The War on Cash: Cui Bono?
Fergus Hodgson, 16 February 2017 
There is a battle on two fronts that is circling and tightening the strings on cash for transactions. Both intellectual figureheads and policymakers are limiting particular uses of cash and, in some cases, banning higher denominations.
Lawrence White of George Mason University takes a look behind the scenes and applies the “Baptists and bootleggers” analogy. There are the true believers, and then there are those who stand to profit. White is a long-standing specialist in free banking and monetary economics, and he has earned his place as a leader in the field. He also holds research positions with the Cato Institute and the Mercatus Center.
Larry White has spoken for the Foundation for Economic Education on multiple occasions, including when I attended the Austrian-economics program back in 2009. FEE had a profound impact on me and remains one of the most prolific nonprofits dedicated to economic literacy of the general public, particularly young people. (FEE)
Recommended Links
- “Baptists and Bootleggers in the Organized Effort to Restrict the Use of Cash,” by Larry White with Alt-M.
- “India’s Currency Cancellation: Seigniorage and Cantillon Effects,” by Lawrence White with the Cato Institute.
- “Central Banks Want To Confiscate Your Cash,” by Fergus Hodgson in Golden Opportunities.
- The Clash of Economic Ideas: The Great Policy Debates and Experiments of the Last Hundred Years by Lawrence White.
Fergus Hodgson (@FergHodgson) is an economic consultant and Gold Newsletter‘s roving editor.
