The Gold Standard and the Great Depression

Article by Robert P. Murphy against the assertion that remaining on the gold standard prolonged the depression.

Quote:

Paul Krugman has concentrated his fire recently on those “thumping their chests” over the falling dollar. He has particular scorn for those recommending a return to the gold standard. In Krugman’s view, a simple look at the historical facts will show that it was a superstitious fetish for the yellow metal that prolonged the Great Depression.

A careful, comprehensive response to Krugman’s charges would involve an explanation of the classical gold standard, and the wonderful peace and prosperity it showered on the world. It was only after the major countries abandoned gold during World War I that major imbalances in international trade began to fester — imbalances that eventually exploded during the early 1930s. As a good capitalist pig, I point the reader to my book on the Depression for the full story.

“These People are Crazy:” Climate Science and the Cult of Self-Loathing

Article by Terry L. Headley.

When environmental advocacy slips into narratives that portray human existence as inherently destructive, it crosses the line into Malthusian madness. A civilization that internalizes self-contempt risks forfeiting the confidence necessary to solve complex problems. Stewardship should flow from gratitude for human capacity, not hostility toward it. The challenge of managing environmental impact in a world of billions requires realism, innovation, and balance. It does not require embracing a philosophy that treats progress as sin. A healthy society can pursue cleaner technologies while affirming the dignity, creativity, and resilience of the human person. 

Antonio Gramsci’s long march through history

This article contains this:

In Gramsci’s own words, he viewed the task thus: “Socialism is precisely the religion that must overwhelm Christianity. … In the new order, Socialism will triumph by first capturing the culture via infiltration of schools, universities, churches, and the media by transforming the consciousness of society.”

That however is somewhat of a misrepresentation of what Gramsci said, according to this article. A quote from this:

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The fake Gramsci quote (on “capturing the culture”) is often combined with a real Gramsci quote (on Christian socialism). I’ve bolded the real portion:

Any country grounded in Judaeo-Christian values can’t be overthrown until those roots are cut. [….] Socialism is precisely the religion that must overwhelm Christianity. [….] In the new order, socialism will triumph by first capturing the culture via infiltration of schools, universities, churches and the media by transforming the consciousness of society.

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