The Reece Committee: Lessons from history  
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The Reece Committee: Lessons from history  

In the early 1950s, against the backdrop of the Cold War and growing concerns over potential clandestine efforts at internal subversion, the United States Congress launched an investigation into the activities of major tax-exempt foundations. Thus the Reece Committee was born, spearheaded by Congressman B. Carroll Reece, with the aim…

Private property rights under siege 
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Private property rights under siege 

Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland People invest in gold for many different reasons. Many do so out of concern over economic, monetary or political uncertainty. Others seek a hedge against inflation, a way to protect and preserve the real purchasing power of their savings. There are also…

The slow, stealthy but steady spread of absolutism 
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The slow, stealthy but steady spread of absolutism 

Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland Over the last couple of years, we saw countless examples of free speech suppression and of the steep price paid by those who chose to exercise that right. Divergent ideas and thoughts contradicting the government narrative were silenced and often punished in…

A conversation with Prince Michael of Liechtenstein
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A conversation with Prince Michael of Liechtenstein

On November 15th, 2021, almost 20 months ago, I once again had the rare and delightful opportunity to have a conversation with Prince Michael. His insights, and especially his directness and unequivocal honesty, have frequently provided me with a lot of food for thought in the past. This interview was…

Modern Monetary Theory: Reality check
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Modern Monetary Theory: Reality check

I’ve written extensively over the past years about the rise of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and all the terrible dangers it entailed from its very birth, not just for our economies, but for our societies too. Although it captured media interest and monopolized a lot of “expert” debates at the time,…

“Markets and civil society are win-win institutions, government and politics are zero-sum.”
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“Markets and civil society are win-win institutions, government and politics are zero-sum.”

Interview with Jeff Deist, President Mises Institute, Auburn, USA Division, friction and polarization have been on the rise in the West for at least a decade, but the escalation we saw during the “covid years” was especially worrying. Over the last year, this “worry” has become a truly pressing concern,…

The weaponization of Economics
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The weaponization of Economics

Part I of II, by Claudio Grass The field of economics has long and often very embarrassing history of absurd theories, blatantly wrong assumptions and hypotheses, spectacularly wrong predictions and entirely avoidable policymaking blunders; a few of them hilarious, most of them catastrophic, some of them literally murderous.  Overconfidence and…