Factor prices: entrepreneurs are willing to pay for land, labor, and capital if profit is expected by the employment of the factor. Thus the most any entrepreneur is willing to pay for it is the anticipated discounted marginal revenue product. #econinonetweet (details below)
"Anticipated": the entrepreneur must make a forward-looking guess about the profitability of the production process.
"Discounted": the payment to the factor owner is made in advance of any revenues from selling output. The time difference means that the capitalist-entrepreneur is making an intertemporal exchange and so the present costs are discounted for time preference/interest.
"Marginal": the entrepreneur considers discrete units of factors of production and their individual impact on...
"Revenue": the proceeds from selling the resulting output of the production process by using the combined factors. #econinonethread
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Resources are economized when market participants use economic calculation. Economic calculation is the use of market prices to calculate profit and loss and thereby arrange production in an economizing way.
The way economic calculation performs this task is because market prices reflect the values and expectations of market participants. If one entrepreneur outbids another in purchasing a machine, it means the entrepreneur who gets it anticipates greater profitability by using it.
What does "anticipates greater profitability" mean? It means the entrepreneur expects consumers will pay enough for the product to justify the entrepreneur's purchase. The entrepreneur expects consumers will choose the product over all alternatives, including saving.
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What would Bastiat say about MMTers disguising the real effects of government spending and debt in a bunch of accounting tautologies? Do these equations help us see the unseen? Do they enlighten or obscure the economic analysis of the govt's expropriation of resources?
MMTers tell us that the mountain of government spending and debt is nothing to worry about; the govt’s red ink is our black ink, they say. Economic growth emanates from public sector deficits, and since the US govt has a big money printer, there’s no reason to ever fear default.
Bastiat said that we need to consider the unseen -- AKA the opportunity costs -- of any event or policy.
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Chapter 13 "The Cultural and Spiritual Legacy of Fiat Inflation" from Jörg Guido Hülsmann's "The Ethics of Money Production."
Tweet thread summary.
1. Inflation Habits
Some consequences of inflation are true whether the inflation is caused by private actors (like counterfeiters, fractional reserve banks) or by the state. When caused by the state the consequences are worse—forms long-lasting "institutions and habits".
2. Hyper-Centralized Government
State inflation brought about the hyper-centralized states we see today. These states have crowded out all competitors, including local govts, civil society, family. Subsidiarity is gone and "all social bonds are controlled by the central state."
you are probably a happily married white male who enjoys heavy metal, medium rare steak, going to the range with friends, and youtube videos of Ron Paul embarrassing the other 2008 GOP presidential candidates
oh and you have facial hair, a box of pc parts you haven't touched in years, neighbors who don't how radical your views are because you highly value having good relations with your neighbors and don't want to risk ruining it, and at least 2 unfinished home improvement projects
you are embarrassed by how much time you spend on your phone
you think about how long you and your family could survive different shtf scenarios
you look up the definitions of words you already know just to make sure you are using it correctly