Martin Armstrong is one of the most famous economic forecasters alive, but you wouldn’t know it after the whitewashing job he’s suffered at the hands of the federal government and the mainstream financial press. The man who in the 1980s and 90s had central bankers and politicians calling him for advice is now scrubbed from the memory banks of sites like Bloomberg.com. He’s famous, or infamous, for having predicted the October 1987 Black Monday crash to the very day. He also called the Nikkei stock market collapse in 1989 and the Russian financial collapse in 1998. And he hasn’t lost his touch, outfoxing hedge fund managers by predicting last week’s Swiss National Bank decision to abandon its peg to the Euro. Martin is not an Austrian by any stretch, relying on complex mathematical and historical models rather than economic theory. But he is strongly anti-state, anti-central bank, and quick to criticize Keynesian orthodoxy. Martin spent more than a decade in a government cage after being prosecuted by the SEC, including 7 years for the non-crime of contempt of court. His story, both as a forecaster and a stubborn thorn in the side of federal prosecutors, will be told in an upcoming documentary. It’s a story you won’t want to miss. http://armstrongeconomics.com 'The Forecaster' Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MP2QaT2A_A ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxOUyPKA_vg

On this episode of Radio Rothbard, Ryan McMaken and Tho Bishop are joined by Dr. Gilbert Berdine, an associate professor of medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and an affiliate of the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University. Head over to https://Mises.org/Rumble to watch this week's episode of Radio Rothbard. Be sure to follow Radio Rothbard at https://Mises.org/RadioRothbard. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al862g8km9M

As we noted in the previous episode, fossil fuels sparked an energy revolution that forever changed our concept of comfort. Powerful individuals around the globe are advocating for a radical change in our energy consumption, and they claim that what are branded as “green” or “renewable” energy sources can replace fossil fuels. But these so-called alternative energy sources really are not alternatives at all. Let’s recall the four characteristics of cost-effective energy: affordability, reliability, versatility, and scalability. Consider two of the most popular “green” energy sources: solar and wind power. Solar and wind make up a large part of almost every prominent alternative energy program and have been heavily subsidized by government spending. Solar and wind proponents proclaim that these energy sources have a lower environmental impact than fossil fuels, have enjoyed increased popularity in recent decades, and have become cheaper over time. This overlooks some important details. Looking at the places where solar and wind are most popular, we see an interesting pattern: the cost of energy tends to be much higher. Why? One reason is that while harnessing sun radiation or strong wind may seem like a low-impact form of energy creation, the machines needed to harness this energy—like solar panels and windmills—are resource intensive. In fact, using solar and wind equipment to generate a given amount of energy requires ten times more mined materials than using fossil fuels. When these machines break down, their disposal creates yet another environmental burden. Another problem is energy dilution, which is the efficiency that is lost when energy is transported over distance or time. Larger commercial solar and wind farms tend to be far away from neighborhoods and other population centers, so extensive infrastructure is required to transmit the energy to people’s homes and businesses, and a lot of energy is lost in transit. On the other hand, home solar panels require large batteries to store energy for periods of low sunlight. Over time, these batteries’ ability to hold a charge diminishes. The concerns about reliability don’t end there. While battery technology may allow a household to prepare for recurring low-sun periods, extreme weather has proven to be deadly for power grids that rely more on wind and solar. For example, a powerful ice storm can freeze windmills, halting energy generation at a time when heat is desperately needed. The 2021 winter storms in Texas saw people freeze to death in their homes because of the catastrophic failure of a power grid due to reliance on wind energy. Even the European Greens’ ambitious plans to close coal power plants have stalled in the face of the reality that even heavy subsidization of green energy cannot replace traditional power sources. While solar and wind can serve as supplemental energy sources, they are nowhere near close to being a serious alternative to fossil fuels, and it is unlikely they will ever be able to replace traditional energy sources. This inconvenient truth has not stopped politicians, celebrities, activists, and other global leaders from advocating for banning fossil fuels. ______________________________________ Want to learn more? For more animated content, check out Economics for Beginners at https://BeginEconomics.org. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIv6dNQan3E

It seems that the rest of us will be forced to suffer as egalitarian rich kids work out their psychological problems through some window-smashing therapy. Original article: https://mises.org/wire/whats-rich-kid-revolutionaries This Audio Mises Wire is generously sponsored by Christopher Condon. Narrated by Michael Stack. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggyNH6Jlrl8