Mark Thornton delays part three of his series on American government in favor of something lighter for the 250th: the story of kudzu, the vine that ate the South. Japanese gardeners brought it to America in 1876 as an ornamental plant. Private interest stayed limited. Then FDR’s Soil Conservation Service paid farmers to blanket millions of acres with it—to fix erosion and dust bowl conditions that earlier government policies had helped create. Kudzu grew a foot a day, swallowed trees, houses, and power lines, and became an environmental menace in the Southeast. Government herbicides couldn’t kill it. What’s actually working is a market solution nobody planned: entrepreneurs who lease goat herds to graze kudzu patches, draining the rootstock over a few years while producing goat meat for the working class.

Side B features a Tasty Live interview in which Mark explains all three Austrian business cycle indicators firing simultaneously—the stock bubble, price inflation, and the K-shaped economy—and traces the historical pattern connecting tariffs, strategic stockpiling, and industrial policy to the wars that follow.

2026 is the Year of Rothbard—Murray’s 100th birthday—and we’re celebrating by giving away free copies of The Origins of the Federal Reserve through July 31. Grab yours today at https://mises.org/issuesfree

20% off listener offer on the insulated Minor Issues tumbler and three of Mark’s books: https://mises.org/MinorIssuesTumbler. Use coupon code Thornton.

Be sure to follow Minor Issues at https://Mises.org/MinorIssues

The US “celebrates” its 250th birthday today, but not everyone is celebrating. We bring back a classic from 10 years ago that is even more relevant today.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/its-fourth-july-why-am-i-sad

In the deepest sense, the American Revolution was a conscious majority revolution on behalf of libertarianism and against power.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/americas-libertarian-revolution

Jean-Luc Mélenchon—the leader of the French far-left party “La France Insoumise”—says it’s no problem that the French government’s debt now tops more than 100% of GDP.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/french-far-left-downplays-government-debt-order-spend-even-more

Many largely accept Jefferson’s statements about rights, liberty, consent, criminality, and the role of government, however, many come short of adopting Jefferson’s radical libertarian political convictions.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/tracing-jeffersons-libertarian-thought-declaration-independence

Automatic citizenship for the children of foreign nationals on US soil will only further politicize immigration and increase calls for more limits on migrants in the US.

Be sure to follow the Loot and Lobby podcast at Mises.org/LL

The dangers posed by a paper fiat currency were well-known even in the early days of the U.S. republic.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/patriotism-shouldnt-apply-debauched-dollar

As technology and AI grow more sophisticated, people commonly believe that they also are eliminating uncertainty. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-history-refuses-stay-planned

The modern state has become not only the guardian of political order but also the architect of cultural identity. We must separate culture from the state.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/culture-state-and-problem-liberty

Despite the eternal promises of members of Congress, government office space is rapidly deteriorating. Unfortunately, Congress has no plans to deal with the problem. All of this is easily explained by Austrian economics.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/surprise-surprise-government-capital-stock-deteriorating