Succinct economic commentary by Dr. Mark Thornton, senior fellow at the Mises Institute. Mises.org/Thornton

Minor Issues

Mark Thornton takes a look at the recent GDP report and the layoff announcement at 3M and has some minor issues with both.

GDP and 3M

Are stock markets in full recovery mode, à la the Fed's Immaculate Disinflation, or is this just a counter-trend rally experienced in most bear markets?

The January Effect

Will the Federal Reserve be successful with its "Immaculate Disinflation"? Or, will we still have to "pay an even higher price" for their use of Weapons of Massive Monetary Destruction in 2020-21?

Recorded on February 3, 2023.

The Fed's Immaculate Disinflation

Mark Thornton discusses the history of record low unemployment rates and the business cycle.

See "Unemployment Rate" (UNRATE) from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: https://mises.org/MI_04_Chart

Recorded on February 6, 2023.

Record Low Unemployment Indicates Trouble Ahead

Mark Thornton looks at how much money Americans will spend on the Super Bowl this year and discusses the accuracy of the Super Bowl Stock Market Indicator.

Recorded on February 11, 2023.

The Super Bowl Indicator

On the latest episode of Minor Issues, Mark Thornton uses vitamin K2 (MK-7) as a case study in how technocracy goes wrong, elevating cutting-edge findings and bureaucracy over experience, incentives, and real-world diets. Mark explains why K2 is linked in emerging research to bone health, arterial calcification, and even neurodegenerative conditions, and highlights a paradox: many food sources rich in K2 (beef, eggs, butter, chicken liver, European cheeses, salami) are officially discouraged, while “approved” sources (natto, kefir, sauerkraut) are niche. The takeaway isn’t medical advice, it’s a critique of a compliance-driven health regime that sidelines decentralized knowledge and choice.

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Vitamins vs. Technocracy: Lessons from MK-7

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