The Tom Woods Show (general)

Comedian, financial writer, and jack-of-all-trades Dominic Frisby joins me to discuss the continued lockdowns in the UK, what's happening in Western societies, and his new national anthem for Libertaria.

Sponsor: Sanebox

Show notes for Ep. 1680

Direct download: woods_2020_06_25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:55pm EDT

Dale Brown's Detroit Threat Management Center has had tremendous success in lowering violent crime rates, and has done so using methods that emphasize de-escalation and nonviolence. In the wake of the George Floyd killing, he joins us to discuss lessons police departments can learn from his successes.

Show notes for Ep. 1679

Direct download: woods_2020_06_24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:03pm EDT

With the present pitiful showing by conservatives as the backdrop, Paul Gottfried joins us to discuss what went wrong with Conservatism, Inc.

Show notes for Ep. 1678

Direct download: woods_2020_06_23.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:30am EDT

Libertarian writer James Reilly and Mises Institute president Jeff Deist join me for a libertarian perspective on the problems with the police and what our proposed solutions would be.

Sponsor: Skillshare

Show notes for Ep. 1677

Direct download: woods_2020_06_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00am EDT

Once again the Federal Reserve is being presented to us as a great savior during a time of crisis. I once spoke at Jekyll Island itself in refutation of this claim. Worth revisiting during these times.

Show notes for Ep. 1676

Direct download: woods_2020_06_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:25pm EDT

Rainer Zitelmann's new book on people's perceptions of the rich is filled with interesting and surprising results: who "deserves" to be wealthy, what qualities people associate with the rich, how people form their opinions of the rich, and plenty more.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1675

Direct download: woods_2020_06_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:00pm EDT

Nothing is less fashionable than defending the South from attack. Responses like "why, you must support slavery," or "you're a racist," sum up the intellectual level you can expect from your critics, none of whom have read a thing. Historian Brion McClanahan returns to discuss the bizarre if predictable South hatred that emerged following George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

Show notes for Ep. 1674

Direct download: woods_2020_06_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am EDT

Professor Gad Saad joins me to discuss trends in academia, whether leftist domination occurs because they're just smarter than we are, and why CEOs feel compelled to endorse every fashionable cause.

Sponsor: Blinkist

Show notes for Ep. 1673

Direct download: woods_2020_06_16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:10am EDT

Pete Quinones joins me to discuss his new documentary on the state and how we might think about life without it.

Show notes for Ep. 1672

Direct download: woods_2020_06_12b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:32pm EDT

Vijay Boyapati joins me for a crash course in Bitcoin: why it matters (to the world and to you), what it accomplishes, where it's headed, and why he thinks it's actually superior to gold.

Show notes for Ep. 1671

Direct download: woods_2020_06_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:15am EDT

Spike Cohen, the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee, joins me to discuss radicalism and gradualism, his days as a neoconservative, entrepreneurial background, his libertarian transformation, how to campaign during a pandemic, and plenty more.

Show notes for Ep. 1670

Direct download: woods_2020_06_10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:27pm EDT

I'm being told to celebrate because the left has brought the phrase "defund the police" into the national spotlight. I'll get excited when I can figure out what on Earth they mean by it.

Show notes for Ep. 1669

Direct download: woods_2020_06_09.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:50am EDT

Kris Borer joins me to discuss the foundations of and the most persuasive case for anarcho-capitalism -- that is, a pure free market without a state of any kind.

Show notes for Ep. 1668

Direct download: woods_2020_06_08.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:42pm EDT

Dave Smith, comedian and host of Part of the Problem, joins me to discuss the George Floyd protests, the riots, and the (mostly depressing) libertarian response.

Show notes for Ep. 1667

Direct download: woods_2020_06_06.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:40pm EDT

Matt Ridley joins us for a discussion of innovation and how and where it flourishes, along with specific examples ranging from the mundane lightbulb to the personal computer. (I ask Matt why inventors' names are all over 19th-century history, but nobody knows who invented the personal computer -- hence the title of this episode.)

Sponsor: Skillshare

Show notes for Ep. 1666

Direct download: woods_2020_06_04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:58pm EDT

Dan McCarthy, editor of the venerable Modern Age, joins me for a discussion of the riots and what they could mean for America's political future.

Show notes for Ep. 1665

Direct download: woods_2020_06_03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:01pm EDT

Musician and libertarian content creator Eric July joins me to discuss police brutality, real solutions, and people making excuses for rioters and looters.

Sponsor: Sanebox

Show notes for Ep. 1664

Direct download: woods_2020_06_02.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:02pm EDT

Dr. Jo Jorgensen joins me today to discuss her campaign for president, her background, the main issues she intends to focus on, her experiences with Harry Browne (with whom Dr. Jorgensen was vice presidential nominee), and a lot more.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1663

Direct download: woods_2020_06_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:56pm EDT

Ten years ago next month I released my book Nullification, a combination history and strategy book for restraining federal power. The ideas in that book are strictly forbidden -- the official conservative and libertarian movements pretend they don't exist (the Heritage Foundation would die a thousand deaths before entertaining an unapproved thought like nullification). But the history is accurate and the arguments are sound, as I explain in this episode.

Show notes for Ep. 1662

Direct download: woods_2020_05_30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Today I look a bit deeper into the results of the lockdowns, which are being credited with having saved "millions" of lives.

Show notes for Ep. 1661

Direct download: woods_2020_05_28.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:33pm EDT

Gene Epstein joins us for a much-needed bit of optimism, particularly regarding the economy, as we look toward post-virus America.

Show notes for Ep. 1660

Direct download: woods_2020_05_27.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:35pm EDT

The online portion, anyway. Washington delegate Miguel Duque joins me to discuss the party's presidential nominee, where the Mises Caucus stands right now, and what comes next.

Show notes for Ep. 1659

Direct download: woods_2020_05_26.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:11pm EDT

Michael Rectenwald, retired professor at New York University, was a lifelong Marxist until very recently. He's now repudiated that past and embraced a Misesian future. His new book, Beyond Woke, explores every aspect of so-called "woke" culture and dismantles it mercilessly as only someone intimately familiar with leftism can.

Show notes for Ep. 1658

Direct download: woods_2020_05_22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Carla Gericke, president emeritus of the Free State Project, joins me to discuss PorcFest -- it's still on this year! -- and other goings-on among New Hampshire libertarians.

Guest's Website: carla4nhsenate.com

Show notes for Ep. 1657

Direct download: woods_2020_05_21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Michael Heise of the Mises Caucus of the Libertarian Party joins me to discuss some developments at the party's highest levels that have even people who haven't been our traditional allies crying foul.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1656

Direct download: woods_2020_05_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:56pm EDT

It's been quite remarkable to me the extent to which the lockdowns have divided people along ideological lines. A left-wing case against lockdown seems so easy to make and so obvious, and yet a vanishingly small number of people are making it. Thaddeus Russell, an eclectic and always interesting thinker who grew up on the left, joins me to try to get to the bottom of it.

Sponsor: Harry's

Show notes for Ep. 1655

Direct download: woods_2020_05_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Pete Quinones and I have a wide-ranging discussion of the ongoing COVID-19 problem and the state response, and the parallel nations emerging out of all this: (1) people who are simply giving up life passions in the face of the virus, and (2) people prepared to venture out and reclaim their lives. This episode is taken from my appearance on the Free Man Beyond the Wall podcast.

Show notes for Ep. 1654

Direct download: woods_2020_05_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Most American historians are atrociously bad at economic history, and the fallacies they peddle about how they think events occurred in the past go on to inform terrible decisions about economic policy in the present. Jeffrey Herbener joins me for a fallacy-free gallop through American economic history from the Civil War through the end of World War I.

Jeff's course on American economic history is available to members of Liberty Classroom. Join at LibertyClassroom.com, and find coupon codes at: libertyclassroom.com/coupons

Show notes for Ep. 1653

Direct download: woods_2020_05_16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

David Stockman, director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan, joins me for a discussion of the wisdom (or otherwise) of the response to COVID-19, and what the economic ramifications are.

Sponsor: Skillshare

Show notes for Ep. 1652

Direct download: woods_2020_05_15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:30pm EDT

Ryan Daniel Moran, a libertarian who operates Capitalism.com, is a highly successful entrepreneur who first came on my radar when he made a video about the taxes he was paying -- which in turn reminded me of when Peter Schiff asked some progressives how much they thought he should pay, and their figure turned out to be lower than the real one. Today Ryan discusses the elements involved in building successful businesses.

Sponsor: Blinkist

Show notes for Ep. 1651

Direct download: woods_2020_05_14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:03pm EDT

Eric Brakey, former state senator from Maine and a Tom Woods Show listener and supporter, is currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for U.S. Congress in his district. We discuss campaigning in the days of COVID, the swamp creatures who oppose him, and what his plans are once elected.

Sponsor: Sanebox

Show notes for Ep. 1650

Direct download: woods_2020_05_13.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:27am EDT

Jeff Deist, president of the Mises Institute, invited me to be a guest on the Human Action podcast, which has been exploring each part of Ludwig von Mises' Human Action with a different expert each episode. My episode was the final episode: part 7. Here Mises reflects on the place of economics in society, the struggle involved in overcoming popular ignorance, and what hangs in the balance of this intellectual battle.

Show notes for Ep. 1649

Direct download: woods_2020_05_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:02am EDT

Jeff Deist, chairman of the Mises Institute, joins me to try to get to the bottom of why the response to COVID-19 (and the lockdowns) seems for the most part to divide along ideological lines, an outcome I myself did not expect.

Show notes for Ep. 1648

Direct download: woods_2020_05_08.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:30pm EDT

One of the great Harry Browne's most important books was How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World. It is a blueprint for throwing off all manner of shackles (some self-imposed) that hold us back from living the lives we want. Audiobook narrator Ayrton Parham joins me.

Sponsor: Skillshare

Show notes for Ep. 1647

Direct download: woods_2020_05_07.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:55pm EDT

U.S. Congressman Justin Amash of Michigan recently joined the Libertarian Party and, having formed an "exploratory committee," seems certain to run for president. Dave Smith joins me to discuss Amash, libertarianism, and the Libertarian Party.

Show notes for Ep. 1646

Direct download: woods_2020_05_06.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:55am EDT

Sheriff Richard Mack of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, who has a Supreme Court victory under his belt, joins me to discuss recent events involving American sheriffs and what powers the local sheriff has.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1645

Direct download: woods_2020_05_05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:55pm EDT

The old man here has succumbed and finally decided to make Tom Woods Show merchandise, so I've been consulting with a listener who's an expert in this area. This, in turn, reminded me of Rachel Rofe, the expert's expert from whom this listener himself learned what he knows. It's a fun side business -- making mugs, T-shirts, etc. -- if you know what you're doing (and even if you don't). Now seems like a sensible time to learn something like this, so Rachel walks us through it in today's episode.

Print-on-Demand Webinar: tomwoods.com/rachel

Show notes for Ep. 1644

Direct download: woods_2020_05_02.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

In this potpourri episode I discuss the COVID economy, the role of the Libertarian Party, what our position on the shutdown should be, how to pitch libertarianism to the left, my advice to budding historians, and a lot more. Today's episode is drawn from my appearance on Decentralized Revolution, the podcast of the Libertarian Party's Mises Caucus.

Show notes for Ep. 1643

Direct download: woods_2020_05_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Steven Nekhaila, who chairs the Libertarian Party of Florida, owns multiple businesses, and he joins me to discuss how the shutdown has been affecting business owners.

Show notes for Ep. 1642

Direct download: woods_2020_04_30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Matt Gurtler became politically aware during the 2008 Ron Paul presidential campaign, for which he volunteered, and is currently a state representative in Georgia. With an open U.S. congressional seat in his district and the endorsement of Thomas Massie, he has an excellent opportunity to add another voice of sanity to the U.S. Congress. We discuss life as a state rep, his campaign, his stance on the lockdowns, and more.

Show notes for Ep. 1641

Direct download: woods_2020_04_29.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

There's been speculation in the media about the health and whereabouts of North Korea's Kim Jong Il. This, in turn, has led some people to speculate about who might succeed him. Michael Malice joins us to correct the record.

Show notes for Ep. 1640

Direct download: woods_2020_04_28b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Angela McArdle joins me to discuss the protest she's organizing in Los Angeles -- May 1, 2020, at 1:00pm near City Hall -- against the stay-at-home orders. People who protest these orders have been called every name in the book by respectable opinion, so I give Angela an opportunity to make the case.

Show notes for Ep. 1639

Direct download: woods_2020_04_28.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:30am EDT

Elizabeth Bartholet of Harvard Law School says homeschooling should be banned with very rare exceptions that parents would have to justify with overwhelming evidence. Her reasons are many, but one of them in particular is especially sinister.

Show notes for Ep. 1638

Direct download: woods_2020_04_24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

In the midst of the pandemic Joe Biden has become invisible, even more of a nonentity than usual. Dan McCarthy has an intriguing take on what the mediocre, uninspiring Biden truly represents.

Show notes for Ep. 1637

Direct download: woods_2020_04_23.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:35am EDT

In this episode I cover a lot of ground, albeit a bit haphazardly: the unintended consequences of "lockdown," the superstitious reverence for "scientists" (who, contrary to popular belief, are not in fact qualified to answer all questions), what's really happening in the hospitals, the social repercussions, and more.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1636

Direct download: woods_2020_04_22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:11am EDT

It's been ten years since my book Nullification was published, so it's an appropriate moment for a retrospective on how during that time the states have pushed back against various federal intrusions. The Tenth Amendment Center's Michael Boldin joins me.

Sponsor: Harry's

Show notes for Ep. 1635

Direct download: woods_2020_04_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Brad Birzer joins me to discuss J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, their friendship, and its inspiration for his latest project, which will knock your socks off.

Sponsor: Skillshare

Show notes for Ep. 1634

Direct download: woods_2020_04_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:37pm EDT

The President and the governors of numerous states have been in a war of words over who has the authority to reopen the country in the wake of the virus. We've even heard governors talking about the Tenth Amendment, which is quite a novelty for them. I sort the whole thing out in today's episode.

Sponsor: Blinkist

Show notes for Ep. 1633

Direct download: woods_2020_04_16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:23am EDT

Quite a diverse array of voices have spoken out against the U.S. war machine over the past two centuries, and in today's episode we discuss a bunch of them.

Show notes for Ep. 1632

Direct download: woods_2020_04_15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Jeff Deist of the Mises Institute joins me to review the specific steps the state governors should take right now to restore normal life in the United States.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1631

Direct download: woods_2020_04_14b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Brett Veinotte of the School Sucks Project invited me onto his podcast to talk coronavirus, lockdowns, and frustration -- and hope.

Show notes for Ep. 1630

Direct download: woods_2020_04_14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:20am EDT

Libertarian legal theorist Stephan Kinsella and I discuss his road to libertarianism (of the Rothbardian kind), where he thinks we need more work, the rights and wrongs of Ayn Rand, and more. And yes, some discussion of the virus....

Show notes for Ep. 1629

Direct download: woods_2020_04_09.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:55pm EDT

Finance professor Murray Sabrin thinks so. Murray is convinced that libertarians in fact have an excellent opportunity to lay bare the problems with the state.

Sponsor: Skillshare

Show notes for Ep. 1628

Direct download: woods_2020_04_07.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:08am EDT

Alex Epstein returns to discuss the coronavirus response, what sensible practices we ought to adopt, and why mere biological life is not enough.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1627

Direct download: woods_2020_04_06.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:17am EDT

Anthony Welti, candidate for Washington state insurance commissioner, joins us to discuss the libertarian insights that reveal what's wrong with American health care.

Show notes for Ep. 1626

Direct download: woods_2020_04_04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:50pm EDT

With the insightful -- and to my mind hilarious -- Roger McCaffrey, I review the fun controversies surrounding some of my most successful books. We also discuss libertarianism and the appeal it should have to conservatives, my conversion to Catholicism, and more.

Show notes for Ep. 1625

Direct download: woods_2020_04_02.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:37am EDT

Dedra Birzer, lecturer in history at Hillsdale College, joins me for a bird's-eye view of a major chunk of Latin American history, beginning with pre-Columbian civilizations and continuing through European exploration and, centuries later, independence.

Show notes for Ep. 1624

Direct download: woods_2020_04_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:17am EDT

Doug Casey, whose book Crisis Investing spent 29 weeks at the #1 position on the New York Times bestseller list, joins me to assess the fallout from the various governmental responses to the coronavirus, as well as his own approach to a crisis like this.

Show notes for Ep. 1623

Direct download: woods_2020_03_31.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:45am EDT

Dave Smith and I discuss the approach being recommended to cope with COVID-19. Is "if this saves one life, I'll be happy" a sensible way to think about the world? If you object to shutdowns for indeterminate amounts of time, does this mean you want your grandmother dead? This episode is taken from my recent appearance on Part of the Problem, Dave Smith's podcast.

Show notes for Ep. 1622

Direct download: woods_2020_03_30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

I talk to the Tenth Amendment Center's Michael Boldin and Free Man Beyond the Wall host Peter Quinones about state nullification of unconstitutional federal laws, and whether it might apply in the current circumstances.

Show notes for Ep. 1621

Direct download: woods_2020_03_27.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Professors Joseph Salerno and Peter Klein join me to discuss the economics of the extraordinary episode we are currently living through, as well as the likely consequences of how the federal government and the Federal Reserve are responding.

Sponsor: Blinkist

Show notes for Ep. 1620

Direct download: woods_2020_03_26.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

DonorSee creator Gret Glyer joins us to discuss how individuals can make real differences in the lives of other individuals, often halfway around the world -- particularly during the coronavirus crisis of 2020.

Show notes for Ep. 1619

Direct download: woods_2020_03_25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Jack Spirko, host of The Survival Podcast, joins me to answer the questions we all have right now: what exactly should we do to prepare for the unexpected? What do we need and what do we not need? I ask Jack a bunch of excellent listener-submitted questions that will help you be ready for whatever the world throws at you.

Sponsor: Sanebox

Show notes for Ep. 1618

Direct download: woods_2020_03_24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:15am EDT

Joe McKinney, founder and CEO of the Startup Societies Foundation, discusses the array of models and possibilities for "startup societies," whereby new or existing communities establish arrangements in which the hand of the state is felt more lightly.

Sponsor: Harry's

Show notes for Ep. 1617

Direct download: woods_2020_03_23.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00pm EDT

Here's a freewheeling discussion of a whole bunch of questions your junior high school teacher never answered -- or even raised. Enjoy!

Show notes for Ep. 1616

Direct download: woods_2020_03_21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00pm EDT

Economist Antony Davies and political scientist James Harrigan join me to discuss their new book "Cooperation and Coercion: How Busybodies Became Busybullies and What That Means for Economics and Politics". We talk about how the state thrives on wars on poverty, drugs, terror, etc., the cooperation that is at the center of the market economy, and a lot more.

Sponsor: Skillshare

Show notes for Ep. 1615

Direct download: woods_2020_03_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Uncertainty casts a shadow over everything right now, as people wonder how long the coronavirus problem will persist and how intense it will become. Some people face questions about employment and staying afloat during the coming weeks and possibly even months. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve and the federal government are talking about and even taking radical action. Peter Schiff joins me to talk some sense.

Show notes for Ep. 1614

Direct download: woods_2020_03_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:59pm EDT

Popular podcaster and comedian Dave Smith joins me to discuss the libertarian movement's ninny problem, whereby a tiny (but obnoxiously loud) minority spends its time on the rampage against people like Dave for wrongthink because he interviews unpopular people. Oddly, neither Dave nor I has ever been criticized for featuring left-wingers on our shows and not grilling them over their faulty views. I wonder why that is.

Show notes for Ep. 1613

Direct download: woods_2020_03_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

I review last night's one-on-one presidential debate between the top two remaining democratic presidential contenders. Plenty of lunacy to go around, that's for sure.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1612

Direct download: woods_2020_03_16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

The great Matt Ridley joins us for a fascinating whirlwind tour of the history of innovation, and identifies key features of it that free societies disproportionately make possible. One of my all-time favorite guests!

Show notes for Ep. 1611

Direct download: woods_2020_03_14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00pm EDT

John Tamny returns to discuss job-training programs, price deflation, deficits, and other areas where one side (liberals or conservatives) get it badly wrong.

Show notes for Ep. 1610

Direct download: woods_2020_03_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Gareth Porter discusses the history of U.S.-Iran relations, how they became so strained, the truth about the Iranian nuclear program, and more.

Sponsor: Sanebox

Show notes for Ep. 1609

Direct download: woods_2020_03_11.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Brett Veinotte of the School Sucks Project has just produced something new: not the overview of schooling, education, unschooling, and the usual topics he covers, but topics like these: once we have all this (unpopular) knowledge, how do we convey it most persuasively? Or: what's the secret to being a good researcher? Or: what's the quickest, most efficient way to read a book?

Sponsor: Blinkist

Guest's Product: The Ideas Into Action Summit (use code WOODS for 30% off)

Show notes for Ep. 1608

Direct download: woods_2020_03_10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Angela McArdle, who chairs the Libertarian Party of Los Angeles, has poured enormous energy into the libertarian movement and come up with a great many creative ideas to spread our message. She's also done effective battle against the crazies. Not to mention she's a blast to talk to. Enjoy!

Sponsor: Stamps.com

Show notes for Ep. 1607

Direct download: woods_2020_03_09.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

In this final episode of Bob Murphy Week we begin by talking animal rights, school shootings, and how the poor would be cared for in a libertarian society, and finish with a discussion of the problems with anarcho-communism.

Show notes for Ep. 1606

Direct download: woods_2020_03_06.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

In this installment of Bob Murphy Week, we consider whether and how a stateless society could handle difficult problems like child abuse and pandemics.

Show notes for Ep. 1605

Direct download: woods_2020_03_05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

As Bob Murphy Week on the Tom Woods Show continues, I take advantage of having a great libertarian theorist on the show in order to raise challenging problems like consumer safety, hunting and fishing rights, and how to deal with a mad scientist running unethical experiments.

Show notes for Ep. 1604

Direct download: woods_2020_03_04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Bob Murphy is a prolific scholar and popular writer and speaker on the Austrian School of economics, so I thought I'd ask him: what if any weaknesses do you find in Austrian Economics, and/or where do we need to do more work?

Sponsor: Skillshare

Show notes for Ep. 1603

Direct download: woods_2020_03_03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

As we kick off Bob Murphy Week with libertarian theorist and Austrian economist Bob Murphy, I ask him if there are areas of libertarianism that could use further work, and/or where the conventional libertarian responses are weak. Oh, yes, he says.

Sponsor: Policy Genius

Show notes for Ep. 1602

Direct download: woods_2020_03_02.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:30pm EDT

Success within the market economy boils down to one thing: the satisfaction of consumer preferences. But this is easier said than done. What are consumer preferences? What do people want? What will they buy? How does the entrepreneur answer these questions? Ryan Levesque, bestselling author of the books Ask and Choose, shows us how we move from the theory of capitalism to the successful real-life capitalist.

Sponsor: Save yourself the time and hassle of going to the Post Office, and get discounts on postage, with Stamps.com. Get a four-week free trial plus free postage and a digital scale when you go to Stamps.com, click on the microphone at the top right of the screen, and type code WOODS.

Show notes for Ep. 1601

Direct download: woods_2020_02_28.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:30pm EDT

Amity Shlaes returns to the show to discuss her new book on Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, which -- to say the least -- failed to live up to its promises.

Sponsor: Sanebox helps you overcome the mental angst associated with an overflowing email inbox by sorting what's really important and helping you manage your email more efficiently. Start your free trial and get a $25 credit at sanebox.com/woods.

Show notes for Ep. 1600

Direct download: woods_2020_02_27.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Last night's Democratic debate was more interesting than some of the others, partly because of the attacks on Bernie and partly because everyone was dying to see whether Bloomberg could recover from his disastrous performance last week. The result is one of my favorite debate analysis episodes of the season. Enjoy!

Show notes for Ep. 1599

Direct download: woods_2020_02_26.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:16pm EDT

Gerard Casey, who taught logic at University College, Dublin, for 30 years, joins us to discuss some common logical fallacies we regularly encounter.

Learn logic and other subjects with Gerard Casey, Tom Woods, and other great libertarian academics at Liberty Classroom. Get coupon codes on our coupon page.

Show notes for Ep. 1598

Direct download: woods_2020_02_25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:32pm EDT

I talk about (the horrendous) Mike Bloomberg and what he might have said in the debate, and also cover the Bernie Sanders phenomenon: his struggle against the Democratic establishment, and what's liable to happen if he gets elected.

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Show notes for Ep. 1597

Direct download: woods_2020_02_24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

We wrap up Walter Block week with a glance through his enormous list of publications and picking out interesting topics for libertarians: punishment theory, conjoined twins, the death penalty, and more, as well as a sneak preview of Defending the Undefendable 3.

Show notes for Ep. 1596

Direct download: woods_2020_02_21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Walter Block week continues with this episode about Walter's experience suing the New York Times for libel, after they misrepresented his comments in what had to be a deliberate act of journalistic malpractice. But what does libertarian theory have to say about libel law?

Show notes for Ep. 1595

Direct download: woods_2020_02_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00pm EDT

We continue Walter Block week with a discussion of the second Defending the Undefendable book, and cover the corporate raider, the multinational enterpriser, the picket-line crosser, the hatchet man, the human organ merchant, and more.

Show notes for Ep. 1594

Direct download: woods_2020_02_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am EDT

Today we discuss Walter's classic work, Defending the Undefendable. The rogues gallery Walter seeks to rehabilitate in this episode includes the middleman, the slumlord, the speculator, and more.

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Show notes for Ep. 1593

Direct download: woods_2020_02_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Walter Block must be the most prolific living libertarian, with over 600 peer-reviewed articles, more than 30 books, and thousands of popular articles to his credit. In this first episode of Walter Block week, we get into Walter's own history, from his high school years with classmate Bernie Sanders to his conversion to economic liberty by none other than Ayn Rand herself.

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Show notes for Ep. 1592

Direct download: woods_2020_02_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Scott Horton, the great libertarian foreign-policy expert, returns to the show to discuss the state of the campaign for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination, and the prospects for having a spokesman who knows, loves, and can persuasively defend the ideas of liberty.

Show notes for Ep. 1591

Direct download: woods_2020_02_15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Euro Pacific Capital's Peter Schiff joins me to take listener questions (submitted via my Tom Woods Show Elite private group), including (1) what sectors tend to get hit the hardest or hit the least during downturns, including our next one? (2) what can people who aren't wealthy do to protect the savings they do have? (3) what did you tell those Occupy Wall Street protesters, and would you do such a thing in 2020? (4) what's your evaluation of Trump? ... and more.

Show notes for Ep. 1590

Direct download: woods_2020_02_14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:33pm EDT

The great Dominic Frisby joins me to discuss how he successfully lampooned the elitists who pushed the Remain cause on the British, and defended the Brexiteers. Plus libertarianism, comedy, and how (if at all) a comedian can come back after bombing.

Show notes for Ep. 1589

Direct download: woods_2020_02_13.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Mark Jeftovic, CEO of easyDNS and cryptocurrency enthusiast, says yes, and in his new book and in our conversation today he describes the approach all of us should take, regardless of how obviously inoffensive what you're saying might be.

Sponsor: Blinkist

Show notes for Ep. 1588

Direct download: woods_2020_02_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:23am EDT

Gene Epstein joins me to discuss the problems associated with protectionism, industrial policy, and the overall package of economic nationalism.

Sponsor: Stamps.com

Show notes for Ep. 1587

Direct download: woods_2020_02_10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00pm EDT

Income inequality has been a hot topic in recent years, but nearly everyone gets it wrong. Here are the real facts, and the best way for libertarians -- or anyone -- to think about them.

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Show notes for Ep. 1586

Direct download: woods_2020_02_07.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:30pm EDT

This episode builds on the discussion in episode 1584 about the primary, and devastating, argument against socialism, namely the one developed by Ludwig von Mises that involves the impossibility of economic calculation under socialism. Today I explain why this is the most fundamental argument against socialism, trumping even the problem of dispersed knowledge emphasized by F.A. Hayek.

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Show notes for Ep. 1585

Direct download: woods_2020_02_06.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:41pm EDT

We've heard Greta Thunberg's angry, apocalyptic warnings about the problems arising from climate change. Now economist Paul Krugman says she's closer to the economics than her critics are. What's the right way to think about all this?

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Show notes for Ep. 1584

Direct download: woods_2020_02_05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:30pm EDT

In 1920 Ludwig von Mises published "Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth," an article that demolished the foundations of socialism in its original, no-private-property-in-the-means-of-production form. In this episode I explain Mises' thesis, and then show how the problems he identified in classical socialism persist to some extent under any state of any kind.

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Show notes for Ep. 1583

Direct download: woods_2020_02_04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:25pm EDT

The demonization of people we disagree with has reached a level of us few of us could have conceived of a generation ago -- or indeed even five years ago. Thinking about this reminded me of several other things I think libertarians (and all people, including myself) could stand to do better.

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Show notes for Ep. 1582

Direct download: woods_2020_02_03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:32pm EDT

Phil Magness returns to discuss the sound and unsound aspects of the New York Times' 1619 Project. Topics include Lincoln and the colonization of the former slaves, the role of slavery in the American Revolution, and slavery's role in American prosperity.

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Show notes for Ep. 1581

Direct download: woods_2020_01_31.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:31pm EDT