Mon, 12 December 2016
G.P. Manish discusses what the Austrian School of economics can contribute to the debate over what the developing world should do to become wealthy. We also discuss India's recent demonetization of its 500 and 1000-rupee notes. |
Fri, 9 December 2016
Ep. 800 Albert Jay Nock Said the One Person in the World You Can Improve Is Yourself: or, Here's What anti-PC Professor Jordan Peterson Does When Thought Controllers Aren't Harassing Him
On a previous episode I spoke to Jordan Peterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, about what he endured after refusing to use strange new pronouns to accommodate new "gender identities." So I thought: why not discuss the guy's actual work, rather than just his travails? In today's episode we talk about "self-authoring," a program of personal improvement and self-knowledge that has had staggeringly good results. |
Thu, 8 December 2016
How should libertarians respond to Donald Trump's deal with Carrier to help it keep jobs in the United States? |
Wed, 7 December 2016
The perverse outcomes of Venezuelan socialism have had an interesting and perhaps unexpected side effect: they've given a shot in the arm to Bitcoin, the nonstate currency and payment system. Jim Epstein tells us the surprising story. |
Tue, 6 December 2016
The version of Fidel Castro's life we get from Hollywood and the media is cartoonish and laughable. Here's the real story of Cuba and Castro, with every progressive talking point answered. |
Mon, 5 December 2016
Actor and presidential speechwriter Ben Stein thinks secession talk is "silly," and then proceeds to repeat the usual non-arguments against it. I'm by myself in this episode, responding to what Ben had to say. |
Fri, 2 December 2016
Cody Wilson created intense controversy in 2013 when his company published plans online for the Liberator, a functioning pistol that could be produced with a 3D printer. By popular demand, he joins me to talk about his experiences and his outlook. |
Thu, 1 December 2016
We keep reading of horror stories involving parents being harassed and punished by the state for reasons that seem ridiculous to normal people. My guest today, who heads the National Association of Parents, is fighting back. |
Tue, 29 November 2016
The Dakota Access Pipeline has elicited much protest and controversy. What are the rights and wrongs of the matter? Whose property is involved? Rob Port joins me to find some answers. |
Mon, 28 November 2016
The left's goals and strategies have changed over the years. Nikos Sotirakopoulos helps us make sense of all these terms -- New Left, Old Left, etc. -- and discusses the shift in emphasis from economics to culture. |
Fri, 25 November 2016
CJ Killmer, host of the Dangerous History Podcast and popularly known as Prof. CJ, joins me to discuss the antiwar views of the fascinating Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, author of War Is a Racket. |
Thu, 24 November 2016
Peter Wallison joins me to discuss the horrifying face of financial reform, and why it should be completely repealed. |
Wed, 23 November 2016
Jason Stapleton and I review a recent article of mine on how easy -- or difficult -- it will be to use the election of Donald Trump as an opportunity to persuade leftists that they should favor smaller government. |
Tue, 22 November 2016
The great Eric Peters, who runs EricPetersAutos.com, joins me to discuss the perverse results of automobile regulation, how a Trump administration might affect the car market in the US, and standouts for the 2017 model year. |
Mon, 21 November 2016
Are your progressive friends correct to say the US Constitution is not a limited government document after all? Bill Watkins joins me to discuss both the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation, and what the light of history can tell us about each. |
Fri, 18 November 2016
Ever since the election of Donald Trump, the electoral college has been in the left's crosshairs. Why, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote! She should be the winner! Kevin Gutzman, Brion McClanahan, and I discuss what's so dreadfully wrong with this conventional way of thinking. |
Thu, 17 November 2016
Lew Rockwell returns to the show to discuss the election of Trump, the left's reaction, early indications of where he might go, and dangers to watch out for. |
Wed, 16 November 2016
Connor Boyack, creator of the Tuttle Twins children's books series, has just today released the latest title in the series, based on F.A. Hayek's classic book The Road to Serfdom. We discuss themes from that book -- themes most adults could stand to hear, and that Connor is helping convey to children. |
Tue, 15 November 2016
The conventional wisdom holds that mortgage-backed securities, credit-default swaps, and the like were responsible for the fragility, uncertainty, and ultimate collapse of 2008. Is that true? Professor Ed Stringham offers a revisionist account. |
Mon, 14 November 2016
Professor Anthony Esolen, author of many books and acclaimed translator of Dante's Divine Comedy, unexpectedly ran afoul of the campus thought police in recent weeks. He suggested in print that the kind of superficial, bean-counting "diversity" with which academia is so obsessed threatens to undermine the universality and catholicity of a Catholic college like Providence. I don't recall many episodes I enjoyed more than this one. |
Fri, 11 November 2016
Some of Trump's instincts are noninterventionist. Since there's a good chance he'll surround himself with interventionists anyway, here's what he ought to hear about various hotspots around the world, and why nonintervention is the way to go every time. |
Thu, 10 November 2016
Economist Bob Murphy, who co-hosts the Contra Krugman podcast with me, gives us an overview of the errors and brilliancies of the 19th century. |
Wed, 9 November 2016
Donald Trump was elected president last night against all odds. Michael Malice joins me to discuss what it all means. |
Tue, 8 November 2016
Taleed Brown, known to his social media fans as That Guy T, discusses anarcho-capitalism, Black Lives Matter, being a black libertarian, and building up a large social media audience. |
Mon, 7 November 2016
Brett Veinotte and I discuss the higher ed scam, the "we need more technology in the classroom" scam, and the leftist comedian scam. |
Sun, 6 November 2016
John Chisholm joins me to discuss how to come up with the idea for a successful business, how to test ideas, scale your business, and more. Plus: how entrepreneurs make the world a better place. |
Fri, 4 November 2016
Joshua Fields Millburn, half of the duo known as The Minimalists and himself a libertarian, discusses how the pursuit of consumption may add to rather than fill a spiritual void, and how withdrawing from the consumption frenzy can be liberating. |
Thu, 3 November 2016
Wikileaks has released so many emails to the public that it can be hard to get a handle on it all. Tracy Diaz, an old hand in the liberty movement who's been following Wikileaks closely, joins me to discuss the bombshells in those emails. |
Wed, 2 November 2016
The University of Toronto's Jordan Peterson became notorious practically overnight for refusing to buckle under pressure to use "gender-neutral" pronouns with people of different "gender identities." Professor Peterson argues that claims of the existence dozens of gender identities have no scientific basis, and should certainly not be used to intimidate dissidents. |
Tue, 1 November 2016
Brandon Navom, creator of Software Engineers for Liberty and a Ron Paul delegate in 2012, tells the truth about the NSA's surveillance activities. |
Mon, 31 October 2016
If you're like me, you bash your head against the wall at all the crazy anti-libertarian memes and talking points you run into on social media. We answer a whole bunch of them today. |
Fri, 28 October 2016
Doug Casey, author of the best-selling investment book of all time (Crisis Investing), returns to discuss his defense of a non-p.c. occupation: speculator. We also discuss how young people can get an advantage in the world today, where the great opportunities are, and more. |
Thu, 27 October 2016
Marc Morano joins me to talk about market solutions to environmental issues -- plus, claims about renewable energy, hurricanes caused by climate change, and more. |
Wed, 26 October 2016
The situation in Syria is dangerous and volatile, with the potential for an American conflict with Russia very real. Scott Horton helps us evaluate what the two major candidates have had to say about this critically important subject. |
Tue, 25 October 2016
Romans 13 has generated an overwhelming amount of discussion and debate regarding Christian belief and political obligation. Pastor Larry Beane joins me to get to the bottom of what it really means. While we're at it, we discuss Christian libertarians, p.c. Christians, and political correctness in society at large. |
Tue, 25 October 2016
People have been asking: can you do an episode on how to podcast? Or how to self-publish a book? And so on. Even if you're not interested in starting a podcast, I think you'll enjoy this behind-the-scenes episode, which also introduces my new free eBook, 5 Paths to an Online Income. |
Sun, 23 October 2016
This year my mother learned how to earn dough by promoting products as an affiliate. She created a great affiliate site and began to rank very highly on Google for various keywords. How did she do it? By following the guidance of Andrew Hansen, the Internet marketing expert who joins me today, and his business partner Sara Young, whom I featured on the show earlier this year. She now knows more than I do. So I decided Andrew would make a good guest for a bonus episode of the show. He's young, very successful, and extremely knowledgeable -- not to mention a good guy and friend. |
Fri, 21 October 2016
The US government all but shut down Internet poker several years ago, leading one of my friends to move out of the US so he could continue playing. Adam Haman, a player with 25 years of experience, joins us to discuss the war on gambling as well as offer a few gaming tips. |
Thu, 20 October 2016
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton faced off in the last presidential debate of this election season, and Lew Rockwell and Tom are here with the most sought-after analysis in the libertarian world! |
Wed, 19 October 2016
Here's an interview I did on the Kennedy Financial podcast, covering all kinds of topics: 19th-century bank panics, what kind of gold and silver coins you should have, how to work online without a boss, and much more. |
Tue, 18 October 2016
Some say libertarian views aren't heard in politics because libertarians don't vote, so there's no point in courting them. The real reason tells us much more about politics, voting, and the state. |
Mon, 17 October 2016
Capitalism is all about buying and selling, and if you want to sell online, you have to know how to use email the right way. If you master email marketing, you’ll have a huge advantage over your competitors – most of whom, frankly, will be doing it all wrong. In this episode, Daniel Levis joins me to explain the right – and wrong – way to prosper through email. |
Fri, 14 October 2016
In the 1990s, Murray Rothbard thought an opportune moment had arisen to reach out again to the American right wing. With the Cold War over, a number of interesting and impressive conservative thinkers were concluding that it was time to stop the global interventionism and return to being a normal country again. This meeting of the minds, between paleoconservatives (so named to distinguish themselves from neoconservatives) and paleolibertarians bore considerable fruit. Jason Jewell walks through this important history. |
Thu, 13 October 2016
Senator Bernie Sanders attracted plenty of attention this election cycle, but while his complaints weren’t always without merit, his proposed solutions would only have added fuel to the fire. Hunter Lewis, author of the new book Where Bernie Went Wrong, joins me to take a closer look at Bernie and his ideas. |
Wed, 12 October 2016
When I recently (episode 745) spoke to Professor Jeffrey Herbener about the economic effects of fractional-reserve banking, I recalled that John Tamny and I had had a disagreement on the subject. So for this episode I’ve invited both of these gentlemen for a formal debate on the subject. I think you’ll find the result enlightening. |
Tue, 11 October 2016
Conservatives and many libertarians look back fondly on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whom they remember for taking on trade unions and the left, and advocating free-market economic policy. Is this an accurate picture of the former British leader? Sean Gabb joins me for an unconditional look at Margaret Thatcher. |
Mon, 10 October 2016
I get asked a lot about places where libertarians might move were things to go really sour in the United States. I myself plan to stick it out come what may, but it’s a good question all the same. One place sometimes cited in this respect is Singapore. Ivo Zlamal, a Supporting Listener of the show who has lived in Singapore for four and a half years, shares his impressions of that small country. |
Fri, 7 October 2016
Rosa Brooks, an expert on international law and national security law, discusses how the War on Terror has confused and conflated war and peace, thereby blurring legal principles and categories developed over the course of Western civilization. |
Thu, 6 October 2016
Neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton can or will explain precisely what the Fed has done to the economy since the turn of the century, but it's crucial that we understand it. Meanwhile, although we hear nothing but warnings and gloom about employment in the age of automation, the true picture turns out to be much brighter. This are my remarks at the Mises Institute's event at Harvard on October 1, 2016. |
Wed, 5 October 2016
Senator Tim Kaine and Governor Mike Pence squared off in the only vice presidential debate of this campaign season last night, and Lew and I evaluate the wreckage. |
Tue, 4 October 2016
Gret Glyer, a graduate of Grove City College who lives in Malawi, just launched an app that will knock your socks off: help fund worthy projects of all sizes all over the world, and get receive immediate notification and visual evidence of your impact when the project is complete. |
Mon, 3 October 2016
Here's what I told over 100 sheriffs about state nullification, the states' right to refuse to allow the enforcement of unconstitutional federal laws. |
Fri, 30 September 2016
A short episode today, touching on some of the arguments libertarians have to face when it comes to education, plus two random thoughts on my mind. |
Thu, 29 September 2016
James Newcomb, another conscientious objector I've gotten to know in the private Facebook group for the show's Supporting Listeners, discusses his post-military entrepreneurial vision, and how to embark on a new life. |
Wed, 28 September 2016
Here's a common refrain: the rich are parasites who in fact don't create jobs at all. Plenty of them just shelter their income somewhere. The real job creators are the working classes, who go out and spend their money. This is what stimulates economic activity. What is the correct response to this line of argument? |
Tue, 27 September 2016
Did Trump land a knockout blow in last night's debate? For those of us wanting to see Clinton smashed on live TV, the answer -- according to Lew Rockwell and me -- is unfortunately not. Here's our analysis, punchy as always, of what went down. |
Mon, 26 September 2016
Fractional-reserve banking, in which only a fraction of demand deposits are available on demand (the rest being lent out), has been a source of controversy even among self-identified Austrian economists. Jeff Herbener joins us to discuss the purely economic effects of fractional-reserve banking. |
Fri, 23 September 2016
Today we look at the thought of G.A. Cohen, a Marxist who actually tried to deal with libertarian ideas without caricaturing them. His ideas can help us sharpen our arguments, and can show us where egalitarianism leads. The bulk of this episode is drawn from my 90-lesson government course I created for the Ron Paul Curriculum. |
Thu, 22 September 2016
Harvard's Steven Pinker has argued that violence has been drastically reduced over the course of human history, thanks in large part to the rise of the state. Is this checkmate for libertarians? Stefan Blankertz says no. |
Wed, 21 September 2016
Jason Stopper, a regular Tom Woods Show listener, recently resigned his commission in the U.S. Army, and now seeks to become a paramedic -- so he can heal people rather than harm them. |
Tue, 20 September 2016
David Stockman, himself of the Reagan Administration, recounts the horrific economic policies of recent administrations, describes their consequences, and proposes solutions. Hint: they include abolishing the Federal Open Market Committee, which the Fed uses to make monetary policy. |
Mon, 19 September 2016
To this day, plenty of people believe that the Western intervention in Serbia over Kosovo prevented a genocide. That one's a whopper even by Pentagon standards. Jim Jatras joins me to get to the bottom of what really happened. |
Fri, 16 September 2016
With such libertarian luminaries as Murray Rothbard and Walter Block at odds with regard to the creation of Israel and its conformity or otherwise to libertarian principles, it seemed sensible to host a debate on the subject. The resolution: "Israel was founded on the basis of legitimate homesteading of land and reclamation of lost Jewish property from previous generations of Jews." Arguing in the affirmative is Rafi Farber, and in the negative is Jeremy R. Hammond. |
Thu, 15 September 2016
Donald Trump recently proposed a series of tax credits for child-care expenses and, more controversially, six weeks of paid maternity leave. What could be wrong with that? |
Wed, 14 September 2016
The America First Committee, which opposed U.S. entry into World War II, is universally despised today. Bill Kauffman and I use the AFC as a springboard to discuss nonintervention in general and a whole lot more. |
Tue, 13 September 2016
Even though the various levels of government in the U.S. hold a monopoly on law enforcement (remember how this was supposed to keep us safe, etc.?) phone scammers are alive and well. What a surprise. Here's one way the private sector is really keeping people safe. Plus, a few fun tangents in this episode. |
Mon, 12 September 2016
Whether it's Gloria Steinem on anorexia nervosa, Mitch Snyder on homelessness, campus activists on rape, environmentalists on DDT, Ralph Nader on traffic safety, and pretty much all progressives on child labor, discrimination, and the minimum wage, the record isn't so good. |
Fri, 9 September 2016
Writer and philosopher Steve Patterson, one of the most interesting people I know, walks us through metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics to reach libertarianism. |
Thu, 8 September 2016
In this episode I share some thoughts about egalitarianism and the family (mortal enemies, those), and whether parents can be said, within the libertarian framework, to have positive obligations toward their children. |
Wed, 7 September 2016
Ep. 732 The Point Everyone Misses About So-Called Private Prisons, Plus: Are Millennials Really as Anti-Capitalist as the Polls Say?
So-called private prisons came under fire recently, so we were treated to the usual anti-capitalist propaganda. But just how "private" are these "private prisons"? Plus: are millennials really anti-capitalist, or are they (I'll be kind) just clueless? |
Tue, 6 September 2016
Todd Seavey, author of Libertarianism for Beginners, joins me for a discussion that beginners and advanced students alike will enjoy. We go from the foundations, to real-world applications, to problems for libertarianism, to left and right and libertarians. Much to learn from and enjoy. |
Mon, 5 September 2016
It's Labor Day, which means we're hearing all about how the labor movement have made our country and the world a better place. One bumper sticker reads, "The Weekend: Brought to You By Labor Unions." That's just plain false, and I explain why. |
Fri, 2 September 2016
What's the deal with the EpiPen price hike? Does it show capitalism doesn't work? I get into the details today. Then I call some scammers who tried to claim I was being sued by the IRS. |
Thu, 1 September 2016
With protectionism on the rise and opponents of trade insisting that international competition is at the root of Middle America's problems, the libertarian response -- to my mind, at least -- has been tepid and unpersuasive. Gene Epstein joins me to fix that. |
Wed, 31 August 2016
Scott McConnell was once editorial page editor of the New York Post, and worked and published in neoconservative circles. Then something changed, and he helped found The American Conservative, an anti-neocon magazine. Lots covered here, including foreign policy, Israel/Palestine, the alt-right, and more. |
Tue, 30 August 2016
Good Morning America's Amy Robach came under overwhelming pressure after she used the term "colored people" on television, instead of the approved phrase "people of color," which is completely different because it contains a preposition. Michael Malice returns to the show to get to the bottom of what's really going on here, and how progressives use race and terminology as means of control. |
Mon, 29 August 2016
Author Chase Rachels joins me to discuss some of the hard cases -- education, roads (of course!), and even security -- when it comes to imagining how society without a state might work. |
Fri, 26 August 2016
On Milo's podcast we discussed sane and insane college campuses, what we should think about Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani, and in general had politically incorrect fun. |
Thu, 25 August 2016
Jeff Herbener joins me to respond to an article making the rounds these days claiming that Austrian criticisms of mainstream economics are either uninformed or simply fall flat. By the end of this episode, it's this critic who's flat. |
Wed, 24 August 2016
Eric Peters returns to the show to talk about everything from self-driving cars to Tesla and cronyism, to which radar detector you should buy, and more. |
Wed, 24 August 2016
Monetary expert Philipp Bagus takes us from the basics through more advanced topics as he dismantles the case for government-managed money. |
Mon, 22 August 2016
What is the relationship between freedom and the stories we tell ourselves? That's what Brad Birzer explores in this episode that takes us from the ancient Greeks through JRR Tolkien! |
Fri, 19 August 2016
That sounds like the sort of thing a libertarian would say, doesn't it? But in fact the case against the FBI is pretty darn good, and Ryan McMaken joins me to make that case. |
Thu, 18 August 2016
Ep. 718 Woods Experiences: College Campuses, Publishers Telling Me What to Say, Teaching My Kids, and Lots More Juicy Stuff
Here's my recent appearance on the Johnny Rocket Launch Pad. What a blast (so to speak). They asked me lots of things I've never been asked before, about when my ethics have been challenged and what I've done about it, what I've changed my mind about, how I teach my kids without making them into clones, where I first discovered Austrian economics (the answer will surprise you), and how I get my message heard by conservatives and progressives. If you don't enjoy this episode, I owe you a Coke. |
Wed, 17 August 2016
The cases of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland are raised by the left as alleged examples of non-market success stories. What's the real truth? |
Tue, 16 August 2016
The ripple effects of government regulation throughout society go well beyond the famous "seen and unseen" formulation of Frederic Bastiat. Per Bylund helps us trace the full consequences of government regulation and its effects on people's lives. |
Mon, 15 August 2016
Independent musician Leah McHenry, who's also a libertarian and a homeschooling mom of five, talks about today's opportunities for musicians and really any independent content creators to build audiences and create full-blown careers. |
Fri, 12 August 2016
One of the most bizarre phenomena within the libertarian movement is the occasional hostility toward Murray Rothbard, the very creator of the libertarian movement and one of the most prolific and accomplished scholars of the twentieth century. In case anyone's trying to persuade you that Rothbard was overrated, and really not all that impressive, here's what you need to know. |
Thu, 11 August 2016
Here's a common objection to the free market: why, it doesn't yield enough scientific research! We need government funding for that. Even some free-market folks have bought this line. Here are some helpful thoughts in favor of the market and science. |
Wed, 10 August 2016
Robert Zubrin, founder and president of the Mars Society, replies to objections to the human settlement of Mars. |
Wed, 10 August 2016
Julie Borowski is closing in on 200,000 Facebook likes, thanks to her consistent output and quality content. She's learned a lot along the way about spreading the message, about weak points in the message, and about having a thick skin. |
Mon, 8 August 2016
Liberty Memes is a wildly successful Facebook page that encapsulates libertarian ideas in provocative graphics. They recently ran afoul of the Facebook police for a meme about Hillary that's so far within the normal boundaries of American political commentary you'll hardly believe it. We discuss that, the page, and what it all means. |
Fri, 5 August 2016
The consequences of the US government's interventions in Libya and Syria have been pretty grim. Jim and Michael Ostrowski make a methodical lawyers' case against them, and lay bare the disasters that have resulted. |
Thu, 4 August 2016
Ron Paul returned to the show today to answer listener questions, submitted in our private Facebook group. Among other things, I asked him: Are you planning to vote for Gary Johnson? What are your favorite books? What book would you recommend for a curious beginner? How do you feel about libertarians accepting government money or taking government jobs? Who's carrying the torch in terms of the libertarian message today and into the future? What's the one statist argument that really sticks in your craw? What's a favorite memory from your days as a physician? Why do you think Bernie endorsed Clinton? |
Wed, 3 August 2016
There are all kinds of ways militarism and even the preparation for war can deform the economy, and many of these are easy to miss. I go through a bunch of them in this talk delivered at the 2016 Mises University program, hosted by the Mises Institute. |
Tue, 2 August 2016
J.D. Vance offers a compelling, firsthand account of life among the white working poor, and in particular among a family with roots in the Appalachia region of northern Kentucky. It's easy to devise economic explanations for this group's stagnation and retrogression, but a deeply ingrained set of self-destructive ideas and behaviors renders futile most conventional, political approaches to remedying the problem. This is an episode you won't soon forget. |
Mon, 1 August 2016
It's pretty thin gruel, to put it mildly, for freedom lovers in 2016, so I spent the opening talk at this year's Mises University program (hosted by the Mises Institute) contrasting the free society with what Trump and Clinton have to offer. Zingy stuff. |
Fri, 29 July 2016
Adam Smith is consistently held up as the great founder of economics and herald of capitalism. Murray Rothbard energetically disputed this characterization. Others, in turn, have criticized Rothbard's criticism. So what are we to think? |
Thu, 28 July 2016
What exactly is the ideology of the "Social Justice Warrior"? What do you do when you're targeted by one, whether at work or in general? Vox Day -- popular blogger, author, SJW slayer, and polymath -- joins me for background and strategy. |
Tue, 26 July 2016
The infamous 28 pages from a joint congressional intelligence inquiry regarding 9/11 were finally declassified, and the media told us there was nothing to see in them. Not true. Award-winning reporter Larisa Alexandrovna joins me for the real story. |