In 1980, Julian Simon offered to let doomsayer Paul Ehrlich choose any commodity metals he liked, and if their inflation-adjusted prices increased by 1990, Simon would pay $1000. But if they fell, Ehrlich would pay. The question was: would human ingenuity figure out ways to… Read More
Archives for September 2015
Ep. 500 Roundtable on Liberty’s Past, Present, and Future with Lew Rockwell, Jeff Deist, and Tom
It’s episode 500! Incredible. Today I spoke with two good friends, whose opinions I value highly. We discussed everything from politics to advice for young people, and from our strengths and weaknesses to our favorite memories. Please join me for this special episode. About the… Read More
Ep. 499 What to Tell Your Friend Who Says Saddam Really Did Have WMDs
Every once in a while we hear it said that Saddam Hussein did have weapons of mass destruction after all, and that this discovery has been drowned out by antiwar propaganda. Scott Horton joins us to dig out the facts of the matter. About the… Read More
Ep. 498 Should We Hold an Article V Amendments Convention? A Debate
The topic of a “constitutional convention,” or more properly an amendments convention, convened by the states under Article V of the Constitution, is hotly disputed among people who want to limit government. Is it the only way to make things better, or could it lead… Read More
Ep. 497 Pope Francis, Fortune Magazine, and Me
Fortune magazine took a bit of a swipe at me this week, taking aim at my defense of the free market in the face of the comments of Pope Francis. I devote this episode to a full-fledged response. Lots of anti-Austrian misconceptions dealt with here.… Read More
Ep. 496 Wilsonianism: The Legacy That Won’t Die
A century later, Woodrow Wilson’s international crusading lives on, both in the establishment left and the neoconservative right. Paul Gottfried and I paint a picture of Wilson that’s a bit different from what we all learned in school. About the Guest Paul Gottfried is professor… Read More
I Discuss the Ron Paul Curriculum with Ron Paul
I was a guest the other day on the Ron Paul Liberty Report to discuss the Ron Paul Curriculum , Dr. Paul’s K-12 homeschool program. Very lively discussion! Remember, only at my special link can you get $140 in free bonuses when you sign up for the curriculum.
Ep. 495 There’s No Such Thing as Social Justice
Today I discuss the concept of social justice and compare it to the traditional conception of justice that was taken for granted in the Western world for thousands of years. I take some shots at John Rawls along the way. Articles Discussed “ Enforced Equality — or Justice? ” by Antony… Read More
Ep. 494 Tom Covers Over Three Thousand Years of History
In this episode I discuss with Richard Emmons of the Ron Paul Homeschooling podcast my course Western Civilization to 1492, which consists of 180 video and audio lessons. We cover the ancient Hebrews, Homer, the pre-Socratics and Socrates, the Roman Empire, and early Christianity, all… Read More
Ep. 493 Juan de Mariana: Defender of Regicide, Ferocious Foe of Inflation, and Great Economist
Today we learn about the heroic sixteenth-century figure Juan de Mariana, who taught that regicide could be justified and that inflation was theft, and who anticipated important concepts central to the Austrian School of economics. About the Guest Eric Graf is a professor of medieval… Read More