Episodes

  • Episode 487: Is It The Economy, Stupid?

    Episode 487: Is It The Economy, Stupid?
    Jan 8 2026
    In this episode, we reflect on a rare missed recording and share a series of listener stories that raise broader questions about compassion, responsibility, and civic duty. We examine claims surrounding illegal orders in the military and the role of oaths and institutional accountability before turning to the “foolishness of the week,” including the internet’s ability to amplify extremism and reward outrage. We then shift to why Americans consistently believe the economy is doing worse than the data suggests, exploring consumer sentiment, inflation, wages, housing costs, and the lingering psychological effects of pandemic-era stimulus. We close by discussing housing as both shelter and investment, the realities of rent and mortgage affordability, student loan debt, rising expectations, and why economic anxiety persists even in periods of growth. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:31 Missing an Episode for the First Time 02:28 Listener Gift and Firefighter Calendar Story 03:52 A Belated Christmas Story of Compassion 07:13 Mark Kelly, Illegal Orders, and Military Oaths 12:40 Foolishness of the Week: Nazi Dating Sites 15:08 The “Village Idiot” Theory and the Internet 18:07 Why Americans Think the Economy Is Terrible 22:08 Consumer Sentiment vs. Economic Data 24:37 Inflation, Wages, and Why It Still Feels Worse 29:27 COVID Stimulus Effects and Income Perception 33:30 Housing Costs, Rent, and Homeownership Myths 37:10 Mortgage Rates, Rent Increases, and Risk 41:04 Housing as Shelter vs. Housing as Investment 45:29 Why People Still Can’t Afford Homes 48:33 Social Media, Expectations, and Lifestyle Inflation 51:02 Student Loan Debt and the Real Affordability Crisis 55:14 College Costs, Tradeoffs, and Financial Reality 57:44 Expectations, Advertising, and Economic Anxiety 01:00:40 Why Consumer Sentiment May Never Fully Recover Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Episode 486: Slavery and Capitalism

    Episode 486: Slavery and Capitalism
    Jan 1 2026
    In this episode, we discuss public distrust of politicians and the realities behind presidential approval polling before turning to the math of lotteries and why people continue to play despite the odds. We examine Maryland’s proposed reparations commission, including questions of eligibility, funding, legal responsibility, and the practical challenges of tying modern policy to historical injustice. We’re joined by Phil Magness to explore the economic history of slavery, the claim that capitalism was built on slave labor, and why slavery is fundamentally incompatible with free markets. We cover Adam Smith’s opposition to slavery, misconceptions about profit incentives, the global history of forced labor, and the moral and economic failures surrounding emancipation, closing with a broader discussion of capitalism, socialism, and historical accountability. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:44 Presidential Approval Ratings and Polling Reality 02:38 Why Americans Have Always Hated Politicians 03:35 Powerball, Probability, and the Math of Dreaming 06:51 Maryland’s Reparations Commission Explained 08:12 Who Pays and Who Gets Reparations? 10:03 Mitigation, Law, and the Reparations Problem 14:24 Introducing Phil Magness 15:02 Was Capitalism Built on Slavery? 17:59 Slavery as an Ancient Institution 19:50 Adam Smith’s Case Against Slavery 23:05 Why Slavery Is Anti-Capitalist 24:50 Pro-Slavery Economics and Feudalism 26:16 Founding Fathers, Hypocrisy, and Moral Failure 30:21 Slavery’s Global History and Misconceptions 32:06 Incentives, Profit, and Economic Naivety 34:53 Would Slavery Have Ended Without the Civil War? 37:59 Gradual Emancipation and Historical Alternatives 40:47 Socialism, Capitalism, and the Plantation Model 44:01 Final Reflections and Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Episode 485: R.I.P. Heritage Foundation

    Episode 485: R.I.P. Heritage Foundation
    Dec 30 2025
    In this episode, we examine the realities behind universal health care by looking at Canada’s system, wait times, medical tourism, and cases where patients are denied life-saving treatment. We discuss the rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, the economics behind high drug prices, and why “miracle” medications often create new dependencies and unintended costs. We scrutinize airline incivility, declining standards of behavior, and why airlines are reluctant to enforce norms despite growing problems. Phil Magness also joins us to discuss the internal collapse of the Heritage Foundation, the rise of post-liberal conservatism, and the growing influence of figures like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes. We explore tensions within the Republican Party, the appeal of emergency powers on both the left and right, the dangers of mixing religion with state authority, and what these trends mean for the future of American politics. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:28 Canadian Health Care and the Myth of “Free” Medicine 02:38 When Universal Health Care Denies Life-Saving Treatment 04:50 Wait Times, Medical Tourism, and U.S. vs Canada Outcomes 06:16 Ozempic, Wegovy, and the Economics of Weight-Loss Drugs 08:52 Why Expensive Drugs Create Cheaper Alternatives 10:05 Side Effects, Dependency, and the Cost of “Miracle” Drugs 10:36 Airline Incivility and Delta’s Class-Based Explanation 12:28 Why Airlines Refuse to Enforce Behavioral Standards 13:52 Why Flying Is Cheaper Than Ever (and Why That Matters) 15:22 Horror Stories From the Skies 18:07 Introducing Phil Magness 19:14 The Implosion of the Heritage Foundation 22:34 Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and the Post-Liberal Right 25:24 Mass Resignations and the Collapse of Heritage’s Core 28:52 Post-Liberalism and the Rejection of the American Founding 32:00 Is the Republican Party Fracturing? 34:34 Mike Pence and the Future of Free-Market Conservatism 37:08 The Left and Right’s Shared Authoritarian Instincts 39:21 Emergency Powers, Carl Schmitt, and Executive Absolutism 44:06 Why Emergency Government Always Expands 46:58 Christian Nationalism and Catholic Integralism 50:03 Why Religion and State Power Don’t Mix 52:12 Who Really Wants Political Power? 54:52 Trump as a Lame-Duck President 55:45 JD Vance, 2028, and Electoral Reality 58:11 Why Both Parties Keep Nominating Losers 01:02:27 Conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Episode 484: Geezer Presidents

    Episode 484: Geezer Presidents
    Dec 25 2025
    In this episode, we examine what actually counts as a victimless crime and why the term is so often misused, using examples ranging from seatbelt and helmet laws to drugs, prostitution, and software piracy. We discuss how insurance markets price risk more effectively than regulation, and why many so-called crimes are really paperwork violations with no direct victims. We also look at the limits of automation through recent failures in self-driving technology, and highlight the Foolishness of the Week involving ideological monocultures in academia and the incentives that sustain them. The conversation then turns to the main topic of whether there should be an age limit for the presidency, weighing cognitive decline, longevity, institutional incentives, and why existing safeguards like the 25th Amendment rarely function as intended. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:29 What Counts as a Victimless Crime? 01:38 Insurance, Risk, and Who Really Pays 04:36 Drugs, Prostitution, and True Victimless Crimes 06:26 Regulatory Crimes vs Real Human Harm 07:53 Software Piracy and Intellectual Property 12:38 Waymo, Power Outages, and Self-Driving Failures 14:49 Foolishness of the Week: Academic Monocultures in Academia 17:10 Personal Stories of Academic Censorship 20:39 Main Topic: Should Presidents Have an Age Limit? 21:41 Biden, Trump, and Cognitive Decline 24:39 Living Longer, Dementia, and Modern Leadership Risks 29:34 Age Limits in Other Professions 33:00 The Age of Past Presidents When Initially Elected 37:35 Which Presidents Would Have Survived a Term Age Limit? 39:33 The 25th Amendment and Why It Rarely Works 40:57 Incentives, Power, and Presidential Succession 43:53 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • Episode 483: We Love Inequality

    Episode 483: We Love Inequality
    Dec 23 2025
    In this episode, we look at what happens when artificial intelligence is put in charge of real-world systems, starting with an experiment in automated pricing and what it reveals about incentives, scarcity, and control. We turn to Denmark’s decision to shut down its national postal service, using it to examine the decline of physical mail, environmental tradeoffs, and why government monopolies struggle to compete with private delivery. We highlight the week’s “foolishness,” including the rise of competitive spreadsheet championships, before turning to a broader discussion about inequality. We examine IQ distributions, bell curves, and why inequality is often confused with poverty, exploring the limits of measures like the Gini coefficient, the difference between snapshot and lifetime earnings, and the role of incentives, envy, and value creation. We close by contrasting equality of opportunity with equality of outcome and asking what societies should actually care about when assessing fairness and prosperity. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:27 AI Runs a Vending Machine at the Wall Street Journal 01:52 When AI Meets Communism and Price Controls 03:52 Why AI Isn’t Replacing Humans Anytime Soon 04:32 Denmark Shuts Down Its Postal Service 06:11 Is Physical Mail Environmentally Absurd? 07:39 Why the Postal Service Can’t Compete 11:43 The Foolishness of the Week: Excel World Championships 13:25 Are Spreadsheets More Important Than Football? 15:08 Main Topic Setup: Should We Care About Inequality? 16:13 IQ, Bell Curves, and Random Distributions 23:05 Why Inequality Is Not the Same as Poverty 25:36 The Gini Coefficient and Its Limits 28:57 Sports, Superstars, and Value Creation 38:00 Taxes, Transfers, and the Illusion of Inequality 41:57 Lifetime Earnings vs Snapshot Inequality 45:14 Equality of Opportunity vs Equality of Outcome 49:30 Envy, Incentives, and Human Motivation 53:38 Closing Thoughts on Inequality and Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • Episode 482: The Evolution of Crime

    Episode 482: The Evolution of Crime
    Dec 18 2025
    In this episode, we revisit the debate over restricting social media access for children, responding to listener feedback and examining why parental responsibility alone can’t address the scale of the problem. We discuss proposals for age verification, the risks of digital ID systems, and how privacy and surveillance concerns are often dismissed with the claim that people have “nothing to hide.” We then turn to California’s energy situation, looking at refinery closures, the Jones Act, and why state climate policies have little impact on global emissions while driving higher fuel costs. We examine a lawsuit involving Donald Trump and the BBC, followed by the week’s “foolishness” surrounding the Oscars’ move to YouTube. Our main discussion explores the concept of victimless crime, how outdated laws persist long after society moves on, what entrepreneurship signals about obsolete regulations, and why enforcement-heavy approaches to poverty, drugs, and everyday behavior continue to fail. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 01:02 Listener Feedback on Social Media Bans for Kids 02:06 Why Parenting Alone Cannot Solve the Social Media Problem 03:16 Age Verification and the Push Toward Digital ID 04:43 Privacy, Surveillance, and Why “Nothing to Hide” Fails 06:45 How Governments Can Abuse Data in the Future 07:20 California Refinery Closures and Energy Reality 08:13 The Jones Act and Why California Imports Fuel from Abroad 11:02 Why California’s Climate Policies Barely Affect Global CO2 13:00 Trump’s Lawsuit Against the BBC 14:27 Why Trump Would Have to Testify Under Oath 15:34 Foolishness of the Week: The Oscars Move to YouTube 17:42 Main Topic Setup: Victimless Crime and Enforcement 18:36 Entrepreneurship as a Signal That Laws Are Obsolete 20:47 Blue Laws, Alcohol, and How Societies Outgrow Bad Rules 24:27 Are There Any Victimless Crimes Left? 28:42 Speed Limits and Everyday Criminality 31:28 Is Government the Evolution of Crime? 34:31 The Cash Benchmark Test Explained 36:20 Why the War on Poverty Failed 40:16 The True Cost of the War on Drugs 43:55 Why Freedom No Longer Drives Policy 45:31 Closing Reflections and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • Episode 481: California Screamin’

    Episode 481: California Screamin’
    Dec 16 2025
    In this episode, we discuss the growing role of humanoid robots in everyday life, why new technologies always reach the wealthy first, and how falling costs eventually make innovation accessible to the middle class. We turn to global efforts to restrict social media access for children, examining the real harms platforms create, why enforcement rarely works, and how questions of consent and freedom apply differently to minors. We highlight the week’s “foolishness,” including exaggerated tariff claims and the political incentives behind economic misinformation, before looking at how public discourse has deteriorated as cruelty and performative outrage become normalized. We then examine California’s accelerating business exodus, focusing on energy companies leaving the state, the consequences of heavy regulation and taxation, the limits of government control over capital-intensive industries, and what these trends reveal about tradeoffs, governance, and long-term economic sustainability. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:37 Humanoid Robots as Household Tools, Not Job Killers 02:31 Robots as Productivity Multipliers for the Middle Class 04:14 Why Wealthy People Will Always Get New Tech First 05:57 Technology Gets Cheaper, Better, and More Accessible Over Time 08:46 The Inevitable Cultural Direction of Robot Technology 09:17 Social Media Bans for Minors Go Global 11:13 The Real Harm Social Media Does to Children 14:25 Foolishness of the Week: Trump’s $18 Trillion Tariff Claim 17:15 Why the Tariff Math Doesn’t Pass the Smell Test 18:23 Political Incentives, Lies, and Follower Frenzy 21:09 Trump’s Rob Reiner Statement and the Collapse of Decorum 23:45 When Leaders Normalize Public Cruelty 26:09 Why Businesses Are Fleeing California 28:53 Taxes, Regulations, and the Real Price of Gas 33:14 Environmental Tradeoffs and Global CO2 Reality 38:50 California’s Plan to Nationalize Oil Refineries 40:53 Why Government Cannot Run Capital-Intensive Businesses 44:44 Diminishing Returns and Regulatory Overreach 47:23 Pareto Optimality and Why Tradeoffs Matter 55:06 The Economic Death Spiral of Business Exodus 57:32 Is California Too Big to Govern Effectively? 01:02:07 Closing Reflections and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Episode 480: The War on Drugs (Continued)

    Episode 480: The War on Drugs (Continued)
    Dec 11 2025
    In this episode, we look at the story of a young boy who found purpose working for the DC Metro and later became a transportation engineer, and we examine a proposal for the U.S. to screen tourists’ social media accounts before entry, highlighting the logistical and constitutional problems such a system would create. We cover the week’s “foolishness,” including In-N-Out removing order number 67 from its queues and a Montreal lottery winner who chose a disastrous payout option, and discuss what these cases reveal about human judgment and bad incentives. We also explore the Mandela Effect and why memory often fails us. Later, we’re joined by Todd Huntley to talk about U.S. drug interdiction on the high seas, the legal gray zone between warfare and law enforcement, the risks of escalating conflicts with countries like Venezuela, and the constitutional limits on presidential war powers. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:30 The DC Metro Kid Who Became an Engineer 02:44 U.S. Plans to Screen Tourists’ Social Media 05:43 Foolishness of the Week: In-N-Out Removes Order #67 08:10 Foolishness Part Two: The Montreal Lottery Payout Disaster 11:16 The Psychology of Bad Financial Decisions 12:34 The Mandela Effect and Faulty Memory 14:36 Reunions and Remembering the Past 18:24 Guest Introduction: Todd Huntley on Drug Boat Strikes 20:16 How U.S. Drug Interdiction Changed with Drone Warfare 23:08 Is This War or Law Enforcement? The Legal Debate 26:44 International Waters, Venezuela, and Escalation Risks 30:13 Regime Change in Venezuela 32:45 The Positive Case for Blowing Up Boats 36:42 The Negative Case for Blowing Up Boats 41:11 Who Is Conducting the Strikes? 43:40 Congress, War Powers, and Constitutional Limits 48:57 Closing Thoughts with Guest 52:10 Outro Banter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins