Adam Smith, Economic Freedom, and Why History Keeps Repeating Itself

What can a 250-year-old book still teach us about today's economy? Host Dennis McCuistion talks with economist, investment advisor, and FreedomFest founder Mark Skousen about his book The Making of Modern Economics, which traces the rise of Adam Smith's "system of natural liberty" through its critics, from Marxists to central planners, to its eventual vindication after the fall of the Berlin Wall. They discuss the warning signs of history repeating itself, from the Smoot-Hawley tariffs and the Great Depression to today's rising tariffs, executive overreach, and ballooning national debt. The conversation also covers Skousen's predictions on gold, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and which career paths still offer real opportunity in a heavily regulated economy. Along the way, Skousen makes the case for why studying economic history, and its long list of failed doomsday predictions, matters now more than ever. If you want to catch up on any past McCuistion programs, you can watch them at your convenience by visiting https://perspectivesmatter.com/.