Comments on: EconTalk Podcast on IP with Michele Boldrin

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:01:42 +0000

I’ve listened to nearly all of the episodes of econtalk and regularly read his blog at CafeHayek.com and I don’t remember him ever endorsing the Fed. Although he was a student at Chicago and was a student of Friedman at one point if I recall, so I’m not sure of his views on the Fed.
Either way, he runs an excellent podcast and blog, and he’s very friendly to the Austrian perspective.

By: Robbie Clark

Robbie Clark — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:30:40 +0000

Dan, while I have listened to a lot of Russ Roberts’ podcasts, I haven’t heard him explicitly favor the Fed. Perhaps he holds a view similar to that of Milton Friedman, but based on this conversation you can tell he strongly liberty leaning and willing to change his mind. If you’ve got any really good anti-Fed/anti-fiat money/Austrian sources you should send them to him. Maybe he’ll even invite you on his show.

By: Dan Fallon

Dan Fallon — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:08:14 +0000

Hi Professor Kinsella,

How libertarian is Russ Roberts? He does favor having the Fed…as long as it keeps the money supply constant. Didn’t Hayek warn against a fiat currency- even under stable supply conditions?

Roberts admits, in add, that the central bank is similar to the Supreme Court in that it has to deal with (submit to?) public opinion. Given that the Fed is not a market institution, but quite the opposite really, does any supporter of such a privileged cartel deserve a moniker (that should be) associated with the highest form of freedom?