I'm without a guest in this episode, and taking apart yet another critique of libertarianism. Enjoy!

Show notes for Ep. 581

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.

Show notes for Ep. 580

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!

Show notes for Ep. 579

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!

Show notes for Ep. 578

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!

Show notes for Ep. 577

Already 576 episodes and not one on feminism? That ends today with this provocative discussion with the infamous Milo Yiannopolous!

Show notes for Ep. 576

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.

Show notes for Ep. 575

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.

Show notes for Ep. 574

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....

Show notes for Ep. 573

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.

Show notes for Ep. 572

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!

Show notes for Ep. 571

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.

Show notes for Ep. 570

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.

Show notes for Ep. 569

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!

Show notes Ep. 568

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.

Show notes for Ep. 567

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.

Show notes for Ep. 566

The situation in Greece no longer makes many headlines, but it remains catastrophic. How did it happen, and what can we learn from it?

Show notes for Ep. 565

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!

Show notes for Ep. 564

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.

Show notes for Ep. 563

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.

Show notes for Ep. 562

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.

Show notes for Ep. 561

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.

Show notes for Ep. 560

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!

Show notes for Ep. 559

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!

Show notes for Ep. 558

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!

Show notes for Ep. 557

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!

Show notes for Ep. 556

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.

Show notes for Ep. 555

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.

Show notes for Ep. 554

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.

Show notes for Ep. 553

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!

Show notes for Ep. 552

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.

Show notes for Ep. 551

Ilana Mercer joins me to discuss the recent campus lunacy, and whether we ought to save the university or dance on its grave.

Show notes for Ep. 550

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.

Show notes for Ep. 549

Leave it to Walter Block to write a book on privatizing lakes, rivers, oceans, and aquifers. We discuss the how and why today!

Show notes for Ep. 548

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!

Show notes for Ep. 547

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!

Show notes for Ep. 546

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!

Show notes for Ep. 545

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.

Show notes for Ep. 544

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.

Show notes for Ep. 543

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.

Show notes for Ep. 542

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.

Show notes for Ep. 541

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.

Show notes for Ep. 540

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?

Show notes for Ep. 539

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.

Show notes for Ep. 538

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!

Show notes for Ep. 537

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!

Show notes for Ep. 536

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.

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.

Matt Ridley returns to the show to argue against the overwhelmingly dominant view that science requires government subsidy.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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).

From the journey west to the Indian wars, Brad Birzer and I discuss the exciting history of the American West.

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.

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.

In 1980, Julian Simon offered to let doomsayer Paul Ehrlich choose any commodity metals he liked, and if their inflation-adjusted prices increased by 1990, Simon would pay $1000. But if they fell, Ehrlich would pay. The question was: would human ingenuity figure out ways to conserve on these metals, and/or find substitutes for them? By 1990, all five metals had fallen in price, and Ehrlich paid up. What does it all mean? That's what we discuss today.

It's episode 500! Incredible. Today I spoke with two good friends, whose opinions I value highly. We discussed everything from politics to advice for young people, and from our strengths and weaknesses to our favorite memories. Please join me for this special episode.

Every once in a while we hear it said that Saddam Hussein did have weapons of mass destruction after all, and that this discovery has been drowned out by antiwar propaganda. Scott Horton joins us to dig out the facts of the matter.

The topic of a "constitutional convention," or more properly an amendments convention, convened by the states under Article V of the Constitution, is hotly disputed among people who want to limit government. Is it the only way to make things better, or could it lead to making things worse? Our two guests engage in a spirited debate in today's episode.

Fortune magazine took a bit of a swipe at me this week, taking aim at my defense of the free market in the face of the comments of Pope Francis. I devote this episode to a full-fledged response. Lots of anti-Austrian misconceptions dealt with here. Enjoy!

A century later, Woodrow Wilson's international crusading lives on, both in the establishment left and the neoconservative right. Paul Gottfried and I paint a picture of Wilson that's a bit different from what we all learned in school.

Today I discuss the concept of social justice and compare it to the traditional conception of justice that was taken for granted in the Western world for thousands of years. I take some shots at John Rawls along the way.

In this episode I discuss with Richard Emmons of the Ron Paul Homeschooling podcast my course Western Civilization to 1492, which consists of 180 video and audio lessons. We cover the ancient Hebrews, Homer, the pre-Socratics and Socrates, the Roman Empire, and early Christianity, all the way through Scholastic philosophy and on to the Renaissance.

Today we learn about the heroic sixteenth-century figure Juan de Mariana, who taught that regicide could be justified and that inflation was theft, and who anticipated important concepts central to the Austrian School of economics.

Lew and Tom discuss Trump, Fiorina, Paul, Bush, Kasich, Rubio, Carson, etc., in this rousing debate analysis that won't be like what you heard on CNN.

Diana Johnstone, a frequent contributor to CounterPunch.org, takes aim at Hillary's hawkish foreign policy and the wreckage she's left everywhere.

There's nothing conservative about the neoconservative worldview, says Professor Claes Ryn, author of the withering study The New Jacobinism. We get into the weeds of the neoconservative phenomenon in this provocative discussion.

I've written and spoken quite a bit about nullification, but my guest today, Sheriff Richard Mack, says it's also up to the local sheriff to prevent federal officials from harassing citizens. This one's a must-listen for sure! 

One of the areas of economics to which Murray Rothbard contributed significantly is known as welfare economics. As we explain in this episode, it deals with how we can determine whether utility (individual or "social," properly understood) has been increased. Rothbard's analysis led him to the conclusion that it was impossible for state action to increase social utility.

Free-market economist Bryan Caplan, in his famous article on why he isn't an Austrian, argues that Rothbard's solution is riddled with problems. Jeff Herbener joins me for a robust defense of Rothbard.

It's easy to say college is overpriced and unnecessary for some people, but what exactly do we expect people to do? Isaac Morehouse and his company, Praxis, have a tremendous answer.

Country after country is scrambling to deal with the thousands of refugees pouring into Europe. But the neoconservatives are also taking the opportunity to argue that if only the West had intervened in Syria, the situation would never have deteriorated to this point. Daniel McAdams joins me to evaluate this story.

By popular demand and at long last, the great Jim Rogers joins the program today. We discuss China, India, Africa, the financial crisis of 2008, whether central banks have everything under control now, and how to decide where to put your money.

The issue of abortion has divided libertarians from the very beginning. Stephen Wagner joins me to think through the issue as dispassionately as possible.

What are the real trends in income inequality, income mobility, and standards of living? Does inequality hamper growth? These and other issues are covered in today's episode.

Euro Pacific Capital CEO and bestselling author Peter Schiff takes listener questions today and paints us a picture of what's happening in the economy and what individuals can do to weather what storms may come.