Mises Institute South Africa

Bitcoin: Humble Harbinger of Monetary Revolution?

GarethB — Mon, 06 May 2013 06:38:36 +0000

By Gareth Brickman

The prodigious frenzy of speculation in digital currency Bitcoin has taken the financial press by storm in recent weeks. Much has been written on whether the currency, and the decentralized network crucial for its production and transference, could ever become widely understood and broadly used enough to ever qualify the quaint digital [...]

The Failure of BEE in Five Steps

GarethB — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:49:53 +0000

By Piet le Roux

Supporters of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) argue that BEE promotes economic development, reduced inequality, social upliftment and other good causes. Actually, over the last decade, since the adoption of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Bill in 2003, the true main goal of BEE was the redistribution of capital according to artificial, [...]

Objections to the Expropriation Bill of March 2013

GarethB — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:17:23 +0000

The Mises Institute South Africa has prepared and sent a formal objection to government’s proposed Expropriation Bill of 2013 (the Bill) published in Government Gazette 36269 on 20 March 2013.

To see the full submission, please click here.

Bretton Woods to a gold-backed currency for South Africa

GarethB — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:00:03 +0000

By Eustace Davie

Every nation has a choice between having either a closed, highly regulated and stagnant economy or an open, free and rapidly growing economy. It is time for SA to choose freedom over repression, starting with a sound currency as a basis for building a thriving economy.

One country after another is experiencing [...]

Objections to the Licensing of Business Bill of March 2013

GarethB — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:29:12 +0000

The Mises Institute South Africa has prepared and sent a formal objection to government’s proposed Licensing of Business Bill of 2013 (BS Bill) published in Government Gazette 36265 on 18 March 2013.

To see the full submission, please click here.

Asset Expropriation Risk Soars in Post-Hyperinflation Zimbabwe

Chris Becker — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:23:53 +0000

By Chris Becker The destruction of the Zimbabwe dollar has forced fiscal discipline on the Zimbabwean government, as the public no longer accepts the money that government prints and spends. The public now only accepts monies printed by other governments. As a result, the government is now resorting to outright asset expropriation to steal resources from the private sector.

How to Fix Greece in 7 steps

russell — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:19:47 +0000

By Russell Lamberti The Greek economy is in a fatal debt trap and crashing. It doesn’t have to be this way for much longer. There are a set of bold steps that Greece could take that would not only set it on the path to stability, but outright prosperity and a genuine and sustained economic boom.

The Economics of Horsemeat (Inflation is Contagious)

russell — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:00:55 +0000

By Russell Lamberti

On January 15 2013 it came to light that beef being sold in some major British supermarkets contained horse DNA. What has followed has been one of the great food scandals of our time, as major name brands across Europe were discovered to have been selling beef diluted with cheap horse and [...]

Breaking the Social Contract

GarethB — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 06:56:01 +0000

By Ariel Wertlen Spilkin

Introducing the Social Contract Theory

Every libertarian has at some or other point come into contact with the SCT (Social Contract Theory). The theory has played a pivotal role in political philosophy and has roots that reach to antiquity. However, one must ask, despite the pervasiveness of the SCT what is its [...]

How Many Taxpayers Are There Really? (2011/12 Edition)

Piet le Roux — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:03:17 +0000

By Paul Joubert Actually, only 3,3 million taxpayers pay 99% of all income tax, while only 2,3 million pay 93% and 1,5 million are responsible for 84% of income tax. People who, with great concern, point out that South Africa only has five million taxpayers are therefore incorrect, but the actual figures are cause for even greater concern. A very small number of South African taxpayers bear almost the entire weight of the South African state on their tired shoulders.