, Hans Sennholz, Lawrence Reed, and others. From FEE.org

America’s Great Depression, by Murray N. Rothbard – Rothbard opens with a theoretical treatment of business cycle theory, showing how an expansive monetary policy generates imbalances between investment and consumption. He proceeds to examine the Fed’s policies of the 1920s, demonstrating that it was quite inflationary even if the effects did not show up in the price of goods and services. He showed that the stock market correction was merely one symptom of the investment boom that led inevitably to a bust. The Great Depression was not a crisis for capitalism but merely an example of the downturn part of the business cycle, which in turn was generated by government intervention in the economy. From Mises.org

More coming soon…