Ep 431: Money for Dummies, with Mike Maharrey

Are you confused about libertarian talking points like cryptocurrency, gold standards, central banks, and fractional reserves? Mike Maharrey, a seasoned expert from Money Metals Exchange and the Tenth Amendment Center, joins us for our “Money for Dummies” episode. Mike helps Cody Cook (the perennial stand-in for monetary dummies) demystify complex economic concepts for everyday libertarians, tackling questions like: what is money, why did humans invent it, and where do banks come in? From the evolution of gold-backed currency to today’s fiat system, Mike traces how governments and central banks, like the Federal Reserve, drive inflation by printing money unchecked—building a debt-fueled economy. Also: are trade deficits a bad thing? Can tariffs make a country rich? Should a gold standard or a competing market for money predominate?

Tune in for a clear, engaging guide to understanding money’s role in our economy, and why central planning fails.

For more from Mike Maharrey, check out his work at moneymetals.com/news and listen to The Midweek Memo podcast.

Other resources mentioned in this conversation:
The Godarchy Podcast
Carl Menger’s The Origins of Money