Politics and Government
At Forbes.com, Nathan Lewis rivals Buckminster Fuller for sheer “anticipatory design scientist” genius in promoting traditional cities
From National Review, Stephen Moore says the real wage crisis has to do with men.
At International Liberty, Dan Mitchell states a member of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers admitted the “77 cent pay gap” claim was bogus.
Monetary Reform
Sens. Rubio and Cruz write a letter to Treasury Secretary Lew asking that all options, including a currency board should be considered for Ukraine, rather than the IMF’s prescription for devaluation.
From NetRightDaily, Robert Romano writes paying too much at the grocery store and at the pump? You can thank the Fed.
In Cayman Financial Review, Julian Morris praises Christopher Chivvis’ book on Jacques Rueff.
“A lifelong supporter of sound money backed by gold, Rueff sparred with Keynes on numerous occasions. Chivvis describes a meeting between the two in the 1920s:
To Keynes, Rueff was a leading French proponent of the “Treasury view” Keynes thought so recondite. To Rueff, Keynesianism was a disease, a drug politicians used to placate the masses. Keynes saw activist fiscal and monetary policy as a means of salvaging liberal democracy from the threat posed by the unemployed masses – otherwise tempted by fascism. By contrast, Rueff thought Keynesianism inevitably created inflation and that, in the democratic context, this would have precisely the opposite effect – inflation would make the masses more susceptible to the allure of tyrants masquerading as conservatives and promising to restore order.”
At TGSN, Ralph Benko uses the Aeneid’s quote “Easy the descent into Hell” to put forward some source documentation on the mixed gold-paper standard put into effect in 1922 by the Genoa international monetary conference.
Tax
The Washington Post details IRS collection of ancient debts of family members without due process, producing pan-ideological disapproval
House oversight committee votes along party lines to hold former IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress
In National Review, Amity Shlaes counters Capital in the Twenty-First Century.
From Forbes.com, Bill Frezza moderates a debate between Grover Norquist’s debate and Robert Reich.