Jo Ann Cavallo, who chairs the Department of Italian at Columbia University, found herself drawn to libertarianism and the Austrian School of economics because of — who else? — Ron Paul. She’s now bringing these ideas into her scholarly work, with outstanding results. Also, I… Read More
Archives for November 2017
Ep. 1041 How to Make (Funny) Two-Minute Arguments Against Statism
Seamus Coughlin, creator of Freedom Toons, has mastered the art of using animation to convey libertarian ideas in a way that’s genuinely funny, and not at all preachy. I catch up with him on what he’s been up to lately, what the animation process is… Read More
Ep. 1040 Why We Should Cheer Political Fragmentation All Over the West, with Michael Malice
Michael Malice has written an important column for the Observer, on the fragmented politics of the West. In Europe, more and more political parties, favoring incompatible policies and ideologies, are struggling with each other. What does it all mean for liberty? About the Guest Michael Malice… Read More
Ep. 1039 WTF?! An Economic Tour of the Weird
Economist Peter Leeson has just released a challenging new book, via Stanford University Press, that tries to make sense of seemingly irrational practices from far-off times and places — ranging from wife sales to trial by battle, as well as things far weirder — through the… Read More
Ep. 1038 Race and Economics: How Much Can Be Blamed on Discrimination?
Walter Williams, a professor of economics at George Mason University and the author of many books, discusses discrimination, economics, and race. About the Guest Walter Williams, a nationally syndicated columnist, is the author of ten books and a professor of economics at George Mason University.… Read More
Ep. 1037 A War on Terror Scorecard, with Scott Horton
Scott Horton, our great libertarian foreign-policy expert, joins me to review seven countries and discuss the (grim) outcome of intervention in each. About the Guest Scott Horton, managing director of the Libertarian Institute , is the host of Antiwar Radio on KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, and… Read More
Bernie Supporters: Bolshevik Revolution “Lit a Spark of Hope”
The Bolshevik Revolution was one of the worst events in human history. That scarcely seems debatable. Some deluded folks try to pretend Joseph Stalin hijacked what had originally been a noble cause. This is what my professor of Russian history, Vladimir Brokvin, called the “Good… Read More
Ep. 1036 What Are Other Economists Missing About the Economy?
Mark Skousen, who just released the 5th edition of his economics textbook, joins me to discuss quite a few topics, with special emphasis on why the Austrian School sees the economy more clearly than do other schools of thought. He takes on the “circular flow”… Read More
Ep. 1035 How Ludwig von Mises Fixed Economics (But Ingrates Won’t Thank Him)
Mises was of course one of the great economists, and casual followers rightly credit him for his work on the problems with socialism, or the origins of business cycles, or other topics with obvious policy implications. Often overlooked, however, is how Mises solved a major… Read More
Ep. 1034 Comedian Owen Benjamin Defies Thought Police
Actor and stand-up comedian Owen Benjamin lost not just a gig but also his agent and his management when he suggested that elementary-school children whose parents want to support their “gender transition” probably shouldn’t be given hormone blockers. He hasn’t backed down, and now, blackballed… Read More
