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

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

No one doubts that the US is a politically and culturally divided nation. Contrary to much of public opinion, politicians like Donald Trump did not cause the crisis. Instead, as Lawrence Mead writes, they are a symptom of the government’s assault on our culture.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/recognizing-roots-current-us-political-turmoil

Recognizing the Roots of the Current US Political Turmoil

Despite the change in the White House, critical race theory is still with us, dominating the academic sectors and being ingrained in progressive culture. We need to better recognize what it is and how it works in order to better refute it.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/how-recognize-critical-race-theory

How to Recognize Critical Race Theory

September’s fiscal surplus was not thanks to tariff revenue. In truth, it was thanks to Americans paying more in income tax. Tariffs were only 5.7 percent of revenue.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/no-tariffs-did-not-cause-septembers-budget-surplus

No, Tariffs Did Not Cause September’s Budget Surplus

For more than 60 years, the US government has enforced a trade embargo against Cuba, ostensibly to force the communist government into collapse. The only thing that has collapsed, however, is the logic in the US policy.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/brief-history-enduring-american-embargo-against-cuba

A Brief History of the Enduring American Embargo against Cuba

Trump’s team is citing the fentanyl crisis to justify its escalations near Venezuela. But virtually all illicit fentanyl is made and smuggled thousands of miles away. If war or regime change in Venezuela is good for the American people, why hide the true motivations?

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/trump-administration-lying-us-another-war

The Trump Administration Is Lying Us Into Another War

The food stamp program is a way for Pepsico and the Coca-Cola company to legally rip off the taxpayers.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/how-food-industry-lobbyists-keep-food-stamp-gravy-train-going

How Food Industry Lobbyists Keep the Food-Stamp Gravy Train Going

Henry Hazlett wrote in Economics in One Lesson that each generation has to relearn economic fallacies that government employs when implementing bad policies. New Yorkers are about to learn a lot of new lessons.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/all-means-elect-mamdani-and-watch-his-socialist-laboratory-work

By All Means, Elect Mamdani and Watch His Socialist Laboratory at Work

Dr. Alex Pollock joins the Human Action Podcast to explain his recent Congressional testimony on the Fed’s growing insolvency and mandate overreach. The Fed now admits to $243 billion in operating losses and nearly $1 trillion in mark-to-market losses, leaving it with negative capital of about $197 billion. Dr. Pollock explains how the central bank transformed itself into “the biggest 1980s-style savings and loan in history” — funding short while buying long, and bleeding cash as interest rates rose.

Rear Dr. Pollock's Testimony: https://Mises.org/HAP523a
Read More from Dr. Pollock: https://Mises.org/HAP523b

How Congress Should Reform the Fed

Murray Rothbard’s view of the origins of World War II has an important lesson for us today.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/murray-rothbard-and-world-war-ii-origins

Murray Rothbard and World War II Origins

When studying praxeology, something as trivial as the recipe for chocolate cake can become a way to better teach us Austrian economics.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/recipes-rothbard-what-chocolate-cake-can-teach-about-economics

Recipes with Rothbard: What Chocolate Cake Can Teach About Economics

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Tariffs Will Not Make America Great Again

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