Wed, 24 February 2016
Tom Woods Show producer A.J. Van Slyke discusses how he became a libertarian, came to work for Peter Schiff, became my producer, and met lots of fascinating people along the way. |
Tue, 23 February 2016
Here's what I said at the 2013 Illinois Libertarian Convention. What should we do? How do we define success? Should we be radical or should we moderate our message to reach more people? Lots of fun in this one. |
Mon, 22 February 2016
Today I talk a bit about several of my books, and how I was able to reach people with them and with my promotional work whom we could not otherwise have reached. Fun and horrifying stories galore. |
Sun, 21 February 2016
We hear a lot about wealth and income inequality, but what's the truth of the matter? And does it make a difference? Bob Murphy and I hash it all out in an episode of our podcast Contra Krugman, which in this episode I share with the Tom Woods Show audience. |
Fri, 19 February 2016
Your local police department is said to provide a service that we could never expect to arise in the private sector. But the Detroit Threat Management Center, a private and voluntary organization, has cut down on violent crime and made a point of defusing dangerous situations without violence. You'll love this one. |
Thu, 18 February 2016
A lot of people say: I've got a good grasp of the ideas, so what are our next steps? Jeff Deist joins me to discuss various libertarian strategies, and which are the most promising. |
Wed, 17 February 2016
The late Justice Antonin Scalia played a profoundly significant role in elevating "original understanding" jurisprudence into a position that even its opponents had to reckon with. Kevin Gutzman joins me to discuss some of Scalia's most important work. |
Tue, 16 February 2016
The efflorescence of classical Greece was a period of enormous historical significance. How is this level of achievement and prosperity to be accounted for? We can't rely on explanations like climate or slavery that applied to many other, far less successful, civilizations. So what was it? |
Mon, 15 February 2016
Lew Rockwell joins me for more debate analysis, this time of the February 13, 2016 debate in South Carolina. Unlike some previous debates, plenty of controversy and fireworks in this one. Enjoy! |
Fri, 12 February 2016
Stephan Kinsella joins me to discuss negative/positive rights and obligations, "loser pays," whether creation makes you an owner, how we can consider spam aggression, and more. Fun! |
Thu, 11 February 2016
We talk about some in this episode, and Brion McClanahan covers a whole lot more in his killer new book. Down with presidential idolatry! |
Wed, 10 February 2016
The brilliant Ron Unz, himself a Harvard alumnus, is spearheading a twofold campaign, pushing a slate of candidates to the Harvard Board of Overseers to (1) abolish tuition and (2) be more transparent about the admissions process, since it seems fairly obvious that Harvard is using a quota system. The proposal to abolish tuition may sound quixotic or even weird, but since tuition receipts are a tiny percentage of what Harvard earns from its endowment, it makes sense. Decide for yourself! |
Tue, 9 February 2016
It's considered bad form to criticize Milton Friedman -- why, you must be some kind of "libertarian purist"! But if you can't be a libertarian purist on the Tom Woods Show, where can you be? Walter Block and I look at the good and the bad about Milton Friedman. |
Mon, 8 February 2016
Lew Rockwell joins me for another debate analysis! The second-place slot is fluid in New Hampshire right now, so this debate could prove crucial. |
Fri, 5 February 2016
What's wrong with the GOP? My guest and I agree there's a lot wrong, but we're not always agreed as to what that is. We have a freewheeling discussion of populism, noninterventionism, localism, Trump, Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and more. Enjoy! |
Thu, 4 February 2016
Defenders of capitalism often wind up making arguments that implicitly concede the moral superiority of socialism -- sure, socialism is a fine system, but we can't live up to it. What kind of defense of capitalism is that? Jason Brennan makes a powerful moral case for capitalism that avoids this pitfall. |
Wed, 3 February 2016
Rand Paul dropped out of the presidential race today, so I invited Dan McCarthy, editor of The American Conservative, to join me for a discussion of that decision, of the Rand Paul campaign in general, and why we may be looking at the nomination of Rubio now, believe it or not. |
Tue, 2 February 2016
Within what we might call establishment libertarianism there is almost an allergy to Murray Rothbard, the great libertarian polymath. Who was Rothbard, anyway, and what exactly is going on here? |
Mon, 1 February 2016
Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, recently proposed a series of amendments to the U.S. Constitution. As it turns out, they're actually pretty good. Would they help? Brion McClanahan joins me to figure it all out. |
Fri, 29 January 2016
Who's up and who's down after last night's GOP debate? Lew Rockwell joins me for another of our debate commentary episodes! |
Thu, 28 January 2016
I'm without a guest in this episode, and taking apart yet another critique of libertarianism. Enjoy! |
Wed, 27 January 2016
National Review, the flagship publication of the conservative movement, recently released an issue-length symposium simply titled, "Against Trump." They never did anything like that against Mitt Romney or John McCain, so what exactly is going on here? Jack Kerwick joins me to make sense of it. |
Tue, 26 January 2016
Quite an amazing development: the Tenth Amendment Center and the American Civil Liberties Union have announced a joint effort at the state level to fight back against surveillance. Some 16 states have introduced legislation approved by both organizations. Michael Boldin gives us the scoop on this Tenther Tuesday! |
Mon, 25 January 2016
The official conservative movement has its leftist opponents, but more interesting are its critics on the right, who are contemptuous of its think-tanks, its magazines, even its ideas. We discuss plenty of these people and groups in today's episode! |
Fri, 22 January 2016
Mark Skousen, the Austrian-friendly editor of the Forecasts & Strategies newsletter for over 35 years, dissents from the advice of what he calls the "doomsayers," and says those people miss a lot of bull markets. I thought my audience would benefit from another perspective. Enjoy! |
Thu, 21 January 2016
Already 576 episodes and not one on feminism? That ends today with this provocative discussion with the infamous Milo Yiannopolous! |
Wed, 20 January 2016
Historians consider 1916 to be the truly pivotal year of World War I. We look at all the major belligerents, along with developments in the United States. Submarines, blockades, Woodrow Wilson, civilian life, and much more are covered in this compelling episode with Hunt Tooley, my favorite historian of the war. |
Tue, 19 January 2016
Neoconservative commentator Jonah Goldberg says we shouldn't use the term "neoconservative" anymore. Paul Gottfried and I are having none of it, and we spend this episode explaining the origins and ideas of the neocons, and how they came to eclipse everyone else on the right. |
Mon, 18 January 2016
Is overpopulation a real problem? Our guest explains why not. He's also founder and president of the Mars Society, so you can bet that subject comes up as well.... |
Sun, 17 January 2016
Yaro Starak, a successful entrepreneur and blogger who earns a five-figure monthly income through blogging and product creation, discusses how and how not to earn an income as a blogger. Consider this part of my "capitalism in practice, not just in theory" series. |
Fri, 15 January 2016
Rand Paul was demoted from the upper-tier Republican debate last night, and he decided to boycott the undercard debate and hold a national town hall from Twitter headquarters instead. Meanwhile, Lew and I were stuck watching the debate. But as always, we have great fun breaking it down for you! |
Thu, 14 January 2016
The world's worst, most totalitarian regime just conducted another nuclear test. What's the appropriate response? I ask Michael Malice, author of Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il. Another chilling glimpse inside one of the remaining bastions of communism. |
Wed, 13 January 2016
Here's one of the big issues libertarians have to deal with: wouldn't you favor military intervention to prevent some horrifying atrocity? Laurie Calhoun joins me to take on this hard question. |
Tue, 12 January 2016
The 1970s were a time of economic stagnation -- but why, and just how bad was it? The full truth in today's episode -- plus lots more stuff about the unfortunate '70s. Enjoy! |
Mon, 11 January 2016
The FAA has gone berserk regarding the amount of airspace it wants to regulate. A listener of the Tom Woods Show found that good, old-fashioned ridicule is the best approach when dealing with a ridiculous and unpopular law. |
Fri, 8 January 2016
It's become fashionable in libertarian circles to ridicule the nonaggression principle. Stephan Kinsella and I speak in its defense. This one is long overdue. |
Thu, 7 January 2016
The situation in Greece no longer makes many headlines, but it remains catastrophic. How did it happen, and what can we learn from it? |
Wed, 6 January 2016
Joshua Bennett tells us how he took matters into his own hands and got the libertarian message out in Alaska to listeners of right-wing radio. Actionable ideas here! |
Tue, 5 January 2016
Ep. 563 Clueless Voters and Self-Interested So-Called Public Servants: How Public Choice Economics Upends the Cute Fantasies About How the System Really Works
Why are political campaigns based on dumbed-down slogans, instead of the rational deliberation our textbooks taught us was the basis of the system? Why is it that tiny minorities manage to get lucrative subsidies in a system supposedly based on the popular will? Why are voters uninformed -- and why do they have an incentive to be? Public Choice economics can help us understand these phenomena better, and that's our topic for today. |
Mon, 4 January 2016
What's the truth about John F. Kennedy, the Federal Reserve, his public persona, the economy, and more? Here's a side of things you've never heard before, I guarantee. |
Thu, 24 December 2015
Since 2008, the Left has mocked the idea that the government might have had a hand in the housing bubble and collapse and the financial crisis, which are portrayed as spontaneous outcomes of a market economy. This thesis is blasted to smithereens in this discussion with Peter J. Wallison. |
Wed, 23 December 2015
Doesn't the market lead to vulgar outcomes, and undermine high culture? Paul Cantor, a member of Ludwig von Mises' NYU seminar, joins us to discuss this and more -- including topics in popular culture, including The X Files and Breaking Bad. |
Mon, 21 December 2015
Patrick Moore, a Canadian scientist who was a founding member of Greenpeace, finally had to leave the organization for its extremism. Don't miss his fascinating story! |
Fri, 18 December 2015
The real truth about Medicare and Medicaid and their true nature and consequences are completely unknown to most people. Murray Sabrin has just released a documentary on the 50th anniversary of their creation setting the record straight, and providing an alternative. Not to be missed! |
Thu, 17 December 2015
Ever since we learned in school how a bill becomes a law, we've absorbed the idea that it's normal for law to be imposed from the top down. But it's possible, and indeed the historical norm, for law to emerge in a completely different, more libertarian-friendly way. Join me for a great conversation with Stephan Kinsella! |
Wed, 16 December 2015
The fifth Republican presidential debate was last night, December 15, 2015, and Lew and I are on the case. A few surprises and some good lines, but mostly horrifying, save for the good performance by Rand Paul. As always, our discussion is livelier and more illuminating than the debate itself, so don't deny yourself this guilty pleasure! |
Tue, 15 December 2015
Judith Curry, a highly credentialed climate scientist, discovered what happens when you question the reliability of the models on which global warming predictions are based. She also discovered that the way science is done in practice might be a teensy bit different from the dispassionate model of Francis Bacon. |
Mon, 14 December 2015
I answer some helpful listener questions in today's episode: my concerns about Trump, how I know which opponents to engage and which to ignore, what historical misconception is most important for Americans to overcome, and many more. |
Fri, 11 December 2015
The just-war tradition is a much-heralded aspect of moral reflection in the Western world. But does this series of criteria for the acceptability of particular wars really serve the purpose of limiting war? It's a question I've changed my mind on in recent years, and Laurie Calhoun helps me to work through the issue in today's episode. |
Thu, 10 December 2015
Ep. 552 The Post-Debate Analysis: Tom and Michael Malice Discuss the Hamilton Debate, and What They Might Debate Next
Michael Malice returns to the show to discuss his debate with me about Alexander Hamilton. This post-game discussion is a lot of fun -- plus, we talk about what could well be the topic for our next live, in-person debate! |
Wed, 9 December 2015
Here it is: the audio from the December 2015 debate between Michael Malice and me. Resolved: Alexander Hamilton was a hero for the cause of liberty. Michael argues in the affirmative, and I in the negative. You are going to love it. We're both relentless, and the audience loves it. At the end I reveal the winner. |
Tue, 8 December 2015
Ilana Mercer joins me to discuss the recent campus lunacy, and whether we ought to save the university or dance on its grave. |
Mon, 7 December 2015
Eric Peters returns to the show, to discuss unintended consequences of automobile regulation, interesting new innovations, and how government's attempts to fix things create an array of new problems. |
Fri, 4 December 2015
Leave it to Walter Block to write a book on privatizing lakes, rivers, oceans, and aquifers. We discuss the how and why today! |
Thu, 3 December 2015
Stephan Kinsella explains the importance of Rothbard's theory of contract -- a point I myself did not appreciate until this episode -- and contrasts it with mainstream theories, which most libertarians think are the same as their own. We need to get these fundamentals right, so listen in and learn with me! |
Wed, 2 December 2015
Here's an interview I did with a FOX News Radio affiliate, in which I discussed everything from nullification to agorism -- in other words, topics that don't generally make it onto radio. Enjoy! |
Tue, 1 December 2015
Today I talk about the social contract arguments we encounter from critics all the time, and how we might answer them. Plus, a digression on entrepreneurship, and how I'm teaching my kids that sitting around hoping someone will hire you is the wrong way to advance your career in the modern economy. Enjoy! |
Mon, 30 November 2015
Some libertarians describe themselves as "fiscally conservative and socially liberal." This is a completely wrongheaded way to think about libertarianism. In today's episode, author Tom Mullen discusses what precisely it is that both groups get wrong that leads them off the liberty path. We are not a combination of the two, but something entirely distinct. |
Fri, 27 November 2015
Fostering a high self-esteem is encouraged by virtually everyone as a way to make people happier and more successful. But there is no evidence for this claim, and indeed the gospel of self-esteem can make people more anxious and less happy. Not to mention the way egalitarians have exploited the message -- why, it's not how you do, it's how you feel about yourself that counts! Dr. Michael Edelstein joins me to crush this myth like a bug. |
Thu, 26 November 2015
Jordan Page's music has been a staple of the Ron Paul Revolution since 2007. He has opened for Dr. Paul many times and in many high-profile outlets. Today is the release date for his newest song, and he joins us to discuss the song, the state of America, the life of an independent musician, and the future. |
Wed, 25 November 2015
Ep. 541 Just How Much Has Government Screwed Up Health Care? An ER Doctor Explains -- and Tells Us How to Fix It
We need more government involvement in health care, runs the conventional wisdom. But what if government itself is the problem? What if government has made it virtually impossible for the doctor to do his job the way we want him to? Emergency room physician Doug McGuff provides the details from his decades of experience. |
Tue, 24 November 2015
In the last GOP debate, Rand Paul discussed the harm the Fed does to the ordinary person. As usual, the Left -- you remember, the people who supposedly "question authority" -- leaped to the defense of an longstanding institution. The prize for the most juvenile and uncomprehending analysis, though, goes to poor Timothy B. Lee of Vox. There is nothing left of Timothy by the end of this episode. |
Mon, 23 November 2015
Three foreign-policy experts join me today to discuss the Paris attacks, what they mean, and what they may portend for the world. Can nonintervention still be the answer? |
Fri, 20 November 2015
Laurie Calhoun discusses the origins and mainstreaming of the remote-control killing of suspects with drones, a topic that provokes still more fundamental questions about policymaking, the military, and American society. |
Thu, 19 November 2015
National Review recently argued that Alexander Hamilton was morally superior to Thomas Jefferson, and therefore -- by strong implication -- that his policies were preferable. Historian Kevin Gutzman responds! |
Wed, 18 November 2015
What are libertarians doing right, and what are we doing wrong? Are we attracting people or driving them away? What could we do better? I discuss all this with fellow podcaster Jason Stapleton! |
Tue, 17 November 2015
Mike Church, host of the longest-running talk show in the history of satellite radio, was recently let go by Sirius/XM. Mike, who was already in trouble for being a Ron Paul supporter on the Patriot channel, gives us the story, and shows how he's making lemons into lemonade. |
Mon, 16 November 2015
Brad Birzer has written an outstanding biography of one of the most important figures in the history of American conservatism. We discuss Kirk's sometimes rocky relationship with libertarianism, and his even rockier relationship with neoconservatism. Plus, key ideas, colorful personalities, and more. |
Fri, 13 November 2015
Matt Ridley returns to the show to argue against the overwhelmingly dominant view that science requires government subsidy. |
Thu, 12 November 2015
Adam Kokesh has a long and colorful history in the liberty movement. We'll talk about Adam's experiences, his ideas, his time in jail, how his approach has changed, and what he's up to now. |
Wed, 11 November 2015
The FOX Business Network carried the fourth Republican presidential debate last night (November 10, 2015), and Lew Rockwell and I are here, as usual, to share our thoughts! |
Tue, 10 November 2015
Ep. 530 Dr. Mary Ruwart on Crime, Terrorism, Medicine, and Other So-Called Services the Government Screws Up
Dr. Mary Ruwart, whose book Healing Our World has converted a great many people to libertarianism, discusses hot-button issues, plus her experiences in the Libertarian Party and its prospects today. |
Mon, 9 November 2015
ThinkProgress, the heresy-hunting thought-control site, lashed out at Ted Cruz last week for advocating some kind of tie between the dollar and gold. Cruz himself is not the issue; the issue is how terrible their article was. Their article is the bologna; the Tom Woods Show is the slicer. |
Fri, 6 November 2015
Today I discuss some fantastic material from Thomas Sowell's new book Wealth, Poverty, and Politics: An International Perspective. Plus, responses to my discussion with Matt Zwolinski on whether libertarians should favor a basic income guarantee. |
Thu, 5 November 2015
Austrian economics is accused of being unscientific because it does not derive economic laws using the methods of the natural sciences. Does that make the Austrians dogmatic and unreasonable? We tackle this question today. |
Wed, 4 November 2015
Stand-up comedian and libertarian Dave Smith discusses libertarianism and comedy, and how he's opened minds through his material. Plus, comedy vs. political correctness, and more! |
Tue, 3 November 2015
It's under the radar, but there's been more state-level pushback against the federal government this year than at any time since the creation of the Tenth Amendment Center. Pushing back on what? Surveillance, drones, license-plate tracking, the drug war, police militarization, the NSA, the FDA, hemp, guns, and more. Check it out! View the full show notes: http://tomwoods.com/525 |
Mon, 2 November 2015
Lew Rockwell and I field audience questions on everything from Pope Francis to the Confederate Battle Flag, and whether conservatives have their own kind of political correctness. Lew, of course, is the founder and chairman of the Mises Institute, publisher of LewRockwell.com, and former chief of staff to Ron Paul. |
Fri, 30 October 2015
The Scandinavian countries are held up as model economies and welfare states. We've already taken a closer look at Sweden and Denmark in order to evaluate these claims. Today it's Norway's turn to go under the microscope. |
Thu, 29 October 2015
Lew returns to the show to discuss the Republican debate on CNBC. The debate, focused on the economy, hit on "tax reform," entitlements, and related topics. We watched it so you wouldn't have to. |
Wed, 28 October 2015
Author Jamie Bartlett joins me to discuss the "dark net," that corner of the Internet that can be accessed only with a special browser. What goes on there, and why is it important for the cause of freedom? |
Tue, 27 October 2015
Whether it's nonintervention abroad, or Social Security, or WikiLeaks, or Iran, or the Department of Homeland Security, or the drug war, libertarians don't quite fit in to the official "conservative movement." Jim Babka, who emphasizes these very issues, joins me to talk it all through. Plus, we discuss the great Harry Browne, an important and skilled communicator for our cause. |
Mon, 26 October 2015
Some voices in the libertarian world have argued that a basic income guarantee for everyone would be better than the current welfare state from a pragmatic point of view. Matt Zwolinski adds that it is morally required, given the dubious origins of so many existing property titles. Result: an engaging exchange of ideas I know you'll enjoy. But be sure to listen all the way to the end, since that's where the best parts can be found. |
Fri, 23 October 2015
Here I start with the basics and conclude with the financial crisis. The origins of money, how money creation was taken over by government, why deflation isn't a problem, how even low inflation can devastate the average person, how central banking creates instability and moral hazard, and more. These are my remarks at Liberty Fest Houston 2015. |
Thu, 22 October 2015
Justin and Jessica Pavoni entered the military for the same patriotic reasons many other Americans did in the years following 9/11. But several years later, they decided they could no longer participate, and filed for conscientious objector status. We follow them through the whole story in today's episode! |
Wed, 21 October 2015
Ep. 516 Listen to this Episode; Your Life May Depend on It -- How to Secede from a Perverse Medical System
Bob Murphy has co-written far and away the best book on health care from a libertarian perspective. But it's not just economics and policy in here, great and original as that material is. It's also chapters like "Surviving the Hospital" and "Medical Screening & Elective Procedures: Worth the Risk?" One of my favorite episodes so far. |
Tue, 20 October 2015
Eric Peters is the libertarian authority on cars, and writes at EPAutos.com. We discussed the VW issue, the $5000 SUV Americans aren't allowed to buy, a court case in New Jersey that allows the police to search your car no matter what you're stopped for, and more. |
Mon, 19 October 2015
The American establishment treats Henry Kissinger like royalty. Dissidents call him a war criminal. I get to the bottom of all this with author and professor Greg Grandin. |
Fri, 16 October 2015
Ep. 513 Can We Decide on a Main Problem with Socialism? Also: Why the Austrians Are Right About Monopoly
Is the socialist calculation problem severe enough to account for the collapse of communism? We discuss that, as well as the Rothbardian contribution to monopoly theory, and whether it makes sense to think of a "monopoly price" on the free market. |
Thu, 15 October 2015
Ep. 512 Are the Tolerant Millennials the Least Tolerant of All? New Research Asks Some Tough Questions
We're told that young people today are just super -- why, they're so darn tolerant, unlike their stupid and backward parents and grandparents. But if we define toleration as involving how we treat the rights of people we dislike -- and of course, we should define it that way -- how tolerant are they? |
Wed, 14 October 2015
There's a reason so many libertarians are Rush fans, and even if for some reason you don't care for their brand of music, you should know about them for the same of libertarian literacy. Brad Birzer, author of a new book on drummer and writer Neil Peart, joins me for a fantastic discussion! |
Tue, 13 October 2015
It's hard to get a lot of people to accept our critique of a longstanding institution like the Fed. Frankly, it's hard to get them to accept much of what we believe at all, given that for at least a dozen years they've been systematically taught the opposite. Maybe we're going about this wrong. My guest and I have a compelling discussion about what might work instead! |
Mon, 12 October 2015
Pretty much, no. On the other hand, does this not ring a bell? A large group is exploited by a smaller group (a ruling class) that gets the larger group to believe that this exploitation is good and just and not exploitation at all; competition among the ruling class creates more concentration and centralization, and eventually, breakdown. |
Fri, 9 October 2015
The politically correct crowd believes differences in income and job placement among racial and ethnic groups must be accounted for by "discrimination." This claim is left in shreds after today's episode. I also discuss the so-called gender wage gap, and show it doesn't really exist. And quite a bit more. |
Thu, 8 October 2015
Anarcho-socialists say property is a form of oppression, and that it introduces conflict into society. I say it minimizes conflict in society. Check out this great discussion with Nathan Fraser of LiveFreeFM! |
Wed, 7 October 2015
The economy may be more competitive than ever, but entrepreneurs also have more resources and opportunities than ever. Business coach Tom Schwab and I talk about what today's entrepreneur needs to do: provide massive value, even before people buy. Sales and success follow from that. Non-entrepreneurs, this episode is for you, too! |
Tue, 6 October 2015
Today I cover a huge array of topics in a lively, fast-moving discussion with Richard Emmons of the Ron Paul Homeschooling Podcast. Some people had said I should do something like this for my 500th episode. Well, episode 505 is pretty close! The discussion is based on my 165-lesson Ron Paul Curriculum course Western Civilization from 1493 (more on which below). |
Mon, 5 October 2015
From the journey west to the Indian wars, Brad Birzer and I discuss the exciting history of the American West. |
Fri, 2 October 2015
Portsmouth, New Hampshire has effectively banned Uber, the popular transportation service, but Christopher David, the Uber driver who joins us today, is among a number of Uber drivers engaged in civil disobedience against the ban. |
Thu, 1 October 2015
Historian Kevin Gutzman joins us to discuss the Stamp Act, passed by the British Parliament 250 years ago this year, and what it meant for American history. Plenty of Patrick Henry, too. |