Free Republic

Despite the theory purveyed by the media, consumer spending is not the strongest catalyst of economic expansion, according to economist Mark Skousen, author of The Structure of Production. "...Because consumer spending represents...two thirds basically of GDP you get the media constantly making, creating a myth. It’s one of the most common myths in economics…you get it from all the publications," Skousen explained at a CATO Institute forum titled "GO Beyond GDP: What Really Drives the Economy?" Contrary to the economic assumption that spending spurs growth, Skousen asserts that businesses, which account for a mere 16% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP),...

When Mark Skousen started Freedom Fest in 2002 he didn't think he was giving birth to a movement. Now, it's a decade later and thousands of people around the world are aware of Freedom Fest and routinely attend its events. I caught up with Mark at the Global Financial Summit in the Bahamas last week. As a freedom loving person, Mark was anxious to create a place where fellow freedom lovers could gather and start fighting the ever increases governmental encroachments. Far from being a US phenomena, governments across the globe have had an ongoing undeclared war on individual freedom...

Skousen, Rand too hot for university library in ManilaWe hear from Mark Skousen that he's none too popular at the University of the Philippines -- or rather, too popular. In an article posted at the Human Events site, he quotes a friend's report on the situation, a former Marxist turned around by a critique of Marx in one of his books.Remember you sent me a box of The Making of Modern Economics?I donated a copy to the libraries of each of the four major universities here. Later, a friend of mine checked the library at the University of the Philippines...