Weekly commentary by Connor O’Keeffe, examining some of the biggest stories in the news through an Austro-libertarian lens.

Guns and Butter

Despite all the money spent on US healthcare, an astounding number of Americans suffer from chronic illnesses. Yet the political establishment has shown no interest in even discussing the issue. It's important to understand why. Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at Mises.org/GB

Why the Political Establishment Won’t Touch the Chronic Disease Issue

While the Ukrainian incursion in Russia’s Kursk region is dramatic, the operation does not change the fact that the Ukrainian position in future talks with Russia continues to grow weaker and weaker. Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at Mises.org/GB

The Incursion into Russia Will Not Solve Ukraine’s Biggest Problem

Trump has taken to calling Kamala Harris a "communist." But a real communist president would be hemmed in by the political class, who wants to keep the profits they’re extracting from us, and limited by a commitment to principles. Harris will not have that problem. Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at Mises.org/GB

Kamala Harris Is Not a Radical Communist, but That Makes Her Even More Dangerous

As our government officials crack down on what they call “foreign disinformation,” allegedly meant to influence the 2024 election, it’s worth remembering that they, too, are willing to use disinformation, not only against foreign regimes, but against Americans themselves.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/its-also-disinformation-when-our-government-does-it

Connor O’Keeffe produces media and content at the Mises Institute. He has a master’s in economics and a bachelor’s in geology.

Guns & Butter

It’s Also “Disinformation” When Our Government Does It

After Trump narrowly escaped another assassination attempt, the establishment seems uninterested in the motives of the would-be shooter. Perhaps that’s because he’s echoing the same simplistic narratives about the Ukraine war and Trump that they demand we all believe.

Read the Article Here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/second-trump-shooter-believed-exactly-what-establishment-media-wanted-him-believe 

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at Mises.org/GB

The Second Trump Shooter Believed Exactly What the Establishment Media Wanted Him to Believe

Many “mainstream” economists are bothered by the popularity of economically-flawed policy proposals like tariffs and price controls. It’s their own fault.

Read the Article Here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/economically-illiterate-policy-proposals-are-popular-and-economists-are-blame

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Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

Economically-Illiterate Policy Proposals Are Popular, And Economists Are to Blame

Donald Trump and Elon Musk want to make the federal government more efficient. But if the true aim of our political system is not to solve the problems facing Americans but to transfer wealth to the government and the politically-connected, the government is already very efficient.

Read the Article Here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/america-doesnt-need-more-efficient-government

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

America Doesn’t Need More “Efficient” Government

As with any other government-controlled institution, a high level of public skepticism about elections is healthy.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/its-good-be-skeptical-elections

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at Mises.org/GB

It’s Good to Be Skeptical of Elections

The outcry from establishment media figures following the decision by the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times to not endorse a presidential candidate shows how out of touch they have become about how much we rely on them. 

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/establishment-media-unaware-its-growing-irrelevance

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

The Establishment Media is Unaware of Its Growing Irrelevance

Donald Trump’s win last night is arguably an even bigger repudiation of the establishment than his win in 2016. And that’s worth celebrating. But there is much the electorate still needs to understand about how those in power are ripping us off if we’re ever going to see an end to it.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-trumps-victory-matters-and-why-it-doesnt

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at Mises.org/GB

Why Trump’s Victory Matters, and Why It Doesn’t

While it is often framed in the media as a battle between principled conservatives and an angry, non-ideological movement focused solely on personal loyalty to Trump, the current civil war on the American right is only the latest chapter in a much older story.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/context-behind-donald-trumps-takeover-american-right

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

The Context Behind Donald Trump’s “Takeover” of the American Right

In this episode, Ryan McMaken takes a look at how the domestic and commercial rituals of the Thanksgiving holiday are things that communists really don't like. 

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Radio Rothbard

Why Communists Don't Like Thanksgiving

Progressives are openly cheering the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. However, it was progressive legislation that created this healthcare crisis in the first place.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/progressivism-and-murder-health-insurance-ceo

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

Progressivism and the Murder of a Health Insurance CEO

The Biden administration, and the political establishment more broadly, is scrambling to ram through policies that a majority of voters just voted against. Their actions expose that their supposed commitment to democracy is a lie.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/establishments-principles-are-fake

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

The Establishment’s “Principles” Are Fake

The child-like obsession with buying stuff that American society is often criticized for around Christmas is a sought-after result of our government’s monetary policy.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/americas-problem-consumerism-governments-fault

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

America’s Problem with Consumerism Is the Government’s Fault

2024 was a rough year for the Washington establishment as its control over public discourse continued to collapse. While this is an excellent development, the year also previewed the adoption of a new, more fruitful establishment strategy: co-option.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/significance-2024-and-challenges-2025

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

The Significance of 2024 and the Challenges of 2025

A major reason the wildfires in LA last week were so destructive is because of how the government intervenes in the home insurance market. Now as the industry falls apart, state officials are blaming climate change and doubling down.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/no-climate-change-not-causing-californias-insurance-crisis

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

No, Climate Change Is Not Causing California’s “Insurance Crisis”

Biden‘s last-minute pardon of Anthony Fauci was not done to spare an “innocent” person from abuse by dishonest politicians. Biden likely did it to prevent an investigation into Fauci’s actions and background, which could have proved damaging for the political establishment.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-joe-biden-had-pardon-anthony-fauci

Register to attend Educating for Liberty: Mises Circle in Tampa, February 22, 2025, at https://mises.org/tampa25.

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

Why Joe Biden Had to Pardon Anthony Fauci

Making it harder to do business with Americans is not the way to help domestic workers, small businesses, and everyone else in middle America who has been getting ripped off under our current political system.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/tariffs-will-not-make-america-great-again

Register to attend Educating for Liberty: Mises Circle in Tampa, February 22, 2025, at https://mises.org/tampa25.

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

Tariffs Will Not Make America Great Again

The media and political outcry that came when President Trump temporarily froze USAID and some domestic funding revealed how the political establishment uses the plight of the most vulnerable people to keep their rigged political system in place.

Read the article here: https://mises.org/mises-wire/needy-are-human-shields-american-regime

Be sure to follow the Guns and Butter podcast at https://Mises.org/GB

The Needy Are the Human Shields of the American Regime

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