Episode
Silver’s Growing Pains
- Podcast
- Minor Issues
- Published
- Jan 3, 2026
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://mises.org/podcasts/minor-issues/silvers-growing-pains
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/minor-issues-6016417/episodes/silver-s-growing-pains/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/minor-issues-6016417/silver-s-growing-pains.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Mark Thornton kicks off 2026 with the new Minor Issues prediction contest (stocks vs. manure) and a hard look at the monetary-metals squeeze. Mark explains why $50 silver triggered “growing pains”: spot–futures disconnects, margin hikes, empty coin shops, and weird retail premiums. As investor demand collides with industrial stockpiling, price spikes invite political scapegoating (“hoarders!”) and intervention that backfires. Expect more meddling before genuine market adjustments can work. Enter the 2026 Stocks vs. Manure Prediction Contest at https://mises.org/form/stocks-vs-manure-2026 Be sure to follow Minor Issues at https://Mises.org/MinorIssues