Words & Numbers

Episode 506: Where Have All The Men Gone?

Wed, 13 May 2026 11:00:00 -0000

What the hell is wrong with young men, and is there anything we can do to help? Max Borders joins us to diagnose the problem and offer a possible solution. Disclaimer: Max and James are starting a new project together.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:24 The 25th Amendment and Presidential Incapacity

04:05 Biden, Kamala Harris, and Political Responsibility

06:25 Gerald Ford, Nixon, and Presidential Stability

08:36 Gas Prices and the Federal Gas Tax Debate

11:56 Age Verification Laws and VPN Workarounds

15:52 Introduction to Max Borders and the Crisis Facing Young Men

19:06 Toxic Masculinity, Smartphones, and the Rise of the Manosphere

21:55 Role Models, Mentorship, and the Loss of Masculine Guidance

27:42 Feminization, Ambition, and the Balance Between Masculine and Feminine Virtues

33:08 Young Men, Dating Culture, and Social Withdrawal

38:49 Dating Apps, Workplaces, and the Decline of Real-World Relationships

42:53 Young Men Falling Behind in Education and Life

48:25 Parenting, Discipline, Trauma Culture, and Resilience

59:08 The Manosphere, Positive Masculinity, and the Chrysalis Project

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Episode 505: Owning the (Post) Libs

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:00:00 -0000

How did all the Post-Liberals get on the Goulash Train? And what are Post-Liberals? And what is (or more to the point, was) the Goulash Train? With guest Phil Magness.

00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

01:44 Fast-Track Degrees and Credential Culture

03:53 Online Learning and Gaming the System

05:11 AI, Universities, and Lecture Ownership

08:04 AI Replacing Professors and Higher Ed Decline

09:55 The Collapse of Higher Education

11:29 Credentials vs Real Education

12:54 Guest Introduction: Phil Magness

13:56 Viktor Orbán and Hungary’s Political Shift

16:11 Hungary, Russia, and Ukraine Context

17:44 Orbán’s Election Loss and Fallout

19:29 Why Hungary Matters to the U.S.

20:45 Post-Liberalism Explained

27:36 Carl Schmitt and Authoritarian Theory

31:21 Hungary as a Model for Post-Liberalism

36:11 State Power, Economics, and Policy Failures

41:37 U.S. Connections and the “Goulash Train”

46:27 Post-Liberalism as a Fringe Movement

49:20 Liberalism vs Post-Liberal Ideology

51:38 Historical Parallels and Authoritarian Models

54:53 U.S. Political Implications and Closing

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Episode 504: Privileges & Immunities

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0000

Privileges and/or Immunities, Necessary and/or Proper, and Cruel and/or Unusual, with guest Clark Neily.

00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

00:37 Congress Approval Ratings Hit 10%

02:08 King Charles on Checks and Balances

03:17 Is Congress Failing Its Constitutional Role?

04:19 Jimmy Kimmel Controversy and Media Fallout

06:05 Foolishness of the Week: Trump Passport Idea

08:13 Clark Neily Joins the Show

09:28 Comey Indictment and “8647” Controversy

12:11 Legal Interpretation and Prosecutorial Overreach

16:03 Is There a Growing Skepticism of Qualified Immunity?

17:58 What Qualified Immunity Actually Means

19:57 Absolute Immunity for Prosecutors Explained

23:44 Supreme Court Trends and Recent Rulings

24:19 Birthright Citizenship Debate

30:06 Constitutional Interpretation and “Cruel and Unusual”

34:07 Incorporation Doctrine and the 14th Amendment

40:28 Slaughterhouse Cases and Missed Legal Turning Point

45:35 Why Courts Resist Expanding Individual Rights

48:56 Supreme Court Power and Constitutional Limits Debate

50:59 Commerce Clause Expansion and Federal Overreach

57:51 Closing Discussion and Wrap-Up

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Episode 503: Is the American Dream Dead?

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0000

Is the American Dream dead? A lot of people seem to think so, and perception is reality in politics. But what do the words and numbers actually say?

00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

01:10 NYC Government Grocery Stores and “Fair Prices”

05:26 Why Socialist Grocery Models Break Down

09:27 Money, Markets, and Why the System Works

11:36 Prediction: Empty Shelves and Taxpayer Subsidies

13:29 UK Smoking Ban and Black Market Consequences

18:16 Foolishness of the Week: AI Influencer Scam

21:01 AI Content, OnlyFans, and the Future of Monetization

24:04 Is the American Dream Dead?

27:04 Perception vs Reality in the Economy

29:41 Real Wages, Housing, and Cost of Living

34:03 Why Life Feels More Expensive Today

37:40 Work, Lifestyle Expectations, and Generational Shifts

45:32 Consumer Sentiment, Social Media, and Economic Anxiety

52:12 Recession Fears and Policy Reality

56:33 Closing Remarks and Patreon

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Episode 502: Us & Them

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0000

It’s not left v right, it’s us v them.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:27 AI Lawsuit and the Return of “Technology Panics”

01:04 The “Werther Effect” and Historical Media Fears

04:47 Does AI Cause Harm or Reflect the User?

07:46 Should AI Come With Warnings?

12:05 Hungary Politics and Viktor Orbán’s Defeat

15:29 Foolishness of the Week: Conspiracy Theories and Flat Earthers

18:14 Artemis II and the Persistence of Irrational Beliefs

20:28 Partisanship, Audience Reactions, and Perceived Bias

24:10 Why Both Parties Drift Toward Authoritarianism

28:55 Are Democrats and Republicans Actually Different?

32:37 “Them vs Us”: The Political Illusion

36:24 The Feedback Loop of Polarization

40:35 Debate Culture, Civility, and Online Discourse

43:23 How to Argue Without Attacking People

47:38 Final Thoughts: Be Skeptical, Be Civil, Be Kind

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Episode 501: Blowing Bubbles

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0000

We return after a brief hiatus to catch up on a whirlwind of recent headlines, from political drama to bizarre claims about aliens, before turning to the Supreme Court’s consideration of birthright citizenship and the broader question of executive power versus congressional authority. We examine how Congress has gradually ceded its responsibilities on issues like tariffs, war powers, and immigration, and what that means for the balance of power in government. We then head to Ireland, where one enterprising citizen used AI to track the true price of a pint of Guinness, before moving to Texas for our Foolishness of the Week, where a congressional race has taken an unusual turn as a candidate campaigns by performing at quinceañeras. Finally, we dive into financial bubbles, exploring how markets price uncertainty, why emerging technologies like AI attract massive investment despite unclear outcomes, and how bubbles function as part of the process of discovering what new innovations are actually worth.

00:00 Introduction: A Month of Chaos

02:43 Supreme Court, Birthright Citizenship, and Trump’s Presence

03:45 Executive Power vs Congressional Authority

06:16 Why Congress Keeps Ceding Its Power

09:09 Can a System This Large Even Function?

10:17 Ireland’s Guinness Price Investigation with AI

13:04 Foolishness of the Week: Texas Campaigning at Quinceañeras

16:04 Redistricting, Demographics, and Political Miscalculations

18:11 Financial Bubbles and Why Economists Ignore Them

19:17 The “Real Economy” vs Financial Markets

22:24 Pricing the Unknown: Cars, Dot-Coms, and AI

24:56 AI Investing, Speculation, and Bubble Pricing

26:53 AI as the Next Internet and Technological Integration

30:53 Amazon, Spillover Innovation, and Unexpected Winners

37:22 Consumer Power, Corporate Fear, and Market Discipline

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Episode 500: Goodbye & Hello

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:00:00 -0000

We’re not going away, but things are changing a bit. Listen to find out how.

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Episode 499: Who Should Vote?

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we begin with the strange world of high-end audio, from banana wire tests to quarter-million-dollar stereo systems, and ask whether diminishing returns eventually overtake objective performance. We then react to Barack Obama’s comments about aliens before moving to our Foolishness of the Week: Australia’s $40 cigarette packs and the predictable rise of black markets and bootlegging that follows heavy taxation. From there, we turn to election law and voting rights, examining who actually has the constitutional authority to regulate elections, what the SAVE Act proposes regarding proof of citizenship, whether a president can alter voting rules by executive order, and how voter ID laws intersect with legitimacy and public trust. We also discuss gerrymandering, the structural incentives of the two-party system, and a story from a group home that raises deeper questions about civic participation and what it really means to be qualified to vote.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:30 Audiophile Cable Myths and the Banana Wire Test

03:54 Quarter-Million Dollar Stereo Systems and Diminishing Returns

06:32 Barack Obama Says Aliens Are Real

10:14 Foolishness of the Week: Australia’s $40 Cigarette Packs

12:26 Black Markets, Bootleggers, and Unintended Consequences

16:55 Who Actually Decides Who Can Vote?

18:39 The Constitutional Framework for Elections

22:31 The SAVE Act and Federal Citizenship Requirements

26:53 Voter ID, Legitimacy, and Political Signaling

31:41 The Real Electoral Problem: The Two-Party Duopoly

34:15 Gerrymandering and the Spoils of Political Victory

38:50 Can Trump Use an Executive Order on Voting?

41:30 Legitimacy, Public Trust, and Election Narratives

44:52 A Story from the Group Home: When Should People Vote?

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Episode 498: Politicians Broke Health Insurance

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the Netherlands’ proposed 36% tax on unrealized capital gains, unpacking what it means to tax wealth that exists only on paper and how such a policy could force asset sales, distort investment behavior, and reshape long-term incentives for savers and entrepreneurs. For our Foolishness of the Week, we turn to North Carolina, where a local official distinguished himself as perhaps the dumbest sheriff in America. We then welcome Dave Greene for an extended conversation on health insurance, exploring how risk pooling actually works, why medical pricing feels arbitrary, how regulation and the Affordable Care Act altered incentives for insurers and patients, and why price opacity and third-party payment continue to drive costs higher across the system.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:31 Words and Numbers Backstage & Listener Shoutouts

04:13 The Netherlands’ 36% Tax on Unrealized Gains

08:20 Who Can Afford Risk Under a Wealth-Style Tax?

12:24 Florida Snow & Strange Weather

13:39 Foolishness of the Week: The Mecklenburg Sheriff

18:54 Dave Greene Introduction: Health Insurance Insider Perspective

21:36 Why Health Insurance Feels So Frustrating

24:05 Is the System Designed to Make You Give Up?

27:32 Why Health Care Prices Stay Hidden

34:13 The $1,600 MRI vs. $200 MRI Problem

41:38 Negotiating Medical Bills (Yes, You Can)

43:36 The Affordable Care Act and Incentive Distortions

47:24 Health Insurance Profit Margins Explained

50:45 1950s Health Care vs. Today’s Innovation

53:48 Why Insurance Companies Get the Blame

57:26 Medicare vs. Private Insurance Subsidies

01:01:35 Guest Outro and Closing Thoughts

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Episode 497: Electoral Nonsense

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss Ireland’s decision to make its basic income program for artists permanent and what that means for government-funded creativity, cultural value, and incentives. We examine the politics of the Super Bowl halftime show, rising ticket prices, and what cultural events reveal about tribal identity and public signaling. We then explore Texas redistricting, California’s response, and the Supreme Court’s potential role, along with broader debates over federal control of elections, absentee voting, voter ID laws, and lingering claims about the 2020 election. We also consider what legitimacy means in a constitutional republic, why “not my president” rhetoric cuts both ways, and whether secession talk solves anything. We close with a nearly catastrophic public restroom fiasco in Rome.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:42 Happy Bro Day!

01:57 Ireland’s Basic Income for Artists Becomes Permanent

03:21 Do Art Subsidies Create Culture or Dependency?

05:16 Super Bowl Halftime Politics: Bad Bunny vs. Kid Rock

09:40 Super Bowl Ticket Prices and Trump’s Absence

12:28 Texas Redistricting and the Razor-Thin House Majority

16:58 California Pushback and Supreme Court Implications

19:14 Trump Floats Federal Control of Elections

21:49 Absentee Voting and Constitutional Authority

23:44 Was the 2020 Election Stolen? Claims vs Evidence

27:24 Voter ID Laws and Election Integrity Debates

29:12 “Not My President” and Legitimacy in Democracy

30:51 Secession Talk and the Limits of Political Division

32:26 Compromise, Constitutional Norms, and Closing Reflections

33:46 Rome Public Restroom Fiasco

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Episode 496: The Home Crisis: Here We Go Again

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the United Kingdom’s move toward judge-only trials and what the erosion of jury trials means for due process and limits on state power. We examine how plea bargaining, prosecutorial incentives, and presumed guilt have reshaped the criminal justice system, along with the role of body cameras and public trust in law enforcement. We also explore federal enforcement authority, debates over the Second Amendment and constitutional carry, and why gun rights are often treated differently from other civil liberties. The conversation then turns to housing, where we break down competing estimates of the housing shortage, rising prices, zoning restrictions, rent control, and political attempts to manage prices rather than supply. We close by looking at why prices function as signals rather than levers, and how productive disagreement is essential to a healthy society.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:27 UK Moves Toward Judge-Only Trials

01:46 Jury Nullification and the Last Check on State Power

03:18 Prosecutors, Plea Deals, and Why Jury Trials Disappear

04:48 Presumed Guilt and the Psychology of Law Enforcement

05:58 Body Cameras and Changing Views of Police Conduct

08:01 ICE, Oversight, and Federal Enforcement Power

08:59 Judge Jeanine Pirro and Threats Against Lawful Gun Owners

10:45 The Second Amendment as a Pre-Existing Right

12:43 Limits, Exceptions, and Constitutional Carry

15:04 Federal Policing and the Purpose of the Second Amendment

16:07 Conflicting Estimates of the U.S. Housing Shortage

18:50 Housing Prices, Income Ratios, and Public Perception

20:43 Down Payments, Rent Pressure, and Affordability Myths

23:47 Spending Habits, Lifestyle Inflation, and Housing Choices

27:30 NIMBYism, Zoning Laws, and Why Supply Stays Constrained

30:15 Rent Control, Landlords, and Market Distortions

32:14 Trump on Housing Prices and Political Price Controls

33:53 Why Prices Are Metrics, Not Levers

36:07 Mortgages, Risk, and Government Loan Guarantees

38:02 How Productive Disagreement Actually Works

40:35 Closing Reflections and Community Engagement

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Episode 495: The Mirage of Nostalgia

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we explore the strange signals people use to interpret global events, from Pentagon pizza orders and satellite data to the Big Mac Index and other unconventional measures of economic reality. We examine the decline of Google search, the rise of AI-powered alternatives, and why new tools are changing how people actually find information. For the “foolishness of the week”, we detail an unfortunate incident involving a piece of World War I artillery, before turning to a broader cultural debate about nostalgia for the 1950s. With guest Andrew Heaton, we unpack myths about work, gender roles, housing, healthcare, and prosperity, comparing mid-century life to modern standards of living. Along the way, we discuss food abundance, technological progress, wage compensation, inequality, and whether people genuinely want to return to the past or simply romanticize it from a distance.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:28 Pentagon Pizza Orders and “Pizza Intelligence”

02:51 Proxy Signals, Satellite Data, and the Waffle House Index

04:25 The Big Mac Index and Measuring Cost of Living

05:00 The Decline of Google Search and Sponsored Results

07:19 Switching Search Engines and the Myth of Google Monopoly

09:54 AI Search Tools and Why They Actually Work

11:28 Foolishness of the Week: World War I Artillery Incident

13:43 How Bad Ideas Escalate at Parties

15:51 Introducing Andrew Heaton

16:39 Was the 1950s a Time or a Place?

18:43 Economic Reality vs 1950s Nostalgia

20:58 Women’s Work, Household Labor, and Misleading Myths

23:56 Food Costs, Eating Out, and Modern Abundance

25:46 Medicine, Lifespan, and Why 50s Healthcare Was Worse

27:57 Housing Size, Zoning, and the Cost of Homes

30:01 Cars, Air Conditioning, and Quality of Life Improvements

31:17 Mortgage Rates and Why Housing Feels Unaffordable Now

34:02 Manufacturing, Exports, and the “We Don’t Make Anything” Myth

35:35 Agricultural Productivity and Modern Farming

37:19 Food Waste as a Measure of Prosperity

37:42 Great Depression Scarcity and Generational Habits

39:59 Transportation Costs and Higher Quality Modern Vehicles

42:50 Car Safety, Seatbelts, and Survival Rates

43:42 Wages, Benefits, and What “Compensation” Really Means

45:29 What the 1950s Actually Did Better

47:52 Inequality, Community, and Social Capital in the 50s

49:44 Technology, Isolation, and Choosing Modern Life

52:05 Longing for Silence from Technology

53:18 The Mythology of Happy Days

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Episode 494: The Dark Ages Never Went Away

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we explore everything from missing teaspoons and land acknowledgments to capital punishment and medieval economic thinking. We examine what everyday shortages reveal about prices and incentives, debate China’s use of executions for online scams, and unpack why symbolic gestures like mandatory land acknowledgments often collapse under scrutiny. We’re also joined by Andrew Heaton, host of The Political Orphanage podcast, to discuss zero-sum thinking, inequality versus poverty, and why so many economic intuitions still haven’t escaped the Dark Ages. Along the way, we look at profit caps, price controls, and the persistent temptation to treat economics like theology rather than systems thinking.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:28 Land Acknowledgment

01:30 The Curious Case of the Disappearing Teaspoons

03:31 What Teaspoons Teach Us About Prices and Resources

06:04 China Executes Online Scammers

08:21 When Capital Punishment Expands Too Far

09:51 Foolishness of the Week: Mandatory Land Acknowledgments

13:13 Free Speech, Property Theory, and a Faculty Lawsuit

18:32 Andrew Heaton Joins the Show

21:12 Economics Thinking That Never Escaped the Dark Ages

24:42 Zero-Sum Thinking and the Origins of Envy

27:37 Why Humans Think in Proportions, Not Absolutes

29:53 Inequality vs. Poverty

34:59 Greed, Merchants, and Medieval Economics

37:20 Why Price Controls Never Work

41:08 Theology vs. Economics

42:43 Why Profit Caps Backfire

48:09 Supply and Demand Is Not Optional

51:48 Systems Thinking vs. Witch Hunts

55:01 Why Bad Incentives Create Bad Outcomes

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Episode 493: Principles and Preferences

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine proposals that would restrict or revoke U.S. citizenship, including the constitutional limits on forced renunciation, dual citizenship, and the government’s authority to define who belongs. We discuss population policy, free movement in Europe, and Supreme Court precedents that constrain state power over individual status. We also break down a sharp drop in the dollar, revisit the failures of mercantilism, and touch on the cultural politics surrounding Bill Belichick and the Hall of Fame. We then turn to firearms, protest, and political hypocrisy, looking closely at gun violence data, international bans, and the selective application of constitutional principles. We close by exploring free speech, due process, religious freedom, and what happens when rights give way to raw power, from domestic politics to authoritarian regimes abroad.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:32 The Exclusive Citizenship Act Explained

01:16 Forced Renunciation and Dual Citizenship Risks

02:30 Could the Government Strip Citizenship?

03:47 Population Reduction and the “100 Million Americans” Idea

05:20 European Passports, Borders, and Free Movement

06:57 Supreme Court Limits on Revoking Citizenship

08:32 Compelled Speech and Constitutional Conflicts

09:46 The Dollar’s Worst Day and Weak Currency Politics

11:17 Mercantilism and Why Economists Rejected It

12:51 Bill Belichick and the Politics of the Hall of Fame

15:34 Minnesota Shooting and the Second Amendment Flip

16:46 When and Why People Carry Guns

18:32 What the Data Really Says About Gun Violence

21:01 International Gun Bans and Substitution Effects

22:11 Protests, Firearms, and Political Hypocrisy

24:12 Republicans, Democrats, and Reversed Principles

27:39 Principles vs Preferences in Constitutional Rights

30:11 Do People Actually Believe in Free Speech?

31:35 Rights as a Defense Against Totalitarianism

32:14 Religion, the First Amendment, and Equal Treatment

33:58 The Taliban, Education, and Religious Absolutism

37:09 Why the Second Amendment Became Politically Unique

39:03 Political Violence and State Power

41:16 Due Process, Federal Force, and Law Enforcement Norms

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Episode 492: Show Me The Money

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss why the right to an attorney remains one of the most important protections in the American legal system, using Gideon v. Wainwright to examine how due process actually functions in practice. We explore the recent surge in gold and silver prices, weighing inflation fears against global instability and market psychology, and consider how Trump’s negotiation style plays out in diplomacy and financial markets. We also examine a new film about Melania Trump, why it misses the larger political moment, and how culture increasingly drifts away from economic reality. We then turn to the so-called Great Wealth Transfer, where we explore how inheritances shape labor markets, housing prices, charitable giving, and long-term economic behavior, along with the unintended consequences that massive shifts in wealth can create for policy, taxation, and inequality.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:29 The Story Behind the Right to an Attorney (Gideon v. Wainwright)

03:44 Why Gideon’s Case Still Matters Today

04:43 Precious Metals Surge: Gold and Silver Prices Explained

06:40 Inflation vs. Global Risk as Drivers of Gold Prices

08:04 Trump’s Negotiation Style and Market Turbulence

09:53 Why Business Tactics Fail in Diplomacy

11:06 Foolishness of the Week: The Melania Trump Movie

13:22 Why the Movie Misses the Real Political Story

15:15 James Bores Ant with Sports Discussion

16:01 The Great Wealth Transfer

17:52 Why Inheritances Don’t Behave Like Savings

19:22 Inheritances as Economic Stimulus

22:10 Early Retirement and Labor Market Effects

23:14 Will Wealth Skip a Generation?

24:18 How Big the Wealth Transfer Really Is

25:58 Why the Economy Keeps Avoiding Recession

26:43 Racial Wealth Gaps and Political Fallout

30:49 Why Redistribution Could Backfire

32:04 Estate Taxes, Trusts, and Avoiding the IRS

36:36 Which States Will Gain the Most from Inheritance

38:25 Interest Rates, Inflation, and ESG Investing

40:29 Housing Prices vs. Rental Markets

42:26 Unintended Consequences of Massive Wealth Shifts

43:29 Charitable Giving and Inheritance Choices

44:37 Final Thoughts on Markets, Wealth, and the Future

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Episode 491: Redistrict This!

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss how artificial intelligence is increasingly blurring the line between assistance and deception, from using AI tools to troubleshoot everyday problems to the growing risks of deepfake images and AI-generated pornography. We examine questions of name, image, and likeness as property, the limits of regulation, and whether government enforcement can realistically keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. We also dive into the foolishness of the week involving the Smithsonian and renewed debates over Trump’s impeachments, before turning to broader political questions about gerrymandering, census data, immigration, and representation. The conversation closes with a look at election denial, political extremism, rising distrust in institutions, and how economic anxiety continues to fuel anger and division across American society.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:26 Fixing a Computer with AI Assistance

02:00 Listener Calendar Story and Patreon Banter

03:52 AI, Deepfake Porn, and Image Ownership

05:14 Grok and AI Image Manipulation

08:01 AI Guardrails

10:44 Foolishness of the Week: Smithsonian and Trump’s Impeachments

12:15 Trump, Impeachment, and Historical Legacy

14:54 Does Trump Care About His Legacy?

17:05 Midterm Elections and House Control

18:45 Gerrymandering, Courts, and State Power

20:15 Urban vs Rural Political Divide

22:09 Redistricting, Census Rules, and Immigration

24:25 Census Overreach and Bad Data

26:00 Political Representation and Imperfect Systems

27:52 Why America Still Attracts Immigrants

28:47 Peaceful Transfers of Power and January 6

29:53 Election Denial and Institutional Trust

33:21 Political Extremism and Rising Violence

35:01 Protests, Policing, and Fear of Government

37:57 Midterms, Election Fallout, and Political Violence

38:54 Economic Anxiety and Political Anger

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Episode 490: We’re Not Interested

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine the illogic behind TSA security rules and how performative regulation often substitutes for real safety, before turning to the economics of ticket scalping and why attempts to suppress secondary markets routinely backfire. We discuss proposals to cap credit card interest rates, including Donald Trump’s suggested limit, and explore how price controls distort lending, restrict access to credit, and harm the very consumers they are meant to protect. The conversation connects these issues to broader misunderstandings about markets, incentives, and regulation, highlighting how political solutions driven by optics rather than economics tend to produce higher costs, reduced choice, and unintended consequences across everyday life.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:26 The Illogic of TSA Rules and Security Theater

03:19 What TSA Bans (and Allows) Makes No Sense

05:47 Why TSA Rules Persist Long After the Threat Is Gone

07:02 Missed Episode Fallout and “Are You Still Alive?”

09:02 Trouble Inside the Trump Administration

12:36 Foolishness of the Week: NFL Ticket Resale Crackdown

13:15 Are Season Tickets Really “Yours”?

15:29 Why Ticket Scalping Actually Adds Value

17:21 Risk, Resale, and the Free Market for Tickets

19:05 What Secondary Markets Reveal About True Prices

21:31 Trump’s Proposal to Cap Credit Card Interest Rates

22:33 Does the President Even Have the Authority?

25:28 What a 10% Cap Would Do to the Credit Card Market

28:13 Credit Cards as Unsecured Loans and Risk Sharing

29:30 Why Banks Can’t Lend at 10% to Everyone

31:59 Trump, Elizabeth Warren, and Left-Wing Economic Policy

33:32 Why People Feel Economic Pain Despite “Good” Data

34:45 COVID Policy, Inflation, and the Middle-Class Squeeze

37:22 Who Really Pays for Artificially Cheap Credit

38:46 Life Without Credit Cards and Financial Shock Absorbers

39:53 Saving, Self-Insurance, and Economic Reality

41:58 Government Intervention and Cascading Market Failures

42:48 Why a Credit Card Cap Would Make Things Worse

45:02 Final Thoughts and Closing Reflections

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Episode 489: Better off a Loan

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we explore what it means to grant legal rights and who ultimately bears the cost when governments expand them, starting with Peru’s decision to recognize rights for stingless bees and moving into a broader discussion of negative versus positive rights. We examine labor shortages in skilled trades, the unintended consequences of vacancy taxes, and common misunderstandings about loans, insurance, and debt. The conversation then turns to credit scores, interest rates, student loans, and moral hazard, including how incentives shape borrowing behavior and higher education choices. Along the way, we connect financial systems to risk pooling and insurance logic, highlighting how policy decisions, incentives, and individual responsibility intersect in everyday economic life.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:29 Peru Grants Legal Rights to Stingless Bees

02:40 Negative vs Positive Rights and Who Pays

05:34 Peanut Butter, Welfare Logic, and the Road to Coercion

09:39 Ford Can’t Find Mechanics and the Skilled-Trade Shortage

13:02 Seattle’s Vacancy Tax and Unintended Consequences

18:33 Why People Misunderstand Loans and “Insurance”

19:58 Variable vs Fixed Rates and Paying Debt Early

22:27 Student Loans, Taxpayer Backstops, and Moral Hazard

24:58 Default, Walking Away, and Real Consequences

28:01 College Incentives: Engineering vs Liberal Arts

30:08 What a Credit Score Measures and Misses

31:29 Credit Utilization and Multiple Cards

33:56 Hard Inquiries, Store Cards, and Credit Score Hits

38:59 Interest, Mortgages, and Paying for Time

42:47 Why the Financial System Works Like Insurance

43:39 Sports Picks and Wrap-Up

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Episode 488: Iran, Iran So Far Away

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we challenge claims about economic stagnation by examining how interest, investing, and long-term saving actually shape wealth and retirement outcomes, including what it takes to reach a million dollars on different income levels. We then turn to public health, discussing the failures of the original food pyramid, the rise of snacking and carbohydrates, and the proper role of government as an information provider rather than an enforcer. In the “foolishness of the week,” we look at New York City’s expanding housing bureaucracy and why rent control continues to worsen affordability. We close with an in-depth discussion of Iran’s nationwide protests, internet shutdowns, water shortages, and the geopolitical consequences of a potential post-theocratic Iran for the Middle East and beyond.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:25 The “52 Years to Escape the Middle Class” Myth

02:29 What It Takes to Retire With $1 Million

04:25 Saving on Median vs. Bottom-Income Earnings

06:15 Narratives About Stagnation vs. Financial Reality

07:10 The New Food Pyramid and RFK Jr.’s Role

08:53 Why the Original Food Pyramid Failed

11:04 Government as Information Provider vs. Enforcer

13:04 Foolishness of the Week: NYC’s New Housing Bureaucracy

16:06 Rent Control and Why It Makes Housing Worse

17:46 Iran’s Nationwide Protests and Media Silence

20:26 Why Theocracies Look Strongest Before Collapse

22:02 Internet Shutdowns and Regime Panic in Iran

24:08 Why Mainstream News Isn’t Covering the Story

26:31 What a Post-Theocracy Iran Could Look Like

31:11 Iran’s Looming Water Crisis

34:07 Geopolitical Fallout for Russia and the Middle East

36:24 Final Thoughts on Regime Change and Human Cost

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Episode 487: Is It The Economy, Stupid?

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we reflect on a rare missed recording and share a series of listener stories that raise broader questions about compassion, responsibility, and civic duty. We examine claims surrounding illegal orders in the military and the role of oaths and institutional accountability before turning to the “foolishness of the week,” including the internet’s ability to amplify extremism and reward outrage. We then shift to why Americans consistently believe the economy is doing worse than the data suggests, exploring consumer sentiment, inflation, wages, housing costs, and the lingering psychological effects of pandemic-era stimulus. We close by discussing housing as both shelter and investment, the realities of rent and mortgage affordability, student loan debt, rising expectations, and why economic anxiety persists even in periods of growth.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:31 Missing an Episode for the First Time

02:28 Listener Gift and Firefighter Calendar Story

03:52 A Belated Christmas Story of Compassion

07:13 Mark Kelly, Illegal Orders, and Military Oaths

12:40 Foolishness of the Week: Nazi Dating Sites

15:08 The “Village Idiot” Theory and the Internet

18:07 Why Americans Think the Economy Is Terrible

22:08 Consumer Sentiment vs. Economic Data

24:37 Inflation, Wages, and Why It Still Feels Worse

29:27 COVID Stimulus Effects and Income Perception

33:30 Housing Costs, Rent, and Homeownership Myths

37:10 Mortgage Rates, Rent Increases, and Risk

41:04 Housing as Shelter vs. Housing as Investment

45:29 Why People Still Can’t Afford Homes

48:33 Social Media, Expectations, and Lifestyle Inflation

51:02 Student Loan Debt and the Real Affordability Crisis

55:14 College Costs, Tradeoffs, and Financial Reality

57:44 Expectations, Advertising, and Economic Anxiety

01:00:40 Why Consumer Sentiment May Never Fully Recover

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Episode 486: Slavery and Capitalism

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss public distrust of politicians and the realities behind presidential approval polling before turning to the math of lotteries and why people continue to play despite the odds. We examine Maryland’s proposed reparations commission, including questions of eligibility, funding, legal responsibility, and the practical challenges of tying modern policy to historical injustice. We’re joined by Phil Magness to explore the economic history of slavery, the claim that capitalism was built on slave labor, and why slavery is fundamentally incompatible with free markets. We cover Adam Smith’s opposition to slavery, misconceptions about profit incentives, the global history of forced labor, and the moral and economic failures surrounding emancipation, closing with a broader discussion of capitalism, socialism, and historical accountability.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:44 Presidential Approval Ratings and Polling Reality

02:38 Why Americans Have Always Hated Politicians

03:35 Powerball, Probability, and the Math of Dreaming

06:51 Maryland’s Reparations Commission Explained

08:12 Who Pays and Who Gets Reparations?

10:03 Mitigation, Law, and the Reparations Problem

14:24 Introducing Phil Magness

15:02 Was Capitalism Built on Slavery?

17:59 Slavery as an Ancient Institution

19:50 Adam Smith’s Case Against Slavery

23:05 Why Slavery Is Anti-Capitalist

24:50 Pro-Slavery Economics and Feudalism

26:16 Founding Fathers, Hypocrisy, and Moral Failure

30:21 Slavery’s Global History and Misconceptions

32:06 Incentives, Profit, and Economic Naivety

34:53 Would Slavery Have Ended Without the Civil War?

37:59 Gradual Emancipation and Historical Alternatives

40:47 Socialism, Capitalism, and the Plantation Model

44:01 Final Reflections and Closing Thoughts

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Episode 485: R.I.P. Heritage Foundation

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine the realities behind universal health care by looking at Canada’s system, wait times, medical tourism, and cases where patients are denied life-saving treatment. We discuss the rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, the economics behind high drug prices, and why “miracle” medications often create new dependencies and unintended costs. We scrutinize airline incivility, declining standards of behavior, and why airlines are reluctant to enforce norms despite growing problems. Phil Magness also joins us to discuss the internal collapse of the Heritage Foundation, the rise of post-liberal conservatism, and the growing influence of figures like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes. We explore tensions within the Republican Party, the appeal of emergency powers on both the left and right, the dangers of mixing religion with state authority, and what these trends mean for the future of American politics.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:28 Canadian Health Care and the Myth of “Free” Medicine

02:38 When Universal Health Care Denies Life-Saving Treatment

04:50 Wait Times, Medical Tourism, and U.S. vs Canada Outcomes

06:16 Ozempic, Wegovy, and the Economics of Weight-Loss Drugs

08:52 Why Expensive Drugs Create Cheaper Alternatives

10:05 Side Effects, Dependency, and the Cost of “Miracle” Drugs

10:36 Airline Incivility and Delta’s Class-Based Explanation

12:28 Why Airlines Refuse to Enforce Behavioral Standards

13:52 Why Flying Is Cheaper Than Ever (and Why That Matters)

15:22 Horror Stories From the Skies

18:07 Introducing Phil Magness

19:14 The Implosion of the Heritage Foundation

22:34 Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and the Post-Liberal Right

25:24 Mass Resignations and the Collapse of Heritage’s Core

28:52 Post-Liberalism and the Rejection of the American Founding

32:00 Is the Republican Party Fracturing?

34:34 Mike Pence and the Future of Free-Market Conservatism

37:08 The Left and Right’s Shared Authoritarian Instincts

39:21 Emergency Powers, Carl Schmitt, and Executive Absolutism

44:06 Why Emergency Government Always Expands

46:58 Christian Nationalism and Catholic Integralism

50:03 Why Religion and State Power Don’t Mix

52:12 Who Really Wants Political Power?

54:52 Trump as a Lame-Duck President

55:45 JD Vance, 2028, and Electoral Reality

58:11 Why Both Parties Keep Nominating Losers

01:02:27 Conclusion

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Episode 484: Geezer Presidents

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine what actually counts as a victimless crime and why the term is so often misused, using examples ranging from seatbelt and helmet laws to drugs, prostitution, and software piracy. We discuss how insurance markets price risk more effectively than regulation, and why many so-called crimes are really paperwork violations with no direct victims. We also look at the limits of automation through recent failures in self-driving technology, and highlight the Foolishness of the Week involving ideological monocultures in academia and the incentives that sustain them. The conversation then turns to the main topic of whether there should be an age limit for the presidency, weighing cognitive decline, longevity, institutional incentives, and why existing safeguards like the 25th Amendment rarely function as intended.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:29 What Counts as a Victimless Crime?

01:38 Insurance, Risk, and Who Really Pays

04:36 Drugs, Prostitution, and True Victimless Crimes

06:26 Regulatory Crimes vs Real Human Harm

07:53 Software Piracy and Intellectual Property

12:38 Waymo, Power Outages, and Self-Driving Failures

14:49 Foolishness of the Week: Academic Monocultures in Academia

17:10 Personal Stories of Academic Censorship

20:39 Main Topic: Should Presidents Have an Age Limit?

21:41 Biden, Trump, and Cognitive Decline

24:39 Living Longer, Dementia, and Modern Leadership Risks

29:34 Age Limits in Other Professions

33:00 The Age of Past Presidents When Initially Elected

37:35 Which Presidents Would Have Survived a Term Age Limit?

39:33 The 25th Amendment and Why It Rarely Works

40:57 Incentives, Power, and Presidential Succession

43:53 Closing Thoughts

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Episode 483: We Love Inequality

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we look at what happens when artificial intelligence is put in charge of real-world systems, starting with an experiment in automated pricing and what it reveals about incentives, scarcity, and control. We turn to Denmark’s decision to shut down its national postal service, using it to examine the decline of physical mail, environmental tradeoffs, and why government monopolies struggle to compete with private delivery. We highlight the week’s “foolishness,” including the rise of competitive spreadsheet championships, before turning to a broader discussion about inequality. We examine IQ distributions, bell curves, and why inequality is often confused with poverty, exploring the limits of measures like the Gini coefficient, the difference between snapshot and lifetime earnings, and the role of incentives, envy, and value creation. We close by contrasting equality of opportunity with equality of outcome and asking what societies should actually care about when assessing fairness and prosperity.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:27 AI Runs a Vending Machine at the Wall Street Journal

01:52 When AI Meets Communism and Price Controls

03:52 Why AI Isn’t Replacing Humans Anytime Soon

04:32 Denmark Shuts Down Its Postal Service

06:11 Is Physical Mail Environmentally Absurd?

07:39 Why the Postal Service Can’t Compete

11:43 The Foolishness of the Week: Excel World Championships

13:25 Are Spreadsheets More Important Than Football?

15:08 Main Topic Setup: Should We Care About Inequality?

16:13 IQ, Bell Curves, and Random Distributions

23:05 Why Inequality Is Not the Same as Poverty

25:36 The Gini Coefficient and Its Limits

28:57 Sports, Superstars, and Value Creation

38:00 Taxes, Transfers, and the Illusion of Inequality

41:57 Lifetime Earnings vs Snapshot Inequality

45:14 Equality of Opportunity vs Equality of Outcome

49:30 Envy, Incentives, and Human Motivation

53:38 Closing Thoughts on Inequality and Society

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Episode 482: The Evolution of Crime

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we revisit the debate over restricting social media access for children, responding to listener feedback and examining why parental responsibility alone can’t address the scale of the problem. We discuss proposals for age verification, the risks of digital ID systems, and how privacy and surveillance concerns are often dismissed with the claim that people have “nothing to hide.” We then turn to California’s energy situation, looking at refinery closures, the Jones Act, and why state climate policies have little impact on global emissions while driving higher fuel costs. We examine a lawsuit involving Donald Trump and the BBC, followed by the week’s “foolishness” surrounding the Oscars’ move to YouTube. Our main discussion explores the concept of victimless crime, how outdated laws persist long after society moves on, what entrepreneurship signals about obsolete regulations, and why enforcement-heavy approaches to poverty, drugs, and everyday behavior continue to fail.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

01:02 Listener Feedback on Social Media Bans for Kids

02:06 Why Parenting Alone Cannot Solve the Social Media Problem

03:16 Age Verification and the Push Toward Digital ID

04:43 Privacy, Surveillance, and Why “Nothing to Hide” Fails

06:45 How Governments Can Abuse Data in the Future

07:20 California Refinery Closures and Energy Reality

08:13 The Jones Act and Why California Imports Fuel from Abroad

11:02 Why California’s Climate Policies Barely Affect Global CO2

13:00 Trump’s Lawsuit Against the BBC

14:27 Why Trump Would Have to Testify Under Oath

15:34 Foolishness of the Week: The Oscars Move to YouTube

17:42 Main Topic Setup: Victimless Crime and Enforcement

18:36 Entrepreneurship as a Signal That Laws Are Obsolete

20:47 Blue Laws, Alcohol, and How Societies Outgrow Bad Rules

24:27 Are There Any Victimless Crimes Left?

28:42 Speed Limits and Everyday Criminality

31:28 Is Government the Evolution of Crime?

34:31 The Cash Benchmark Test Explained

36:20 Why the War on Poverty Failed

40:16 The True Cost of the War on Drugs

43:55 Why Freedom No Longer Drives Policy

45:31 Closing Reflections and Final Thoughts

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Episode 481: California Screamin’

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the growing role of humanoid robots in everyday life, why new technologies always reach the wealthy first, and how falling costs eventually make innovation accessible to the middle class. We turn to global efforts to restrict social media access for children, examining the real harms platforms create, why enforcement rarely works, and how questions of consent and freedom apply differently to minors. We highlight the week’s “foolishness,” including exaggerated tariff claims and the political incentives behind economic misinformation, before looking at how public discourse has deteriorated as cruelty and performative outrage become normalized. We then examine California’s accelerating business exodus, focusing on energy companies leaving the state, the consequences of heavy regulation and taxation, the limits of government control over capital-intensive industries, and what these trends reveal about tradeoffs, governance, and long-term economic sustainability.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:37 Humanoid Robots as Household Tools, Not Job Killers

02:31 Robots as Productivity Multipliers for the Middle Class

04:14 Why Wealthy People Will Always Get New Tech First

05:57 Technology Gets Cheaper, Better, and More Accessible Over Time

08:46 The Inevitable Cultural Direction of Robot Technology

09:17 Social Media Bans for Minors Go Global

11:13 The Real Harm Social Media Does to Children

14:25 Foolishness of the Week: Trump’s $18 Trillion Tariff Claim

17:15 Why the Tariff Math Doesn’t Pass the Smell Test

18:23 Political Incentives, Lies, and Follower Frenzy

21:09 Trump’s Rob Reiner Statement and the Collapse of Decorum

23:45 When Leaders Normalize Public Cruelty

26:09 Why Businesses Are Fleeing California

28:53 Taxes, Regulations, and the Real Price of Gas

33:14 Environmental Tradeoffs and Global CO2 Reality

38:50 California’s Plan to Nationalize Oil Refineries

40:53 Why Government Cannot Run Capital-Intensive Businesses

44:44 Diminishing Returns and Regulatory Overreach

47:23 Pareto Optimality and Why Tradeoffs Matter

55:06 The Economic Death Spiral of Business Exodus

57:32 Is California Too Big to Govern Effectively?

01:02:07 Closing Reflections and Final Thoughts

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Episode 480: The War on Drugs (Continued)

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we look at the story of a young boy who found purpose working for the DC Metro and later became a transportation engineer, and we examine a proposal for the U.S. to screen tourists’ social media accounts before entry, highlighting the logistical and constitutional problems such a system would create. We cover the week’s “foolishness,” including In-N-Out removing order number 67 from its queues and a Montreal lottery winner who chose a disastrous payout option, and discuss what these cases reveal about human judgment and bad incentives. We also explore the Mandela Effect and why memory often fails us. Later, we’re joined by Todd Huntley to talk about U.S. drug interdiction on the high seas, the legal gray zone between warfare and law enforcement, the risks of escalating conflicts with countries like Venezuela, and the constitutional limits on presidential war powers.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:30 The DC Metro Kid Who Became an Engineer

02:44 U.S. Plans to Screen Tourists’ Social Media

05:43 Foolishness of the Week: In-N-Out Removes Order #67

08:10 Foolishness Part Two: The Montreal Lottery Payout Disaster

11:16 The Psychology of Bad Financial Decisions

12:34 The Mandela Effect and Faulty Memory

14:36 Reunions and Remembering the Past

18:24 Guest Introduction: Todd Huntley on Drug Boat Strikes

20:16 How U.S. Drug Interdiction Changed with Drone Warfare

23:08 Is This War or Law Enforcement? The Legal Debate

26:44 International Waters, Venezuela, and Escalation Risks

30:13 Regime Change in Venezuela

32:45 The Positive Case for Blowing Up Boats

36:42 The Negative Case for Blowing Up Boats

41:11 Who Is Conducting the Strikes?

43:40 Congress, War Powers, and Constitutional Limits

48:57 Closing Thoughts with Guest

52:10 Outro Banter

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Episode 479: The NPCs Among Us

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we look at a series of recent arrests tied to online posts, comparing Britain’s policing culture and firearms laws with American norms and examining how “feeling threatened” has become a legal standard. We discuss Alaska’s new AI-driven digital identity system and the fears surrounding automated benefits, digital currency, and government control. We highlight the week’s “foolishness” involving a racist outburst at a Cinnabon, and then turn to market news as Bitcoin drops and DJT stock continues to collapse. Our main topic explores whether AI can ever be sentient, what genuine inquisitiveness looks like, how people project humanity onto algorithms, and why the real risks stem from human psychology rather than runaway machines. We close with a discussion of how AI affects relationships, personal responsibility, and why students shouldn’t rely on it to think for them.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

01:01 British Man Arrested Over Social Media Post

02:46 Police Overreach and “Feelings as Law”

05:14 Global Jurisdiction and Ridiculous Laws

06:51 Alaska’s AI-Driven Digital Identity System

07:35 AI Applying for Benefits on Your Behalf

09:17 Digital Currency and Government Control Fears

12:11 Foolishness of the Week: The Cinnabon Racism Incident

13:22 Why Do Racists Get GoFundMes?

14:30 Bitcoin’s Drop and the DJT Stock Collapse

19:36 Can AI Become Sentient?

22:05 The Inquisitiveness Test for Consciousness

26:31 Will AI Replace Human Relationships?

30:30 What Long-Term Interaction Reveals About AI

36:46 Asking AI About Sentience

40:00 Real Risks: Errors, Psychology, and Human Behavior

43:15 AI as a Mirror of Human Behavior

45:02 Practical and Realistic Uses of AI

50:18 Why Students Shouldn’t Rely on AI for Schoolwork

53:40 Drug-fueled Observations on Human Behavior

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Episode 478: No Socials for Sheila

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine why arts education often maintains higher standards even as liberal arts programs shrink in schools and universities, and what students lose when curriculum narrows to job training. We discuss how platforms like X are adding country-of-origin labels to identify foreign influence and bot activity, and highlight the “foolishness of the week” involving the controversy over the “world’s strongest woman” and the broader questions it raises about biology and competitive fairness. We turn to Australia’s proposal to ban social media for kids under sixteen, exploring the practical limits of age verification, the tension between parental authority and government regulation, and why teens remain vulnerable to algorithmic manipulation. We close by considering where society should draw age boundaries, how platforms shape behavior, and what genuine responsibility looks like in the digital age.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:29 The State of Arts Education Today

02:57 Why Liberal Arts Are Disappearing From Schools

05:45 What a Liberal Arts Education Actually Provides

06:59 X Adds Country-of-Origin Labels

09:56 Foolishness of the Week: “World’s Strongest Woman”

11:31 Biology, Fairness, and Competition in Sports

17:51 Age Rules and Arbitrary Lines

20:53 Australia’s Proposed Social Media Ban for Under-16s

23:21 Why Age Verification Won’t Work in Practice

26:08 Should the Government Regulate Children’s Social Media Use?

27:32 Algorithmic Bubbles and Teen Vulnerability

33:45 96% of Australian Children Ages 10-15 Use Social Media

34:55 Where to Draw the Line: 13, 16, or 18?

39:34 Parental Responsibility vs. Government Control

46:34 Closing Thoughts on Freedom, Parenting, and Policy

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Episode 477: Your Future Self Hates You

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we open with a look at how news coverage distorts public perception of danger, from shark attacks to terrorism, and why our instincts so often fail to match the data. We analyze the betting markets in regards to potential 2028 GOP presidential candidates. We discuss Ohio’s new proposal to offer paternity testing at birth, raising deeper questions about truth, family, and whether the state should standardize knowledge people may prefer not to have. We explore what consent really means in modern politics, how taxation relates to self-ownership, and whether withdrawing consent is even possible inside a democratic system. We dig into the philosophy of “future selves,” weighing whether personal choices today can violate the rights of the person we eventually become, and how this idea might reshape debates about children, drug laws, responsibility, and property rights. We wrap with the growing implications of deepfake technology, including one startling clip that hits very close to home.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:31 America’s Real Causes of Death vs. Media Coverage

04:54 Heart Disease, Suicide, Homicide: Comparing Risk to Headlines

07:47 Terrorism Coverage and the Outlier Problem

09:27 Why Our Brains Misread Danger

11:48 New Ohio Bill on Paternity Testing

13:59 The Ethics of Mandatory vs. Optional Paternity Tests

17:05 PolyMarket Odds for 2028 GOP Presidential Candidates

21:48 What Yoga Can Teach Economists About Property Rights

23:31 Self-Ownership, Labor, and the Logic of Markets

27:01 Voting, Consent, and Withdrawing From the Regime

34:13 Environmental Ethics and “Not Stealing From the Earth”

36:23 Can You “Steal” From Your Future Self?

37:25 Identity Over Time: Are You the Same Person Decades Later?

42:08 Do Children Have Full Rights? And When Should They?

43:42 Drug Laws, Nanny States, and Personal Autonomy

45:21 Age Restrictions and the Problem of Arbitrary Lines

50:34 Should Your Future Self Be Considered a Separate Entity?

56:28 AI Voice Impersonation and AI Safety

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Episode 476: Be Thankful

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the fallout from the government shutdown and how delays in federal economic data, including the Consumer Price Index and jobs reports, leave policymakers and the public effectively “driving without headlights.” We examine the broader risks of making monetary decisions without timely information and the political incentives surrounding data transparency. We turn to new reporting on Border Patrol surveillance, exploring constitutional concerns raised by nationwide license-plate monitoring, predictive algorithms, and civil asset forfeiture. We highlight the “foolishness of the week,” a Thanksgiving trend piece on secretly stoned dinner guests, before shifting to a Thanksgiving tradition of our own as we reflect on what we’re thankful not to have, from VAT taxes and debtors’ prisons to hostile borders, historic diseases, and restrictions on homeschooling and peaceful protest.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:33 The Government Shutdown’s Aftermath

04:55 Border Patrol’s Expanding 100-Mile Authority

07:13 Predictive Policing, License Plate Tracking, and Searches

11:24 Civil Asset Forfeiture and Presumed Guilt

13:41 Foolishness of the Week: The “Stoned Thanksgiving Guests” Trend

15:57 What We’re Thankful to Not Have

16:35 Value Added Tax

18:28 Vaccines and the Elimination of Deadly Diseases

20:50 Free Speech and Peaceful Protest

22:08 Women’s Rights

23:53 Guns as the Great Equalizer

28:08 Homeschooling Freedoms and Education Restrictions of the Past

32:40 Criminalization of Debt and Bankruptcy Laws

34:05 Why Jailing People for Using Drugs is a Stupid Idea

36:08 Friendly International Neighbors

37:11 Declining Poverty

38:46 Closing Thoughts on Gratitude and a Better World

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Episode 475: American Consensus

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the firing of an FBI trainee over an LGBTQ+ flag and the broader tensions surrounding free speech, impartiality, and government workplaces. We examine conflicting messages from Trump and J.D. Vance about the state of the economy, along with the role tariffs and consumer sentiment play in shaping public perceptions. We highlight the “foolishness of the week,” involving a MAGA supporter accused of staging a hate crime, and we explore new polling that reveals surprising levels of national consensus on political violence, facts versus opinions, multiculturalism, and the influence of wealthy donors. We also break down what Americans really agree on, why those shared beliefs matter, and how they shape the health of our democratic system.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:29 FBI Fires Agent Over LGBTQ Flag Dispute

02:39 Political Neutrality and Ideology in Law Enforcement

04:48 Trump’s Economic Messaging vs. Consumer Sentiment

07:38 J.D. Vance’s Call for Patience

09:25 The Lingering Impact of Tariffs on the Economy

11:39 Foolishness of the Week: The MAGA Hoax Incident

15:46 Historical Parallels: Jussie Smollett and Tawana Brawley

17:55 National Consensus: Americans Overwhelmingly Reject Political Violence

22:13 Are Facts Real? Public Pushback Against Moral Relativism

25:51 What Americans Really Think About Diversity and Multicultural Strength

37:27 Where Consensus Breaks: Pace of Cultural Change

39:50 Government’s Role in Basic Needs

45:24 Wealth, Billionaires, and Limiting Political Influence

50:11 Is Democracy the Best System—and Is Ours Working?

53:15 Closing Thoughts on Civic Respect and Shared Values

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Members: How Politics Matter For Upgrading Civilization - Join CiVL.COM

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Words & Numbers Live is a members only series exclusive to CiVL.com in which Antony and James discuss politics, philosophy, and economics, and invite listeners for a live Q&A session. To participate, subscribe at CiVL.com, where you can see what lectures we have coming up, and access all of our Words & Numbers content.

James and Antony take listener questions on politics, philosophy, and economics and how they matter for upgrading civilization.

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Episode 474: Schoolhouse Farce

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the rising backlash to last week’s comments about Nick Fuentes, the distinction between personal judgment and deplatforming, and the broader question of what ideas belong in public discourse. We explore the failures of remedial education across major universities, the collapsing academic standards that allow students to advance without basic literacy and numeracy, and the systemic incentives that push institutions to “get students through” rather than educate them. We examine the roots of the public-school crisis, the role of property-tax funding, the constraints of unionized pay structures, and why market incentives and genuine school choice may be the only workable path forward. We also revisit lessons from the Soviet Union, grocery-store abundance, and what markets reveal about human flourishing in ways central planning never can.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

01:19 The Camino Story and Unexpected Love of Hiking

05:03 Walking Ancient Roman Roads with Modern Tech

07:50 Criticism, Free Speech, and the Nick Fuentes Debate

13:24 Where to Draw the Line on Platforming Extremists

14:49 The Difference Between Preference and Censorship

18:43 Foolishness of the Week: University of Arizona AI Prompting Class

20:13 College Remediation and the Math Skills Crisis

23:08 The Collapse of Writing Standards in Higher Education

24:31 Why Students Aren’t Being Educated Before College

29:08 Public Schools, Property Taxes, and Unequal Outcomes

33:53 Why Money and Teacher Quality Don’t Correlate

35:34 School Choice, Competition, and Market Incentives

37:02 Why Centralized Solutions Don’t Work in Education

39:50 Markets, Feedback Loops, and Real Accountability

46:11 Closing Thoughts and Listener Send-Off

47:33 Aftershow: Khrushchev, Yeltsin, and the Grocery Store Lesson

53:51 The Power of Markets: Food, Abundance, and Freedom

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Episode 473: Blowing Bubbles

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss how Meta and its algorithms shape what we see online, why the penny has finally been discontinued, and the legal and economic complications that follow from eliminating small denominations. For the “foolishness of the week,” we highlight a small-town newspaper that was awarded a $3 million settlement stemming from an unlawful raid, and the First Amendment implications it raises. We examine the disconnect between a sluggish economy and soaring asset prices, discuss how Fed policy and excess liquidity fuel inflation in financial markets, and consider what rising bubbles in stocks, housing, gold, and bitcoin mean for retirement planning and long-term investment behavior.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:37 Meta Entertainment and Hot Wheels

04:49 The Discontinuation of the Penny

06:45 How Eliminating Pennies Would Affect Retailers and Consumers

11:18 Who Actually Has the Power to Change U.S. Currency

12:49 Reflections on U.S. Currency

15:57 Foolishness of the Week: $3 Million Newspaper Raid Settlement

18:05 Press Freedom, Accountability, and Government Overreach

20:58 Understanding Financial Bubbles

24:29 Why the Markets Aren’t Reflecting Economic Reality

27:35 The Fed’s Liquidity Regime and Phantom Wealth

33:56 Unintended Consequences of Economic Policies

37:55 Investing in a Changing Economy

38:49 Retirement Planning in a Bubble-Driven Economy

41:11 Learning from Historical Economic Events

43:14 Personal Anecdotes and Economic Trends

45:12 Future of Investments

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Episode 472: Trumptimism

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine the growing disconnect between education theory and classroom reality, as academic research drifts toward identity themes while teachers confront daily behavioral and practical challenges. We discuss the BBC’s misleading edits of Trump’s January 6 remarks and what the scandal reveals about media trust, then turn to a “foolishness of the week” on claims about podcasting’s diversity problem. We analyze new polling that shows Trump losing ground with Republicans and independents, rising economic frustration, and how political pressure is driving shifts on tariffs, immigration, and labor policy. We also touch on the Epstein files debate and the constitutional limits on congressional speech, considering how these controversies reflect changing public opinion and the incentives that push policymakers back toward the center.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:34 Academia’s Incentive Problem

07:47 BBC Scandal and Leadership Failures

11:13 The “Podcast Diversity” Study

13:01 Social Media Algorithms and Reel Addiction

16:36 Trump’s Approval Slide and Voter Frustration

22:00 What Off-Year Elections Reveal

23:20 Inflation, Consumer Sentiment, and Economic Strain

25:29 Trump’s Tariffs and Mercantilist Policies

29:24 Immigration Shifts and Labor Shortages

35:09 Government Limits

37:50 Epstein Files and Foreign Influence Concerns

43:48 Shutdown Fallout and The Republican Midterm Strategy

49:49 Hope for the Future

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Episode 471: 50 Years a Mortgage Slave

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we take a close look at the growing complexity of legislation in the age of artificial intelligence and how longer, denser bills create new incentives for politicians to hide provisions that voters would never spot on their own. We also examine the Trump administration’s new visa rules, including the unexpected decision to classify obesity as grounds for denial, and what this says about public policy and shifting cultural norms. We analyze Trump’s proposal for $2,000 tariff-funded checks and the Supreme Court case that could unravel the entire tariff structure, followed by a deeper dive into the real economics of trade, revenue, and political incentives. We finish with a look at the housing market, the push for 50-year mortgages, and why extending loan terms does little to address the underlying supply constraints driving home prices and unaffordability.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:28 The Future of Legislation in the Age of AI

08:07 No Visas for Obese People

12:12 Foolishness of the Week: $2,000 Checks for All Americans

19:40 Trump’s Political Gambit

22:35 Budget Deficits and the Myth of Tariff Revenue

28:13 The Housing Affordability Crisis

31:16 Mortgage Rates, Down Payments, and Lending Standards

35:56 The 50-Year Mortgage Proposal and Its Real Costs

45:08 30-Year vs 50-Year Mortgage Interest Rates

51:51 Are Tiny Homes the Solution?

53:50 How Politicians Could Implement 50-Year Mortgages

56:17 The Role of Banks in the Lending Business

57:18 What Mortgages and Loans Allow

01:03:20 Predictions for 50-Year Mortgages

01:07:01 Is Inflation Falling?

01:09:19 Conclusions on Mortgages and Lending

01:13:06 James’s Personal Mortgage Story

01:15:41 The Problems with Higher Education and Student Loans

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Episode 470: Partisan Death Spiral

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss false scarcity and how fear drives bad economic decisions, comparing self-sufficiency with the global benefits of free trade and the trust that arises from voluntary exchange. We examine the economics of water management, from property rights and groundwater to desalination and market incentives for conservation. We also cover corruption in sports betting, political hypocrisy in market regulation, and the populist rise of figures like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes. We explore the decline of moderation in American politics, the failures of the two-party system, and what genuine self-government could look like in a more responsible democracy.

00:00 Introduction and Listener Mail

02:56 The Illusion of Scarcity and Economic Fear

04:14 Self-Sufficiency vs. the Benefits of Global Trade

05:11 Trust, Trade, and Peace Between Nations

08:24 Water Rights and the Economics of Groundwater

10:18 Innovation, Desalination, and Market Incentives

13:17 Sports Betting, Corruption, and the UFC Scandal

16:50 The Economics of Insider Trading

19:26 Foolishness of the Week: YouTube TV and Disney

24:05 Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and Political Extremes

28:21 The Rise of Populism and the Fall of Moderation

34:03 How Social Media Empowers Extremists

45:29 The Need for Statesmanship Over Leadership

51:51 Breaking the Two-Party Grip on Power

54:08 How to Restore Self-Government and Public Trust

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Episode 469: An American King?

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss vacuum espionage, election polling, voter bias, and the persistence of the “hidden Republican” phenomenon, before turning to the Foolishness of the Week on Barack Obama’s shifting racial politics. We then speak with historian David Beito, author of FDR: A New Political Life, about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s lasting impact on American governance. We examine how FDR reshaped the federal government through progressivism, centralized planning, and the expansion of executive power, connecting his presidency to modern debates over welfare, economic rights, and political authority. We also explore the contradictions of FDR’s leadership, his charisma and pragmatism alongside his willingness to suppress dissent, and how his policies continue to influence government and public trust today.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:53 The Smart Vacuum That Spied

04:25 Off-Year Elections in California and New York

06:55 Polling Bias and the Hidden Republican Vote

09:15 Foolishness of the Week: Barack Obama

10:21 Race, Identity, and Political Opportunism

15:36 Guest Introduction: Historian David Beito

16:58 Debunking the FDR Myth

18:20 FDR’s Progressive Ideology and Power Mindset

26:45 Central Planning and the New Deal

29:09 Comparing FDR to Modern Presidents

31:09 What If FDR Hadn’t Died in Office?

34:53 FDR’s Second Bill of Rights

40:18 Why the Great Depression Lasted Longer in America

43:24 FDR’s Legacy of Surveillance and Bureaucracy

48:10 Emergency Powers and Modern Parallels

52:26 Closing Reflections and Book Plug

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Members: Unintended Consequences - Join CiVL.COM

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Unintended consequences arise when decision makers impose decisions on people and those people react in ways the decision makers didn’t anticipate. Unintended consequences can’t be fixed through better decision making because the problem doesn’t arise from the decision maker. They arise from the fact that people are being forced to behave in a way they’d rather not behave. We'll walk through myriad examples of well-intended laws and regulations that resulted in unintended consequences that either reversed or mitigated the policy makers’ intentions.

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Episode 468: Shut It Down

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine how Americans view government power and economic responsibility during another federal shutdown. We discuss growing distrust of federal authority, confusion over who holds real power, and how political brinkmanship creates real-world consequences such as missed paychecks, grounded flights, and suspended food aid. We cover the ethics of welfare and workfare, the balance between private charity and public assistance, and the economic effects of shutdowns, tariffs, and education spending. Together, these issues reveal how political dysfunction continues to weaken public trust and fiscal stability.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:30 The Myth of Hard Work and the American Dream

01:58 Capitalism vs. Socialism

03:41 Public Distrust in Federal Power

06:43 Trump’s Tariffs and the Economics of Uncertainty

09:56 Trump Derangement Syndrome

12:42 Do Billionaires Really Hoard Wealth?

19:18 Foolishness of the Week: Arizona’s $80 Million Stadium

22:58 Education Spending and Misplaced Government Priorities

25:20 The Real Cost of a Government Shutdown

29:13 Welfare Reform and the Ethics of Government Aid

32:40 Private Charity vs. Public Assistance

35:05 Flight Delays Due to Shutdown and Thanksgiving

39:17 Who Eats the Losses of a Shutdown?

45:31 Healthcare Costs, Subsidies, and Political Optics

49:09 How Shutdowns Expose Government Dysfunction

51:12 How Will the Shutdown End?

57:01 No Happy End in Sight

59:14 Dream Podcast Guests and Conclusion

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Episode 467: The Sound of Money

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss Denmark’s proposal to grant citizens ownership of their face, voice, and likeness to combat AI deepfakes, and the ethical and legal implications of personal identity rights in the digital age. We highlight the “foolishness of the week” involving tariffs and political overreaction to a Canadian ad campaign, and explore the concept of sound money with guest Jp Cortez of the Sound Money Defense League. The conversation covers gold and silver as currency, the consequences of fiat money and inflation, and how monetary policy shapes economic freedom, government power, and personal responsibility.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:27 Denmark's Copyright Law

02:39 AI Deepfakes and Property Rights

05:10 Unintended Consequences of the Law

08:29 The Ethical Implications of AI Deepfakes

10:47 Foolishness of the Week: Reagan's AI Ad

12:16 Trump’s Reaction to the Reagan Ad

15:01 Introduction to Jp Cortez and Sound Money Defense League

15:25 Re-monetizing Gold and Silver

17:09 Sound Money Index Explained

19:04 Challenges with the US Dollar

21:28 Gold's Stability and Historical Context

26:34 The Role of States in Sound Money

30:25 Practical Implications of Sound Money

37:24 The Moral and Ethical Case for Sound Money

42:12 Congress’s Role in Taxation

46:28 Sound Money as a Safeguard Against Failed Government

48:05 Global Trends in Gold and Silver

51:05 The Meaning of the Price of Gold

53:39 The Impact of Monetary Policy on Poverty

55:49 Why Gold Has Stood the Test of Time

01:00:07 Conclusion and Call to Action

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Members: The Knowledge Problem - Join CiVL.COM

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

We don’t “know” nearly as much as we think we do, and this causes all kinds of political problems. How do we come to know things, and what does that mean in terms of our goals and plans?

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Episode 466: Elephants and Christmas Trees

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine new polling on tax policy and the debate over taxing the rich, analyzing how effective tax rates and government spending affect deficit reduction. We discuss a breakthrough in medical innovation that has helped restore sight to patients with macular degeneration, and highlight the growing problem of political crassness in this week’s foolishness. We address a listener question on state pension reform and the inefficiencies of public bureaucracy, and explore how economic incentives influence behavior in areas such as conservation, resource management, and everyday decision-making.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:25 Taxing the Rich to Reduce Federal Debt

09:06 The Problem with Corporate Taxes

11:22 The Only Solution to the Spending Problem

12:33 A Cure for Blindness

15:25 Karoline Leavitt’s “Your Mom” Joke

18:03 Trump’s No Kings Protest AI Video

19:57 Municipal Workers Held Captive by State Pension Systems

23:16 Perverse Incentives Sustain Bureaucratic Systems

29:33 The Human Drive to Utilize vs. Cultivate Resources

35:38 The Consequences and Dangers of Internet Dependence

38:57 The Fragility of Internet Infrastructure

41:20 Conclusion

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Episode 465: No More Karens

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine the effectiveness of political protest in the wake of the No Kings demonstrations, new polling regarding Trump’s approval rating among different voting demographics, and the prospects of the president’s removal from office. We discuss a case under consideration by the Supreme Court regarding marijuana usage and gun ownership, and the implications that arise from infringement on liberties. We also dive into a case regarding a Karen who sued her neighbor over the smell of marijuana, and relate it to many other problems currently plaguing our society.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:29 The Effectiveness of Protests

05:54 The No Kings Protests

07:01 Removing Trump From Office

10:44 Trump’s Approval Rating Poll

14:35 Supreme Court Considering Case on Marijuana Use and Gun Ownership

17:12 Rights and Limits in The Constitution

20:58 The Potential Implications of a 2nd Amendment Ruling

23:23 Karen Sues Over Marijuana Smell

29:37 Masks and Other Petty Civil Disagreements

34:22 The Pronoun Debate

36:32 Making Demands of Our Neighbors

39:11 The Value of Community and the Necessity of Integration

40:39 The Benefits of Compromise

44:26 Human Respect and Conclusions

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Members: Human Respect & Societal Wealth - Join CiVL.COM

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

The foundation of a healthy society, regardless of the economic or political structure is human respect. When people respect each other because we are all equal in dignity, institutions emerge that reflect and promote that respect. We believe that societies that embrace human respect will necessarily also tend toward political and economic freedom. Taken to the extreme, a society in which each person truly embraces respect for himself and for every other person may find no need for government at all.

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Episode 464: The Ghost of Nixon Past

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine the complexities of opting out of social security, the implications of the US passport's changing status, and the potential consequences of AI policy shifts. We explore the historical context of economic policies, and the role of government in market distortions, comparing and contrasting the current administration’s policies with those of former administrations.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:28 Opting Out of Social Security

07:31 US Passport and International Travel

13:35 AI Policy Shifts and Implications

26:40 Historical Perspectives on Nixon’s Presidency31:09 Price Controls and Economic Impact

41:15 Trade War with China and Tariffs

44:10 Comparing Nixon’s Economy to Today’s

51:07 The Political Benefit of Higher Tax Rates and The Tax Code

53:49 Comparing Trump to Nixon, Reagan, and FDR

57:42 Lessons About Market Distortions

59:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Episode 463: Weisswashing the Media

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the complexities of the current economic landscape, including the soaring price of gold, the dichotomy between economic and financial markets, and the impact of consumer sentiment. We explore the role of journalism in society, focusing on Bari Weiss's new position at CBS News and her principles for journalism, as well as the unhinged reactions to her new mission for the company.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:25 Gold Prices and Economic Insights

03:41 Financial Markets vs. Economic Reality

07:22 Trump’s Plan to Send Checks to All Americans

08:38 Kristi Noem’s Complaints About the “Warzone” of Chicago

12:44 Super Bowl Halftime Show

20:30 Bari Weiss Named Editor-in-chief of CBS News

22:18 Bari Weiss’ 10 Core Journalistic Values

34:52 CBS Employee Reactions

41:15 Bari Weiss and Journalism's Future

45:20 Conclusion and Reflections

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Episode 462: Rolling with Life’s Punches

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the latest advancements in Alzheimer's research, the societal implications of Social Security, and the unexpected turns life can take. We explore the balance between freedom and responsibility, the evolving nature of folk wisdom, and the importance of resilience and courage in navigating life's challenges. We also break down the role of government in personal savings and the impact of societal norms on individual choices.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:28 Response to Our Social Security Proposal

02:16 Social Security and Personal Responsibility

12:12 Alzheimer's Research Breakthroughs

14:26 AI-generated Lawsuits for Outsourced OnlyFans Responses

20:31 Life's Unexpected Turns and Necessity of Resilience

23:44 The Virtue of Courage

24:51 Embracing Change and Personal Growth

31:19 Evolving Folk Wisdom and Societal Norms

35:00 Re-evaluating Homeownership

41:24 Conservatives, Liberals, and Societal Progress

44:49 The Golden Rule and Ethical Living

46:38 The Need to Preserve Our Nearly Just Society

49:54 The Importance of Civil Discourse

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Episode 461: Social Insecurity

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the implications of hope and agency through the lens of a rat experiment, the collapse and economic realities of the NFT market, and a proposed plan to reform Social Security, exploring the urgent need for a sustainable solution to its impending insolvency.

00:00 Introduction

00:27 Lessons from a Rat Experiment

06:05 The Impact of Hope on Human Agency

10:59 Cultural Shifts and Racism in America

15:20 The Rise and Fall of NFTs

20:15 Social Security: A Looming Crisis

24:22 Inequities in Social Security Returns

26:00 The Death Tax of Social Security

27:12 Proposed Changes to Social Security

33:17 Transitioning Away from Social Security

37:24 The Long-Term Financial Outlook

40:38 Political Challenges and Realities

45:07 The Inevitable Consequences of Inaction

50:21 What Should We Do?

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Episode 460: Echo Echo Chamber Chamber

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we explore the complexities of the housing market, comparing the cost of housing today with that of the 1980s. We also examine the broader economic implications of these trends and the psychological perceptions of average living standards. Our main focus is how social media shapes public opinion and creates ideological echo chambers, and why it’s important to understand diverse perspectives.

00:00 Introduction

00:26 The Cost of Housing: A Historical Perspective

06:38 Analyzing Trends in Household Wealth

09:13 Is The Rapture Upon Us?

13:44 Ideological Bubbles

18:54 The Role of Social Media in Creating Echo Chambers

22:12 The Consequences of Ideological Isolation

25:13 The Financial Incentives of Echo Chambers

28:34 The Role of AI in Social Degeneration

30:30 The Uniqueness of YouTube

32:05 The Importance of Humanization in Online Spaces

34:16 The Virtue of Sympathy

36:23 How to Leave Your Echo Chamber

38:32 Conclusion

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Episode 459: What the Fed?

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we examine the surprising homelessness rates in Germany and what’s being done about it, as well as the recent interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, analyzing their potential impact on inflation, consumer behavior, and the broader economy. We discuss societal perceptions of obesity, the role of government policy in shaping economic outcomes, and the challenges of balancing economic growth with social welfare. Finally, we reflect on the importance of understanding economic indicators and their real-world implications.

00:00 Introduction

00:27 Homelessness and Poverty in Germany

12:20 New Study on Obesity

18:07 Foolishness of the Week: Pam Bondi on Hate Speech

27:13 The Fed Cuts Interest Rates

33:12 The Role of the Federal Reserve

38:41 The Fed’s Inflation Problem

41:47 The Government’s Borrowing Problem

46:16 Inflation is a Tax

48:20 The Effects of Political Influence on the Fed

49:37 Long-term Economic Impacts of Inflation

52:24 New Currency and the Value of Money

57:58 The Dangers of Centralized Digital Currency

01:01:43 Our Grim Economic Predictions

01:04:45 What Should We Do?

01:09:11 Conclusion

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Episode 458: Fact Check: Trump’s UN Speech

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the themes of justice and forgiveness, the alarming rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the absurdities of homeowners association regulations, the implications of language and identity in societal discourse, and the importance of fact-checking political statements. We explore the complexities of crime and punishment, the unintended consequences of COVID-19 on healthcare, and the challenges of accurately measuring economic indicators like inflation. We also break down the numbers of various economic indicators, including inflation trends, stock market performance, and consumer spending. We analyze the implications of tax cuts and foreign investment, while also exploring cultural perspectives on social cohesion and accountability, highlighting the complexities of economic data and the importance of accurate representation in political discourse.

00:00 Introduction

00:24 Justice vs. Forgiveness

02:41 The Role of Society in Justice

09:31 Consequences of COVID on Antibiotic Resistance

16:42 The Absurdity of HOA Regulations

23:03 England’s New Phrase for Women

26:11 The Impact of Headlines on Public Discourse

28:51 Navigating News Bias and Sources

32:01 Trump’s Skill as a Public Speaker

34:26 Fact-Checking Trump's UN Address

38:58 Understanding Economic Indicators

45:55 Analyzing the Stock Market Performance

54:49 Investment Trends Under Different Administrations

58:17 Tax Cuts and Their Impact on the Economy

01:00:02 Comparing Economic Policies: Trump vs. Reagan

01:03:26 Analyzing the U.S. Economic Landscape

01:05:39 The Importance of Accurate Economic Messaging

01:08:00 The Role of Truth in Political Discourse

01:11:32 Cultural Perspectives on Forgiveness and Accountability

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Episode 457: Weaponizing the DOJ

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we are joined by Clark Neily, Senior Vice President for Legal Studies at the Cato Institute, to discuss the weaponization of the Department of Justice and the broader implications of plea bargaining and charge stacking in the U.S. legal system. We dive into the erosion of jury trials, the impact of coercive plea deals, and the challenges of maintaining justice and human dignity in a system increasingly reliant on non-public procedures. We also touch on the historical context of these issues and the potential for reform.

00:00 Introduction

00:31 The Efficacy of Acupuncture for Chronic Back Pain

04:54 Charlie Kirk Memorial Service

07:59 Foolishness of the Week

10:47 Clark Neily Introduction

12:38 Trump Truth Social Post

17:23 Plea Bargaining and Charge Stacking

22:44 Weaponization of the DOJ

26:00 Public Trust in DOJ Waning

28:41 The Constitution Right to a Jury Trial

30:45 The Role of the Supreme Court

36:39 Grand Jury Indictments

41:11 What’s Next for the DOJ

45:59 Historical Context and Legal Reform

49:10 The Importance of Jury Duty

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Episode 456: Happy Deficit Day!

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss rising food prices, new breakthroughs in autism research, AI foolishness, and the societal and economic implications of these issues. We also celebrate Deficit Day, and dive into the issues of government spending, fiscal responsibility, and budgets. Finally, we offer a variety of solutions on how to solve the debt crisis.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:32 Rising Food Prices: Economic Impacts of Tariffs and Immigration

04:09 The Role of Labor in Society

06:02 Autism Research Breakthroughs

10:38 Foolishness of the Week: Artificial Intelligence

16:18 Deficit Day and Government Spending

23:19 Fiscal Responsibility and Government Budgets

27:10 How Can the Debt Crisis Be Solved?

32:53 The Mystery of the Budget Surplus

36:30 Taxing the Rich Isn’t the Solution

37:23 How We Lower the Deficit

41:14 Interest Rates and Inflation

44:17 Conclusion and Reflections

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Episode 455: Charlie Kirk and the Death of Civility

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the implications of quarterly reporting on corporate behavior, the innovative approach of traffic cameras in Sweden, and the societal impact of Charlie Kirk's murder. We explore the role of social media in shaping public discourse, the subjective nature of truth, and the consequences of cancel culture. We emphasize the importance of respectful dialogue and the need for new institutions to address the challenges of modern communication.

00:00 Introduction

02:22 The Role of Incentives in Traffic Regulation

05:45 Quarterly Reporting and Corporate Behavior

08:51 The Impact of Stock Market Regulations

11:18 The Foolishness of the Week: NFL and Sex Toys

14:19 Reflections on Violence and Society

19:19 The Subjectivity of Truth and Its Consequences

26:35 Cancel Culture and Accountability

28:52 First Amendment and Consequences

30:34 Celebrating Death and Losing Individual Respect

33:39 Debate and Respectful Discourse

36:54 Rhetoric and Violence in Politics

37:35 The Role of Social Media in Society

42:20 Turning Down the Heat

46:15 Context Matters: Debunking the Lies About Charlie Kirk

49:56 What Comes Next?

52:20 Human Respect

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Episode 454: Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the contrasting ideologies of capitalism and socialism, exploring the implications of government intervention, market solutions, and the importance of incentives. We delve into the story of Howard Buffett's efforts to incentivize Colombian farmers to switch from cocaine to coffee, highlighting the effectiveness of market-driven solutions over government spending. The conversation also touches on the rise of socialism in America, the issue of cronyism, and the impact of regulations on market dynamics. We critique Portland's new fines on vacant properties and analyze the latest jobs numbers in the context of economic policies, particularly tariffs. We conclude with a call for civil discourse and action to hold Congress accountable for its responsibilities.

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Episode 453: Running Away from Taxes

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we discuss the implications of tariffs, the state of free speech in the UK, and the ongoing lawsuit between Newsmax and Fox News. We also explore migration trends across states, the right of exit concerning taxation, and the effects of progressive taxation on economic mobility.

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Episode 452: The Benefits of a Conservative Supreme Court

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority may be the only thing standing in the way of legislative tyranny, and not in the ways you might think.

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Episode 451: The Productivity Paradox

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, James and Antony explore the frontiers of spinal cord implants and what breakthroughs in the field could mean for the future. They dive into the surprising link between the world’s two smallest countries and share the story behind a notorious “orgy dome” that’s captured a lot of attention. The conversation then turns to the main focus: the difference between being productive and generating real economic productivity, and why recognizing that distinction could change the way you work, make decisions, and measure success.

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Episode 450: Not Intelligent

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode, James and Antony cover how to bring political discussions back into everyday life without descending into hostility, why nearly half of Americans are now ordering from children’s menus at restaurants, and Donald Trump’s latest attacks on the First Amendment from threats against television networks to talk of banning flag burning. They also dive into the federal government’s purchase of a ten percent stake in Intel, raising questions about cronyism, socialism, and the separation of the economy from the state. The conversation wraps with practical advice on how consumers can push back against corporate government entanglements and ends on a lighter note with the infamous story of Antony’s disastrous experiment with nicotine.

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Episode 449: The Color Of Money

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode, James and Antony explore the evolution of media and technology, from vinyl to streaming, and what the future might hold in the age of AI and digital ownership. They discuss shifts in media, marketing trends, and listener questions about U.S. debt, the strength of the dollar, and global economic changes. Along the way, they touch on how structural issues in finance, politics, and business can impact progress.

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Episode 448: Schrödinger’s Economy

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:10:00 -0000

This week, James and Antony kick things off with a wild story out of New York City: ATMs spitting out millions in cash thanks to a government blunder. From there, they turn to political absurdities, including a congressman who thinks presidential term limits are optional. Finally, the guys dive deep into recession talk—what it really means, how it’s measured, and why even the experts can’t agree. Along the way, they cut through media spin, call out political nonsense, and remind listeners why economic reality is always more complicated than the headlines.

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Episode 447: AI and What’s Ahead

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:05:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Words & Numbers, James and Antony discuss the rise and fall of AOL, the ethical challenges of new technologies, and what artificial intelligence could mean for the future. They also explore the trade-off between productivity and employment, and the unintended consequences of redistribution and welfare systems.

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Episode 446: The Job Numbers Shock

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 04:36:00 -0000

In this episode, James and Antony unpack the shocking BLS revision that wiped out over 100,000 jobs on paper, what it really means for the economy, and why data transparency matters more than ever. They also dive into the wave of fan misconduct hitting the WNBA, break down the DOJ’s new denaturalization push and its wider implications, and touch on a few other stories shaping the week that you won’t want to miss.

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Episode 445: Too young to vote?

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode, James and Antony discuss the surprising ecological effects of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone, highlighting how these changes mirror economic principles. They explore the broader implications of government interventions, such as COVID-19 lockdowns and economic data revisions. The conversation also touches on the voting age debate, questioning whether 16-year-olds should vote and the potential impacts of such a decision. Join them for an insightful discussion on the interconnectedness of our world.

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Episode 444: The Wealth Tax Trap

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 17:00:00 -0000

Ant and James discuss the wealth tax, what its proponents wish would happen, and what would really happen were it implemented. They also get into why so many dogs are overweight, and the cutting-edge genetic engineering that promises to wipe out malaria by altering mosquito DNA. As if that weren’t enough, they also address the futility of US debt donations.

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Episode 443: Private Equity in Business

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:00:00 -0000

This episode examines the role of private equity in business, focusing on its ability to transform assets and support entrepreneurs. In this episode, James and Antony aim to provide a balanced view of the opportunities and challenges associated with private equity, offering insights into its impact on the business landscape.

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Episode 442: Surveillance Pricing?

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 15:37:00 -0000

Explore how inflation quietly erodes your purchasing power, and the deceptive game of monetizing debt and what it means for your future. Dive into the digital clampdown on adult content as age verification systems signal the end of the internet’s unrestricted era. Ant and James grapple with the morality of price discrimination based on search history — who really benefits, and who gets left behind.

Join CiVL for member-exclusive access to our show, bonus content, and live Q&As. https://civl.com/

Get 50% off your annual subscription with code: WORDSANDNUMBERS

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

⁠http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

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Episode 441: A Budget Surplus? Really?

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:56:00 -0000

In this week's Words & Numbers, Ant and James tackle the misunderstood world of corporate stock buybacks—are they economic malpractice or just savvy business? The duo then pivots to publicly funded media, taking aim at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and questioning its continued reliance on taxpayer dollars in an age of abundant private alternatives. They also examine the federal government's rare (and tiny) budget surplus in June, dissecting whether it's a meaningful trend or a statistical blip. Along the way, Steve Miller cancels his tour for baffling reasons, Trump forgets he appointed Powell, and the guys reflect on why government tax revenue stubbornly sticks to 18% of GDP—no matter the policy. As always, they ask: what’s the data say, and so what?

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James!http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hitshttps://loudwire.com/steve-miller-cancels-tour-natural-disasters/

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://www.npr.org/2025/07/17/nx-s1-5469904/npr-pbs-cuts-rescission-senate-vote

Words & Numbers Backstagehttps://youtu.be/i73H047bID8?si=zUTcXrBYDolwTVgl

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881500Q

https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/average-home-size/#space

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUR0000SETA01

More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Thinkmailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 440: Debunking the Religion of Decline

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:30:00 -0000

In this episode of Words & Numbers, James and Ant announce their new partnership with CiVL and reflect on the state of modern life. Using Jurassic World and a Nobel Prize winner’s comments as a springboard, they unpack the economics of innovation, incentives, and monopolies. They take on popular claims that life has gotten worse—breaking down the real costs of housing, cars, and higher education over time—and challenge the doom-and-gloom narrative with hard data and perspective.

The debut of the new “So What?” segment offers concrete takeaways: count your blessings, question the media’s distortions, and don’t believe everything “everybody knows.”

Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcast.

Join CiVL for member-exclusive access to our show, bonus content, and live Q&As. https://civl.com/

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Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James!

http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.jurassicworld.com

https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2025-07-04/charles-rice-nobel-prize-winner-in-medicine-its-a-crime-that-a-drug-exists-that-could-cure-everyone-yet-not-everybody-has-access-to-it.html

https://www.thetimes.com/world/latin-america/article/gringo-go-home-why-mexico-is-turning-against-us-immigrants-cmq2qsv2j

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fema-removed-dozens-camp-mystic-111716138.html

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://youtu.be/i73H047bID8?si=zUTcXrBYDolwTVgl

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881500Q

https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/average-home-size/#space

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUR0000SETA01

More James at Smoke & Stories

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 439: The America Party

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:36:00 -0000

Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcast.

Join CiVL for member-exclusive access to our show, bonus content, and live Q&As. https://civl.com/

Get 50% off your annual subscription with code: WORDSANDNUMBERS

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James!http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hitshttps://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/tours/ozzy-osbourne-takes-to-the-stage-for-the-last-time/news-story/4ca30c3eb598a7b97f6735e975c9da91

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ar-AA1I2tzC

Words & Numbers Backstagehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Thinkmailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 438: Do We Need an 8 Hour Work Day?

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.pgpf.org/article/the-ratio-of-workers-to-social-security-beneficiaries-is-at-a-low-and-projected-to-decline-further/ https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/TR02/lr5A3-h.html https://www.newsweek.com/mcdonalds-june-boycott-what-know-2087469

Foolishness of the Week https://apnews.com/article/chemtrail-louisiana-ban-conspiracy-e7562efe0251588978153cef30034e63 https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/06/09/louisiana-among-at-least-12-states-seeking-chemtrail-ban

Topic https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/20/workers-are-stuck-in-infinite-workday-according-to-microsoft-report.html

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 437: Rosy Projections

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60392 https://sciencenews.dk/en/the-stem-cell-race-to-rewire-the-parkinsons-brain

Foolishness of the Week https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/19/politics/trump-non-working-holidays-juneteenth https://polyhymnia.org/2025/06/19/juneteenth-2025/ https://polyhymnia.org/2025/06/19/of-patriots-and-freedom/ https://www.10tv.com/article/news/nation-world/juneteenth-12-federal-holidays/507-6955e5af-770e-416f-ac0a-e8db360032f7

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 436: What About Buying From China?

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.pcmag.com/news/chatgpt-gets-absolutely-wrecked-in-chess-match-with-1978-atari https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/564133/marines-carry-out-first-known-detention-of-civilian-in-los-angeles Foolishness of the Week https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/14/business/trump-income-crypto-licensing

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 435: End of a Bromance

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/trading-investing/us-debt-downgrade https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/world/social-cohesion-poverty-top-agenda-at-milei-pope-meeting.phtml https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/democrats-young-male-voters-2024-rcna210085 Foolishness of the Week https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dems-drop-20m-bizarre-american-men-strategy-plan-study-effort-dig-out-2024-political-hole

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 434: The Moon!

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://thehill.com/business/housing/5326389-homesellers-outnumber-buyers-housing-market/

Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/gabbard-considering-ways-revamp-trumps-intelligence-briefing-rcna209805

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 433: Whence Shame?

Wed, 28 May 2025 14:30:00 -0000

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://x.com/TopShelfSports0/status/1923122877366161873

Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pennsylvania-kindergartener-jello-shots-rcna207337

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 432: Where Are the Democrats?

Wed, 21 May 2025 14:30:00 -0000

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ais-threat-to-google-just-got-real-8280b4ee

Foolishness of the Week https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/09/trump-intelligence-briefing-frequency-00338946

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 431: The Republic Fails

Wed, 14 May 2025 14:30:00 -0000

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.domusweb.it/en/news/2025/05/05/bag-leather-dinosaur-t-rex.html https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/skilled-trades-high-school-recruitment-fd9f8257 https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed48.asp https://www.mediaite.com/politics/you-have-no-timeline-senator-gobsmacked-by-fbi-director-kash-patel-showing-up-at-budget-hearing-without-a-budget/

Foolishness of the Week https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/06/trump-meme-coin-crypto.html

Topic of the Week https://www.cato.org/people/clark-neily https://www.amazon.com/Terms-Engagement-Enforce-Constitutions-Government/dp/1594036969 Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 430: Is Insurance Worth It?

Wed, 07 May 2025 14:30:00 -0000

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/08/fake-job-seekers-use-ai-to-interview-for-remote-jobs-tech-ceos-say.html https://fortune.com/article/slate-auto-20000-dollar-electric-pickup-jeff-bezos/ Foolishness of the Week https://www.motor1.com/news/698055/toyota-13000-dollar-hilux-champ/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 429: The Veil of Ignorance

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-5371312/trump-white-house-pete-hegseth-defense-department

Foolishness of the Week https://www.mediaite.com/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-declares-evil-is-being-defeated-by-the-hand-of-god-in-apparent-celebration-of-pope-franciss-death/

Topic of the Week https://fedsoc.org/contributors/nicoleneily

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 428: What Good is the Department of Education?

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/chatgpt-spends-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-on-people-playing-please-and-thank-you-but-sam-altman-says-its-worth-it https://gptforwork.com/tools/openai-chatgpt-api-pricing-calculator https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/ar-AA1DaZ75

Foolishness of the Week https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2024/05/photos-easter-rocket-war-vrontados/678306/

Topic of the Week https://fedsoc.org/contributors/nicoleneily

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 427: Consumer Sentiment

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/trump-hater-of-evs-says-hes-buying-a-tesla-66553ef8?st=8QPVxR&reflink=article_imessage_share

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/device-capture-electricity-earth-rotational-dynamics

Foolishness of the Week https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-measles-family-gaines-county-death/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 426: Articles of Confederation

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/rosie-odonnell-feels-healthier-fleeing-204508142.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/03/campaign-to-decolonize-shakespeares-hometown-exposes-deis-double-standards/

Topic of the Week https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/SMAN-107/pdf/SMAN-107-pg935.pdf

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 425: What Does AI Want?

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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Episode 424: Your Body, Your Health Care

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/new-deepfake-detector-inspects-pixels-to-uncover-falsehoods-on-your-phone-within-6-seconds/ https://apnews.com/article/financial-markets-correction-sp-wall-street-904910323785d377a7d61023df450b72

Foolishness of the Week https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2025/1005/0/DRH30080-MCa-41

Topic of the Week https://www.amazon.com/Your-Body-Health-Care/dp/1964524458

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Episode 423: The Death of DEI?

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits https://shoppress.dormanproducts.com/right-to-repair-act-explained/ https://www.wpr.org/news/lawmakers-attorney-general-right-to-repair-farm-equipment-wisconsin https://www.wfmj.com/story/52519599/mega-millions-ticket-prices-are-set-to-increase-in-april

Foolishness of the Week https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-luna-introduce-bill-cap-credit-card-interest-rates-10 Topic of the Week https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/05/17/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/ https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/22/us/dei-diversity-equity-inclusion-explained/index.html

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Episode 422: Consumer Blackouts

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits https://www.iflscience.com/struggling-over-a-big-life-decision-math-says-you-should-use-the-37-percent-rule-77590 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-demographic-economics/article/gary-beckers-contribution-to-the-economics-of-matching-and-marriage/187A2CC2CF5D59CE24062B26420DCE7A https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-closing-skype-7ac4e86f55acb40098476e01d8d4a473

Foolishness of the Week https://www.live5news.com/2025/02/28/former-high-school-honors-student-who-says-she-cant-read-write-sues-district-where-she-graduated/

Topic of the Week https://www.consumerreports.org/consumer-rights/can-consumer-boycotts-actually-be-successful-a1122761400/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Episode 421: Did We Break the Constitution?

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits https://health.amazon.com/prime?ref_=nav_cs_all_health_ingress_onem_highlight_aom https://www.live5news.com/2025/01/14/pizzagate-gunman-killed-by-police-north-carolina-after-traffic-stop-authorities-say/

Foolishness of the Week https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8yvg5359po

Topic of the Week https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/incorporation_doctrine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

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Episode 420: Monopolies Hiding in Plain Sight

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Topic of the Week https://www.libertycon.com

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Episode 419: Pop Culture President

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/att-complies-with-law-requiring-cheap-internet-by-ending-a-service-in-ny/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/city-killer-asteroid-odds-hitting-earth-increase-webb-telescope/ https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-chelsea-clinton-foundation-usaid-2027947

Topic of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHXVeLVHWuY

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Episode 418: Mere Economics

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Topic of the Week https://www.samford.edu/business/directory/Carden-Art https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Economics-Lessons-Ordinary-Business

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Episode 417: What Makes Us Red and Blue?

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/03/nx-s1-5247840/net-neutrality-fcc-struck https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/01/02/net-neutrality-rules-struck-down/77412883007/

Foolishness of the Week

https://nypost.com/2025/01/02/opinion/jonathan-lesser-hochuls-fracking-foolishness-locks-1t-of-energy-underground/

Topic of the Week https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/2020 https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2016/trump-vs-clinton https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/08/08/chart-of-the-week-the-most-liberal-and-conservative-big-cities/ https://www.capitalfrontiers.com/single-post/do-any-big-cities-vote-politically-conservative

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Episode 416: Who Did It Better: Obama, Trump, Biden

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.history.com/news/why-do-we-have-daylight-saving-time

https://apnews.com/article/trump-daylight-saving-time-36ccbf61bea70aaac0f5c43b8029957c

https://apnews.com/article/college-tuition-cost-5e69acffa7ae11300123df028eac5321

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ar-AA1xaq1M

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Episode 415: Learning to Love Lobbyists

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/last-year-boston-murder-rate-was-lowest-ever-this-year-it-was-cut-nearly-in-half-again/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/191223/reported-murder-and-nonnegligent-manslaughter-rate-in-the-us-since-1990/

https://www.vice.com/en/article/onlyfans-models-are-usuing-ai-chatbots-to-talk-dirty-for-them/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.bu.edu/english/graduate/spring-2024-graduate-courses/500-level-graduate-courses-spring-2024/

Topic of the Week https://aegpa.com

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Episode 414: Robovacs to Riches

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/last-year-boston-murder-rate-was-lowest-ever-this-year-it-was-cut-nearly-in-half-again/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/191223/reported-murder-and-nonnegligent-manslaughter-rate-in-the-us-since-1990/

https://www.vice.com/en/article/onlyfans-models-are-usuing-ai-chatbots-to-talk-dirty-for-them/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.bu.edu/english/graduate/spring-2024-graduate-courses/500-level-graduate-courses-spring-2024/

Topic of the Week https://aegpa.com

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Episode 413: Power and Denial: Biden, Cognitive Decline, and the 25th Amendment

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2024/12/27/yellen-says-treasury-to-hit-new-debt-limit-in-mid-january/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/bible-removed-texas-school-district-876267

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Episode 412: What Do We Owe Each Other?

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 15:30:00 -0000

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Episode 411: Tax Cuts: The Good, the Bad, and the Irrelevant

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/11/apple-launches-its-chatgpt-integration-with-siri.html

Foolishness of the Week https://studyfinds.org/846-million-genital-herpes/

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Episode 410: Mercantilism 2.0

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:30:00 -0000

Episode 410: Mercantilism 2.0

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Quick Hits

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-promises-25-tariff-products-mexico-canada-2024-11-25/

https://studyfinds.org/political-views-chocolate-choices/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/average-home-buyers-calif-metro-afford-2-homes-19936861.php

Topic of the Week

Phil Magness https://www.independent.org/aboutus/person_detail.asp?id=3777

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/henry-clays-american-system-is-bad-news-for-the-american-economy/

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Episode 409: Buy, Borrow, Die

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/united-pilot-orders-30-pizzas-to-feed-passengers-after-emergency-landing-for-medical-care/

https://x.com/tomselliott/status/1857891563776487434

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14104559/Switzerland-Church-AI-Jesus-confession.html

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Episode 408: Be Thankful!

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-promises-25-tariff-products-mexico-canada-2024-11-25/ https://studyfinds.org/political-views-chocolate-choices/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/average-home-buyers-calif-metro-afford-2-homes-19936861.php

Topic of the Week

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Episode 407: Words & Numbers Live: After the Election (part 2)

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:30:00 -0000

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Clark Neily

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00E93GZCG

Phil Magness

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Phillip%20W.%20Magness/author/B004IA7HBI

Mikhail Rasner

https://mirunited.com

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Episode 406: Words & Numbers Live: After the Election

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:30:00 -0000

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Clark Neily

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00E93GZCG

Phil Magness

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Phillip%20W.%20Magness/author/B004IA7HBI

Mikhail Rasner

https://mirunited.com

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 405: $22,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 15:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/nov/1/mushrooms-hit-ballots-researchers-grapple-dangers-/

https://www.newsweek.com/genz-millennials-young-people-dont-want-children-birth-rate-declining-1977238

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/ar-AA1tpJyX

Topic of the Week

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/10/31/russia-fines-google-20-decillion-many-times-larger-than-global-gdp-for-blocking-state-media-channels-heres-what-to-know/

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/contracts/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 404: Dangers of Democracy

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IEAMGSN https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FGRECPT https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-are-sources-revenue-federal-government https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/26/politics/trump-income-taxes-tariffs/index.html https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/oct/27/bezos-washington-post-non-endorsement-election

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/marine-veteran-temporarily-booted-off-delta-flight-wearing-threatening-shirt-report

Topic of the Week

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Episode 403: Crime Data: Revising History?

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:30:00 -0000

This week, we address listener comments that the FBI crime data we reported in an earlier episode was flawed.

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Quick Hits

https://brownox.com

https://www.facebook.com/reel/427922503036846

https://www.thefp.com/p/female-psychedelic-users-ketamine-mushroom-mommies

Foolishness of the Week

https://apnews.com/article/trump-arnold-palmer-closing-arguments-latrobe-pennsylvania-2bea9620c523e531a55259200215284e

Topic of the Week

https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend

https://www.allsides.com/story/violence-america-fbi-quietly-revises-2022-data-showing-45-rise-violent-crime

https://crimeresearch.org/2024/10/the-revised-fbi-crime-data-reveals-that-it-originally-missed-1699-murders-in-2022-given-that-almost-all-murders-are-reported-how-does-the-fbi-miss-that-many-murders/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

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#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 402: Project Liberal

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:30:00 -0000

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Topic of the Week

https://www.projectliberal.org

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Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 401: 20-to-1, Political Indoctrination in Higher Education

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Economist and author Bryan Caplan joins us to discuss how higher education has become a bastion of extreme leftist thought - so much so that professors that self-identify as Democrat outnumber professors that self-identify as Republican by 20-to-1.

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits

https://nypost.com/2024/10/03/lifestyle/revealed-the-staggering-amount-of-time-gen-z-spends-watching-tv-during-the-workday/

https://www.mediaite.com/politics/they-can-control-the-weather-claims-marjorie-taylor-greene-after-deadly-hurricane-helene-kills-more-than-200/

Foolishness of the Week https://heartlandsignal.com/2024/10/04/minnesota-gop-senate-candidate-the-bad-guys-won-in-wwii/

Topic of the Week https://www.betonit.ai/p/what-i-told-the-chronicle-about-gmu?fbclid=IwY2xjawFtLVxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUmRw4ov0NZ5pN2JTzgrac2GElz4Jlq726SyjO4IssKsGQVIuTmizkIwiw_aem_hum-GOp4PSfnPFs2owHXgg

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Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 400: Population Problems

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:30:00 -0000

It was just a couple of decades ago that experts were wringing their hands over the coming population explosion that was going to kill us all. Now they are wringing their hands over the coming population crash that is going to kill us all.

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Quick Hits

https://www.polygon.com/news/457071/new

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/derrick-anderson-photo-virginia-b2621414.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/trump-watch-likely-made-in-china-overpriced-1236013728/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 399: Lying Politicians

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 13:44:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits

https://cheezburger.com/36843013/employer-cancels-flexible-work-policy-after-employee-cuts-their-finger-at-home-cut-my-finger-working

https://bjs.ojp.gov

https://www.policemag.com/patrol/news/15310860/half-of-surveys-very-liberal-respondents-believe-1000-or-more-unarmed-black-men-killed-by-police-in-2019

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a61793292/ford-cop-cars-speed-detector-patent/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 398: Alliteration Time: Trump, Tariffs, and Taxes

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/13/politics/pope-francis-trump-harris-abortion/index.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a61793292/ford-cop-cars-speed-detector-patent/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 397: More on the Fed

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:19:00 -0000

This week, we address listener questions from our earlier episode on the Fed. We also make incorrect predictions about whether the September cut in interest rates.

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/08/goodbye-tinder-hello-strava-have-hobby-apps-become-the-new-social-networks

Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/chase-bank-says-it-is-aware-of-viral-glitch-inviting-people-to-commit-check-fraud/ar-AA1pW1OW?ocid=BingNewsSerp

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Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 396: Unrealized Capital Gains

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 14:30:00 -0000

The idea of an unrealized capital gains tax gains momentum every election season of late. This week, we take a look at what it is and why even the middle class should be very afraid.

Foolishness of the Week: 07:34 Main episode: 11:12

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/people-seen-as-wise-share-these-characteristics-all-over-the-world/

Foolishness of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/30/elon-musk-wealth-power

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 395: The Fed

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Episode 395: The Fed

What does the Fed do and how does it do it?

Foolishness of the Week: 06:38 Main episode: 08:51

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits https://apnews.com/article/harris-walz-apostrophe-possessive-grammar-967c0bbefc09be6c804588daabed7ec9

Foolishness of the Week https://apnews.com/article/benjamin-benji-cranford-thomson-mayor-alcohol-inmates-8a60ee1ca581a6a219cd29cc273f2758

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 394: Candidates’ Attitudes

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 19:35:00 -0000

Episode 394: Candidates’ Attitudes

Unfortunately, when it comes to elections, often a smile is all it takes.

Foolishness of the Week: 06:55 Main episode: 11:32

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.complex.com/life/a/backwoodsaltar/donald-trump-says-he-doesnt-want-pronouns

Foolishness of the Week https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-price-gouging-ban-inflation-65dc8844bb41159d76886f752b6cab28

https://www.foxnews.com/media/cracks-wall-media-praise-harris-multiple-outlets-eviscerate-vp-over-price-control-plan

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 393: Why Is Economics Important?

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:30:00 -0000

This is a conversation James and I had concerning various topics in economics and current events.

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The School of Ireland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByBussFxezk

Join the Conversation

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https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 392: Could Unemployment Be a Good Thing?

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits

https://colombiaone.com/2024/08/05/brazilian-prison-replaces-guard-dogs-with-geese/#:~:text=At%20the%20S%C3%A3o%20Pedro%20de,with%20a%20group%20of%20geese https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/friend-ai-artificial-intelligence-new-b2590345.html https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/friend-ai-artificial-intelligence-b2588853.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/rcna165147

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 391: Attacked by a Gang Wearing Lab Coats

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:01:00 -0000

This week James shares some first-hand experience with the magic that comes out of modern health care.

Foolishness of the Week: 10:22 Main episode: 12:43

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/raccoon-damages-cybertruck-bed-vault-tonneau-cover.20349/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/nullbulge-hackers-leak-disney-slack-hack/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 390: Personal Finance

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 14:30:00 -0000

James is recovering from surgery this week, so we offer you this special episode on personal finance so as to not to leave you sad and alone on Words & Numbers Wednesday!

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Episode 389: Recession?

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Are we in a recession? Americans say we are. The data say we aren’t. Who’s right?

Foolishness of the Week: 05:30 Main episode: 10:50

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/michael-bloomberg-donates-1-billion-to-provide-free-tuition-for-future-doctors-at-johns-hopkins/ https://apnews.com/general-news-4db3fb7fa202234b220c803626464a3f https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/resource/seven-stories-of-donor-intent-violations-in-higher-education-giving/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/nullbulge-hackers-leak-disney-slack-hack/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 388: Supply Chain III

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Supply chain insider Mikhail Razner joins us again for what has come to be an annual update on the state of supply chains. Want to know why your boysenberry pie is more expensive? Listen in!

Foolishness of the Week: 10:24 Main episode: 13:20

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/06/06/why-global-gdp-might-be-7trn-bigger-than-everyone-thought

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gdp-official-exchange-rate/

https://x.com/POTUS/status/1808470746559123953

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/state-of-tennessee-tells-u-s-navy-veteran-hes-not-an-american-citizen-and-cancels-his-drivers-license

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 387: The Supremes' One-Two Punch

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:30:00 -0000

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Topic of the Week

Clark Neily on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00EJKBKOC

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 386: Chase Oliver 2024

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the Week: 05:13 Main episode: 12:18

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://viewfromthewing.com/hertz-nightmare-customer-fined-436-before-they-even-rented-the-car/comment-page-1/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2022/03/04/rental-car-consumer-rights/9365841002/

https://www.thedrive.com/news/hertz-is-charging-tesla-model-3-renter-277-fee-for-gas-wont-back-down

https://viewfromthewing.com/divine-retribution-or-corporate-policy-hertz-imposes-biblical-ban-on-a-customers-descendants/

https://www.investopedia.com/nearly-1-in-4-generation-x-workers-say-they-wont-retire-survey-shows-8666276

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/rcna158268

https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/4684714-louisiana-wants-the-ten-commandments-in-schools-but-which-version/

Topic of the Week

https://www.votechaseoliver.com/platform

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 385: Gaming

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Many of our listeners, and at least one of our hosts, are avid gamers, so it's natural that we'd come around to this topic eventually. Gaming companies are known to employ economists (often game theorists) to help design games because economists understand how to think about how people behave when their unlimited desires collide with their limited abilities. Games are nothing more than artificial environments in which these very real behaviors play out.

Foolishness of the Week: 10:06 Main episode: 17:27

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://moneywise.com/retirement/average-american-says-their-time-is-worth-240

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881500Q

https://www.axios.com/2024/06/15/double-haters-biden-trump-favorability

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4723719-lara-trump-vows-to-prosecute-anyone-who-cheats-in-an-election-we-will-track-you-down/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewleahey/2024/06/14/can-trump-eliminate-the-income-tax/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 384: A Difference in Interest Rates

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Canada’s central bank cut its interest rate. The European central bank cut its interest rate. But the Fed continues to hold its interest rate high. This will create a cascade of effects - some good, some bad, depending on who you are.

Foolishness of the Week: 09:43 Main episode: 13:11

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.newsweek.com/larry-hogan-chances-flipping-maryland-senate-1898953

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/22/poll-economy-recession-biden

https://dnyuz.com/2024/06/09/is-your-driving-being-secretly-scored/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brit-hume-stupid-lara-trump_n_665e73a6e4b022af97dd51cf

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 383: The Justice and Practicality of Reparations

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:30:00 -0000

If people who call for reparations for slavery want to be taken seriously, they must take their own arguments seriously first. And that requires bringing to bear the same scrutiny and law that we currently apply to any case in which someone is seeking to be made whole following the actions of another.

Foolishness of the Week: 11:57 Main episode: 15:01

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.thestreet.com/lifestyle/travel/this-new-rideshare-company-is-packing-heat-and-drawing-customers

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/ar-BB1ntRiK

https://www.notus.org/2024-election/small-dollar-donations

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/06/02/chase_oliver_the_new_socially_liberal_face_of_the_libertarian_party_151037.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tiktok-social-media-app-young-voters-biden-2024-6

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 382: The Value of College

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:30:00 -0000

We’ve argued before that the value of a college degree was questionable. That was before covid. Since then, the value proposition has deteriorated markedly.

Foolishness of the Week: 05:15 Main episode: 07:07

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://cwbchicago.com/2024/05/chicago-fake-robbery-visa-scam.html

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/05/microsoft-ai-recall-feature-records-everything-secures-far-less

Foolishness of the Week

https://news.sky.com/story/mexico-fire-breather-fights-off-marauding-mariachis-in-turf-war-over-tips-13141041

Topic of the Week

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/05/23/is-college-worth-it-2/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 381: $1 Trillion in Interest

Wed, 29 May 2024 14:30:00 -0000

The annual gross interest on the debt exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in history. Years ago, we warned that the combination of on-going deficits and inevitably higher interest rates would give us exactly what we have now.

Foolishness of the Week: 08:16 Main episode: 09:31

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Bernstein

https://youtu.be/p5qTFd6PJ0k?si=iB2LjscjaCQW4nk3&t=216

https://x.com/walterolson/status/1792007573463261516/photo/1

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.live5news.com/2024/05/17/man-is-moving-his-entire-house-12-feet-comply-with-zoning-rules/

Topic of the Week

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/u-s-debt-interest-payments-reach-1-trillion/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 380: Population Shrink

Wed, 22 May 2024 14:30:00 -0000

A generation or two ago, people wrung their hands over the population explosion. What will happen, they said, when we finally have too many people! It turns out that, not only was overpopulation not a problem, underpopulation has become one.

Foolishness of the Week: 8:25 Main episode: 14:19

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.yourtango.com/news/bumble-founder-says-future-ai-dating

Foolishness of the Week

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Bernstein

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2024/05/03/biden_economic_advisor_jared_bernstein.html

Topic of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/ar-BB1mhbxT

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 379: Of Millionaires and Homeless

Thu, 16 May 2024 11:23:00 -0000

Foolishness of the Week: 11:09 Main episode: 16:35

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar/status/1786794183312748959

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/136485/america-civil-war-five-years-poll

Topic of the Week

https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/chart/#series:Net_Worth;demographic:all;population:1;units:median;range:1989,2022

https://www.statista.com/statistics/617390/us-millionaire-households/

https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/how-many-millionaires-actually-inherited-their-wealth

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 378: The One Branch of Government

Wed, 08 May 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Clark Neily joins us again this week. This time, we’re talking about how we have come to muddle the separation of powers among the three branches of government. As Congress has largely fallen asleep at the wheel, the executive branch has come to play the roles of all three branches, all by itself.

Foolishness of the Week: 04:46 Main episode: 05:49

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3932145-energy-dept-to-ban-sale-of-some-light-bulbs-heres-why/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13359223/kristi-noem-vp-killing-dog-trump.html

Foolishness of the Week https://nypost.com/2024/04/26/us-news/ai-priest-defrocked-by-developer-after-taking-confessions-like-real-priest/

Topic of the Week Clark Neily https://www.amazon.com/stores/Clark-M.-Neily-III/author/B00EJKBKOC

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 377: Real Estate Insider

Wed, 01 May 2024 14:30:00 -0000

The National Association of Realtors recently agreed to pay almost half a billion dollars in a class action suit involving sellers fees. This week’s guest, Judd Bristo, is unique in being a listener, an economist, and a realtor. We asked Judd to come on to talk about the settlement and the complex world of real estate commissions.

Foolishness of the Week: 04:38 Main episode: 07:03

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/15/economy/nar-realtor-commissions-settlement/index.html https://qz.com/drug-resistant-bacteria-international-space-station-1851421829

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.tiktok.com/@deathby2wheels/video/7357790629394386219

Topic of the Week

https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nar-reaches-agreement-to-resolve-nationwide-claims-brought-by-home-sellers

https://juddbristo.com

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 376: Interest Rates Up, Down, or Sideways?

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the Week: 06:30 Main episode: 09:25

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1183025683040361&id=100039988210787&mibextid=oFDknk&rdid=38pxUZNFlwwAi8YH

https://nypost.com/2024/04/15/us-news/californians-arming-themselves-over-border-issue/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/12/politics/biden-student-loan-forgiveness/index.html

Topic of the Week

https://rumble.com/v4p4qlw-the-kim-iversen-show-live.html

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 375: Google and FedEx Anger James

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:30:00 -0000

James has an ax to grind. Google made him mad. FedEx made him mad. Many things make James mad. But this week, he tells us why.

Foolishness of the Week: 16:22 Main episode: 20:01

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/constance-bay-man-loses-bid-to-recover-cost-of-life-saving-u-s-brain-surgery/

https://www.beeculture.com/deregulating-honey-in-missourithere-are-19-ways-to-kill-a-bill-and-only-one-way-to-pass-it/

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/08/trump-media-stock-drops-more-than-10percent-to-open-trading-week.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/ar-BB1ldavJ

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/book-ban-campaigns-hit-4-240-titles-last-year-here-are-the-top-10-targets-bf785117

Topic of the Week

https://suitefeedback.com/amazon-customer-experience-13-quotes-from-jeff-bezos/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 374: The Price of Baseball

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 14:30:00 -0000

James recently wrote an article on the price of admission and food at baseball fields over the years. To look at the prices, it appears that baseball has shifted from entertainment for the working classes to entertainment for the middle and rich classes. Or perhaps we’ve simply all become richer and baseball has simply followed along.

Foolishness of the Week: 13:07 Main episode: 16:09

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-income-households.html

https://www.aceee.org/files/proceedings/2004/data/papers/SS04_Panel1_Paper17.pdf

https://www.wsj.com/articles/californias-crazy-fast-food-minimum-wage-takes-effect-negative-repercussions-7ae3e9ae

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-fast-food-minimum-wage/3475150

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/what-gives-you-the-right-to-lecture-us-guyana-president-schools-bbc-reporter-5338295

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/30/politics/easter-trans-day-visibility-trump-biden-johnson/index.html

Topic of the Week

https://www.aier.org/article/baseball-a-beer-and-a-dog/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 373: FDA: Friend or Foe?

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 14:30:00 -0000

We all know that the FDA saves lives by keeping bad drugs off markets. But far fewer of us understand that the FDA costs lives by keeping good drugs from markets. Often all it takes to see this other side of the FDA is to be confronted with a life threatening disease for which there are treatments - just not FDA-approved treatments.

Foolishness of the Week: 08:38 Main episode: 14:53

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/optimist-pollster-finds-americans-are-far-more-alike-than-different-in-this-election-year/

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ohio-man-brings-voters-of-all-stripes-together-to-agree-to-disagree-over-dinner-and-a-dialogue/

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/24/playground-bullies-do-prosper-and-go-on-to-earn-more-in-middle-age

Foolishness of the Week https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/21/apple-doj-antitrust-lawsuit-explained/

Topic of the Week https://xtalks.com/top-10-foods-banned-in-the-us-3611/ https://www.amazon.com/Free-Our-Markets-Essential-Economics/dp/098442542X/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 372: Where’s the Middle Class?

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Each election cycle, we’re treated to politicians and their supporters crying about the disappearing middle class. So many people repeat the mantra that most of us just accept it as fact. It turns out that those people are right - the middle class is disappearing. Where they get the story wrong is that it isn’t bad news. It’s excellent news.

Foolishness of the Week: 09:12 Main episode: 15:32

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/the-ftc-bans-ai-impersonations-of-individuals-and-unveils-greater-powers-to-win-stolen-money-back https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/17/health/marriage-divorce-rates-wellness/index.html

Foolishness of the Week https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/21/24079371/google-ai-gemini-generative-inaccurate-historical

Topic of the Week https://youtu.be/b8soxNZzVlE?si=mtZFd4hAN-VmLQpt

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 371: An Interview with Spike Cohen, pt. 2

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Spike Cohen, 2020 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential nominee, joins us this week for a two part series in which we discuss the upcoming election, the Libertarian Party, the future of politics in America, and his work in single-issue activism - You Are the Power.

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Topic of the Week https://www.youarethepower.net https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_Cohen

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 370: An Interview with Spike Cohen, pt. 1

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the Week: 11:05 Main episode: 13:14

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.thecollegefix.com/gmu-economist-reported-to-dei-office-for-criticizing-plan-to-mandate-dei-courses/

https://masoncore.gmu.edu/mason-core-course-categories/just-society/

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/11/nearly-half-of-parents-financially-support-adult-children-study-shows.html

Foolishness of the Week https://www.mediaite.com/news/tucker-carlson-already-pushing-stolen-election-conspiracy-theories-about-2024/

Topic of the Week https://www.youarethepower.net

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_Cohen

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 369: A One-Party System?

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 17:03:00 -0000

The United States has been a two party system almost since its inception. In modern times, this has led to the Democrats and Republicans having a virtual monopoly on the political landscape. Despite the fact that a plurality of Americans don’t identify with either party, they won’t allow a third party to compete. And what’s the only thing worse than a two-party system? A one-party system.

Foolishness of the Week: 06:08 Main episode: 09:41

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits https://archive.triblive.com/opinion/featured-commentary/in-defense-of-price-gouging/ https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/01/the-us-national-debt-is-rising-by-1-trillion-about-every-100-days.html

Foolishness of the Week https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/opinion/ezra-klein-biden-audio-essay.html

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 368: Hampden-Sydney College Q&A

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:30:00 -0000

Last week, we recorded live from Hampden-Sydney College. This week’s episode is the Q&A from that recording.

Foolishness of the Week: 09:21 Main episode: 10:05

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://studyfinds.org/is-everyone-angry-toxic-outrage-culture-consuming-society-like-never-before/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13119241/Trump-threatens-biggest-stock-market-crash-HISTORY-loses-Biden-claims-five-things-DOJ-investigate-Haley-wild-speech-MAGA-fans-South-Carolina-primary.html

Topic of the Week

https://www.hsc.edu

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 367: Live from Hampden-Sydney College

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 15:30:00 -0000

Last week, we talked about the incongruity of not only having a majority of voters not like either major party candidate, but to have those two candidates appear twice in back-to-back elections. This week, we explore what happens when a President is incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office.

Foolishness of the Week: 11:01

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

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Quick Hits https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-trump-raise-the-settlement

Foolishness of the Week https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/02/15/barbara-lee-minimum-wage/72611446007/

Topic of the Week

https://www.hsc.edu

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 366: What’s Up With the President?

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the Week: 09:59 Main episode: 12:50

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/02/blazing-saddles-five-funny-facts-at-50/

Foolishness of the Week https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/taylor-swift-biden-psyop-conspiracy-b2489364.html

Topic of the Week https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-25/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 365: Democracy Might Not Be a Good Thing

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:30:00 -0000

The Trump vs Biden election of 2020 was noteworthy because, for so many voters, it wasn’t a matter of selecting the person they thought was best suited for the job so much as a matter of selecting the person they thought was least ill-suited. As if it isn’t weird enough that, out of 200 million or so adults, the best we could do was to bring Trump and Biden to the fore, here we are in 2024 apparently set to do the same thing all over again.

Foolishness of the Week: 09:10 Main episode: 13:33

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/06/trump-election-case-appeals-court-denies-ex-president-immunity.html

Foolishness of the Week https://studyfinds.org/mixed-reality-headsets/

Topic of the Week https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/biden-trump-campaign-longest-ever-age-7e849b34 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1102189/voter-turnout-us-presidential-primaries-state/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 364: $34 Trillion

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:30:00 -0000

People used to scared about the federal debt. But it's been so huge for so long that people have lost interest. Yet, despite people's lack of attention - or perhaps, in part, because of it - the debt has continued to grow. For the past 50 years or so, it has been doubling every 8 to 9 years. Foolishness of the Week: 09:10 Main episode: 13:36

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/12/06/new-fafsa-may-launch-with-old-inflation-data-resulting-in-less-college-aid.html?fbclid=IwAR1Z0ny8wwaMEEA0nyaJGxEGF3Hvbeq9XtAJpVmQLYtfyMdKNmDS-loexes

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/01/27/is-the-journalism-death-spasm-finally-here-00138187

Foolishness of the Week

https://nypost.com/2024/01/26/news/un-fires-staffers-who-allegedly-took-part-in-october-7-hamas-terrorist-attacks-on-israel/

Topic of the Week

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 363: Labor and Marx

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:30:00 -0000

Many people share an intuition that “excess” profits are a sign of something having been stolen from labor. Karl Marx shared this intuition and formalized it in his writings on the surplus value of labor.

Foolishness of the Week: 05:48 Main episode: 11:55

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPkJH6BT7dM

https://studyfinds.org/childless-millennials-parents/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/19/us-inflation-caused-by-corporate-profits

Topic of the Week

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEBTN

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 362: Shareholders and Stakeholders

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:30:00 -0000

For whom does the corporation exist: investors, workers, customers, the community? Economists tend to answer, "investors." That's not to say that workers, customers, and the community aren't important, but rather that the corporation exists to further the interests of the investors. Where the interests of the workers, customers, and community coincide with those of investors, the corporation also cares about those groups. But where their interests conflict with those of investors, the interests of investors take precedence. That's the principle of "shareholder value." The principle of "stakeholder value" holds that the corporation should consider the interests of workers, consumers, and the community even when they conflict with the interests of the investors.

Foolishness of the Week: 08:15 Main episode: 12:29

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://newschannel9.com/news/nation-world/scientists-discover-novel-way-to-destroy-cancer-cells

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.axios.com/2024/01/11/florida-book-ban-schools-lawsuit

Topic of the Week https://youtu.be/O8RpyqauWOQ?si=bFkwzQNP_PTNbtFQ&t=5109

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 361: Degrowth

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 15:30:00 -0000

Economic "degrowth" seems to be the new socialism. Like the old, it promises all manner of wonderful things, from equality to a cleaner environment. And like the old, it will deliver nothing but misery.

Foolishness of the Week: 10:24 Main episode: 13:35

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.ambito.com/politica/ley-omnibus-el-gobierno-busca-que-ya-no-se-use-la-palabra-gratis-prestacion-estatales-n5908723

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S6-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013300/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/06/politics/lloyd-austin-hospitalization-officials/index.html/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/secretary-defense-lloyd-austin-hospitalized-middle-east-missions-rcna132612/

Topic of the Week

https://theconversation.com/degrowth-slowing-down-rich-economies-to-deal-with-climate-change-is-a-flawed-idea-209434

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/12/17/degrowth-economics-europe-climate-policy/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 360: Time is Money

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:30:00 -0000

Intuitively, people understand the value of time. We consider it every time we decide to put off something we want now for something better later. Psychologists call it, “delayed gratification.” But when we think about things like banks and landlords and Wall Street, we fail to see the time value of money driving people’s behaviors.

Foolishness of the Week: 14:15 Main episode: 18:13

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits http://nutritionpair.com/

www.wfla.com/news/dave-chappelle-ends-show-early-walks-off-stage-at-hard-rock-live/

Foolishness of the Week www.wsj.com/articles/yellen-biden-economy-inflation-prices-dc9902f2

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 359: A Conflict of Moral Principles

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 15:30:00 -0000

Colleges and universities, for years now self-proclaimed bastions of “safe spaces,” are allowing some students to express anti Semitism and call for genocide. Should colleges allow this in the name of free speech, or should it disallow it in the name of protecting students? Congressional hearings into prominent universities appear to reveal administrators picking a third and worse option: selectively allowing or disallowing free speech depending on at whom the speech is directed.

Foolishness of the Week: 08:15 Main episode: 11:36

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/12/23/biden-pardon-state-level-marijuana/72015078007/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/sorry-but-potatoes-may-soon-no-longer-be-considered-a-vegetable/ar-AA1lRk50

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 358: The Cost of the Good Life

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:30:00 -0000

We respond to an article that claims that “the good life” has become so expensive as to be beyond the reach of most Americans. We conclude that what is beyond the reach of at least some Americans is the ability to perform simple math.

Foolishness of the Week: 05:33 Main episode: 09:16

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/other/tsa-self-screening-is-the-next-big-step-for-airport-security/ar-AA1lH2XJ

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/electric-vehicle-ev-guilbeault-1.7061381

Topic of the Week

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-dream-cost-3-4-million-house-college-cars-retirement/

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

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#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 357: Biden’s Wealth Tax

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 15:30:00 -0000

More frequently, politicians are talking about a wealth tax. As with the income tax back in the early 1900s, politicians promise that the tax will only be one or two percent and will only apply to the rich. But, as with the income tax, if politicians can convince voters to allow the government to impose a tax on wealth, it will be less than a decade before that new tax hits the middle class.

Foolishness of the Week: 15:15 Main episode: 19:45

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/ceo-pay-is-out-of-control

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes111011.htm

https://www.reuters.com/business/ceo-pay-averaged-167-million-last-year-sp-500-companies-decline-2023-08-03/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sports-illustrated-publisher-fires-ceo-latest-exec-terminations-ai-sca-rcna129236/

Topic of the Week

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 356: Social Distancing and Masks: Again?

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:30:00 -0000

A new outbreak of a communicable disease in China has officials there calling for masks and social distancing. This week, we talk about what lessons we learned from the last go around and how people might respond in this country to a reprise of social distancing and masking.

Foolishness of the Week: 07:23 Main episode: 11:23

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://thehill.com/opinion/education/4288044-oregon-just-dropped-all-graduation-standards-failing-all-of-its-students-in-the-name-of-equity/

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/one-supreme-court-case-could-mess-up-chunks-of-the-tax-code-680a9ba6

Foolishness of the Week

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1730211325383434419

https://nypost.com/2023/03/20/bidens-twitter-account-fact-checked-for-dubious-claim-about-the-taxes-billionaires-pay/

Topic of the Week https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/chinas-mystery-virus-sees-masks-31550470/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 355: It's Time for Libertarians to Grow Up

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 15:30:00 -0000

We recently moderated the South Carolina Libertarian Party’s Presidential debate. We had a great time and the candidates were serious people. But the contrast between our excellent experience in South Carolina and Libertarian party hijinx we’ve seen in the past spurred this conversation. Is the Libertarian Party a political party or a philosophical society? The latter’s goal is to delve deeply into important questions about the economy and polity. The former’s goal is to win elections.

Foolishness of the Week: 08:37 Main episode: 14:05

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/25/black-friday-shoppers-spent-a-record-9point8-billion-in-us-online-sales-up-7point5percent-from-last-year.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://twitter.com/senwarren/status/1728810999355175212?s=61&t=8nzVImSVQ7S_6JhDtCXr0Q

Topic of the Week

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 354: Academic Fraud

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:30:00 -0000

Three former professors discuss the fraud that universities are perpetrating on students and taxpayers..

Foolishness of the Week: 11:59 Main episode: 15:20

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Topic of the Week

https://www.aier.org/people/phillip-w-magness/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 353: What’s a Few Trillion Among Friends?

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:30:00 -0000

Over ten years ago, we predicted that, as the Federal government approached insolvency, the Federal Reserve would start printing money to monetize the government spending, and that that would give us sustained inflation in the 5% plus range. We saw the 5% plus inflation and, as the Fed fought it, we then saw interest rates skyrocket. Trillion dollar plus deficits are the new normal, Social Security is within a decade of becoming insolvent, and that will mean even more borrowing. It appears that people are just now becoming aware of the problem. Unfortunately, it's almost too late to do anything about it.

Foolishness of the Week: 07:46 Main episode: 14:20

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/moodys-cuts-outlook-on-u-s-credit-rating-to-negative-from-stable-4ede1b9b

Foolishness of the Week

https://news.yahoo.com/migrant-family-journeys-back-venezuela-202500695.html

Topic of the Week

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 352: Fraud, Fairness, and Value

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:30:00 -0000

An elderly couple, an antiques dealer, and an African mask spark a conversation about fraud, fairness, and value.

Foolishness of the Week: 11:00 Main episode: 13:14

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2023/11/02/california-regulators-put-off-a-decision-on-solar-rules-again

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-67295526

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/11/canadian-food-prices-passing-the-depreciated-buck/

Topic of the Week

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/31/french-couple-go-to-court-for-share-of-rare-african-masks-sale-price

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 351: The Snooty Stuff

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Composer and musician Josh Nichols was annoyed when, on an earlier episode, James referred to “high culture,” and Ant said, “you mean the snooty stuff?” Being a classical composer and, importantly, making money at it, Josh joins us to set the record straight as to why we should all be more appreciative of “the snooty stuff.”

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Topic of the Week

Josh Nichols https://www.windrep.org/Joshua_Nichols CACI https://thecaci.org/members-and-fellows/ Josh's Compositionshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLURdjiljIuudGIa3yE9vx3RjxMzdQxMJ

Metropolis https://www.summitrecords.com/release/metropolis-the-piano-music-of-joshua-nichols/

Amazon Link to CD https://a.co/d/1SThFip

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 350: The Economics of Taylor Swift

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Fans are applauding Taylor Swift for contributing billions to the country’s GDP. Yet Taylor Swift (three-quarters of a billionaire) is doing less for the economy than what many billionaires, who we vilify, do. Why do we applaud one business person and vilify the other?

Foolishness of the week: 09:33 Main episode: 14:24

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1826637/uss-gerald-r-ford-steak-lobster-dinner-israel-hamas-middle-east

Foolishness of the Week

https://amp.theguardian.com/cities/2023/oct/11/culdesac-car-free-neighborhood-tempe-arizona

Topic of the Week

https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/10/18/taylor-swifts-movie-outsold-the-next-50-top-grossing-movies-combined/?sh=6e90fc774e67

https://www.statista.com/chart/31033/key-figures-from-swifts-the-eras-tour/#:~:text=Throughout%20the%20U.S.%20leg%20of,146%20dates%20on%20five%20continents

https://time.com/6307420/taylor-swift-eras-tour-money-economy/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 349: Should Experts Dictate What Teachers Teach?

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:30:00 -0000

More than a decade ago, experts decided to change how students are taught to read. Without testing whether the new method worked or, apparently, even checking in with actual teachers, the experts forced the change. What resulted was a generation of children with reduced reading abilities. The experts have now reversed course. People make mistakes like this all the time. When the people who are making the decisions are the same people who live with the consequences of the decisions, errors get detected and fixed relatively quickly. There's nothing wrong with experts weighing in on the best way to do things. But when those experts are allowed to impose their wills on others, the people who live with the consequences are no longer the people making the decisions. What often results is decades of living with "solutions" that do more harm than good.

Main episode: 06:47

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cranial-traumas-cities-built-violence.html https://genderdata.worldbank.org/indicators/vc-ihr-psrc-p5

Topic of the Week

https://nypost.com/2023/09/21/repairing-the-damage-columbias-teachers-college-did-to-american-kids-will-take-years/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 348: Error Corrections

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 14:30:00 -0000

From time to time, listeners write to tell us what we’ve gotten wrong. This week, we go back through predictions and analyses we’ve made that have turned out to be wrong.

Main episode: 12:09

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 347: Workplace Harassment with Vince White

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Attorney Vince White joins us this week. Vince’s law firm does more workplace harassment and sexual discrimination cases than any other US law firm. His firm also handled some of the Harvey Weinstein cases. Interestingly, Vince is James’ former student.

Foolishness of the week: 05:30 Main episode: 08:39

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/for-first-time-water-produced-by-sunlight-to-be-even-cheaper-than-tap-water/

https://www.axios.com/2023/10/01/student-loan-payments-october-2023

Foolishness of the Week

https://nbcmontana.com/news/connect-to-congress/meghan-markle-considering-run-for-sen-dianne-feinsteins-senate-seat-sources-say-duke-and-duchess-of-sussex-house-of-windsor-royal-family-prince-harry-gavin-newsom-california-los-angeles-family-leave-gun-safety-politics

Topic of the Week

https://www.nycjobattorney.com

https://www.youtube.com/@JobAttorney

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 346: Are the Rich Killing Social Security?

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Robert Reich (not an economist) recorded a video recently in which he claims that the rich are not paying their fair share of Social Security. But the calculations he uses to prove his point are fundamentally flawed.

Foolishness of the week: 09:54 Main episode: 12:57

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/nasa-solid-state-battery-development-research-breakthrough/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/25/us/powerball-lottery-jackpot-millions-monday/index.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/22/politics/fact-check-biden-every-mass-shooting/index.html

https://abcnews.go.com/US/mass-shootings-days-2023-database-shows/story?id=96609874

Topic of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfZuB7XSFys

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 345: Did Masks Save Lives?

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Economist Bryan McCannon gives us two things to think about this week: his research into whether covid mask mandates saved lives, and that journal editors were afraid to publish his results.

Foolishness of the week: 08:04 Main episode: 11:49

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-fast-food-workers-20-minimum-wage-new-103099258

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/cost-of-living-index-by-state

https://apnews.com/article/climate-oil-gas-california-lawsuit-newsom-212d6d9873352f28094173a1974e3d90

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.wbez.org/stories/how-a-city-run-grocery-store-in-chicago-could-work/91365f98-25de-4cd5-80e9-eae3fa627610

Topic of the Week

Mask mandates

https://sites.google.com/site/bryancmccannon

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 344: Burning Man

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Burning Man, a modern day Woodstock, occurs each year in the desert. This year brought 87,000 people together to live, if only for a few days, in a cooperative nirvana. We take some time to look at the Burning Man principles for living and ask whether they make any sense.

Foolishness of the week: 05:21 Main episode: 11:44

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.iflscience.com/linguists-speak-of-a-new-language-dialect-evolving-in-the-us-70586

Foolishness of the Week

https://sourcenm.com/briefs/n-m-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-over-gun-violence/

https://ibis.doh.nm.gov/indicator/view/DthRateLdgCause.Year.Cause.html

https://everystat.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Gun-Violence-in-New-Mexico-2.9.2021.pdf

Topic of the Week

https://survival.burningman.org/culture/the-10-principles/

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/08/the-wonderful-weird-economics-of-burning-man/376108/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/09/06/burning-man-2023-photos-nevada-desert/70774615007/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/05/business/burning-man-billionaires/index.html

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 343: What About Unions?

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Union membership in the private sector has been declining for decades, while union membership in the public sector has been increasing. This is consistent with workers voluntarily choosing not to unionize to the point that unions must turn to government jobs where it is easier to force workers to unionize.

Foolishness of the week: 04:20 Main episode: 10:03

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/climate-change-activists-blockaded-burning-man-accuse-police-excessive-rcna102370

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/pope-francis-conservatives-united-states-rcna102452

Topic of the Week

Declining union membership

https://www.statista.com/statistics/195339/number-of-union-members-in-the-us-since-2000/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/195349/union-membership-rate-of-employees-in-the-us-since-2000/

Union workers earn around 20% more than non-union workers

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1374865/earnings-union-membership-race-us/

33% of public sector jobs are unionized vs 6% of private sector jobs

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf

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Episode 342: The Start of the Season

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 14:30:00 -0000

The Republicans held their first primary debate. What they said wasn’t interesting. What they didn’t say was.

Foolishness of the week: 07:00 Main episode: 09:10

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Quick Hits https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4171633-ceiling-fan-efficiency-rule-draws-ire-of-house-republicans/

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/urban-doom-loop-could-pose-105045782.html

Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-advisers-bristle-newsoms-plan-debate-desantis-rcna101799

Topic of the Week

GOP Primary Debate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccPDCzJuLgI

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Episode 341: Strangers With Candy

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Economist Art Carden joins us this week to talk about his popular book, Strangers With Candy.

Foolishness of the week: 04:27 Main episode: 18:01

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Quick Hits

https://fortune.com/2023/07/06/wealthy-leaving-china-education-school-sisb-stock-surge-singapore-thailand/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/372900/number-of-chinese-students-that-study-in-the-us/

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/economic-freedom/map?geozone=world&page=map&year=2020&countries=THA,CHN,USA

https://reason.com/2023/08/21/chinas-industrial-policy-is-failing-will-american-politicians-take-notice/

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/21/american-workers-are-demanding-almost-80000-a-year-to-take-a-new-job.html

Foolishness of the Week https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1693274613541671350

Topic of the Week

Strangers With Candy https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733658459?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

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Episode 340: Wrongfully Convicted

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Michael Semanchik, Director of the Innocence Center, joins us to talk about freeing the wrongfully imprisoned, and reforming the criminal justice system to reduce the likelihood of wrongful convictions.

Foolishness of the week: 06:13 Main episode: 07:09

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Quick Hits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqSA-SY5Hro

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/07/hawaii-news/emergency-declaration-prohibits-price-gouging-lawyer-says/

https://www.outkick.com/oliver-anthony-rich-men-north-of-richmond-song-lyrics-viral-video/

Foolishness of the Week

https://sfstandard.com/2023/08/11/san-francisco-robotaxi-cruise-debauchery/

Topic of the Week

Mike Semanchik https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-semanchik/

California Innocence Project Podcast https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/cipp/

Innocence Center www.innocencecenter.org

National exoneration registry https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx

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Episode 339: The Meanings of Words

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 14:30:00 -0000

The point of communicating is to transfer thoughts from one person’s brain to another. In most forms of human communication, words are the tools we use. But if the two people don’t share common definitions of words, then communication becomes clouded. The most extreme case is when two people speak very different languages. But miscommunication often happens when both people speak the same language. If we hope to resolve, or at least come to peaceful disagreement, over topics from gun control to gender, we have to make a concerted effort to agree on definitions before debating the topics. Main episode: 12:34

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Quick Hits http://www.worldgovernmentbonds.com/credit-rating/united-states/

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Episode 338: Age, Ability, and Incumbency

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:30:00 -0000

The Constitution sets lower age limits for members of Congress and the President, but sets no upper limits. Before modern medicine, this wasn’t as much of a problem as people’s bodies tended not to outlive their minds. Today, it’s becoming a problem. Foolishness of the week: 05:30 Main episode: 09:35

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Topic of the Week

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_who_did_not_win_reelection

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Political_Science_and_Civics/Attenuated_Democracy_(Hubert)/08%3A_Electoral_Politics_and_Public_Opinion/8.07%3A_Chapter_55-_The_Advantages_of_Incumbency

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States_by_age

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/TR/2012/lr5a4.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/a-confused-dianne-feinstein-tried-to-give-a-speech-in-the-middle-of-a-senate-hearing-vote-and-was-told-to-just-say-aye-instead/ar-AA1ernV5

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mcconnell-fell-recently-dc-airport-prior-wednesdays-freeze-rcna96568

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/26/mcconnell-abruptly-leaves-press-conference-after-feeling-light-headed-00108318

https://www.axios.com/2023/07/26/mcconnell-press-conference-freezing-lightheaded

https://www.oyez.org/cases/1994/93-1456

Quick Hits

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/mosquitoes-carry-west-nile-are-becoming-resistant-insecticides-cdc-say-rcna96867

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cornelwest24.org/press_release_073123

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#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 337: The (Hollow) Sound of Freedom

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 14:30:00 -0000

James and I both went to see the recent box office hit, The Sound of Freedom. I liked it. James didn’t. But we both were appalled at what appear to be seriously distorted claims made in the film about human trafficking.

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Topic of the Week Human trafficking defined https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/

World data on human trafficking (p. 78)

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Trafficking-in-Persons-Report-2023.pdf

US data on human trafficking

https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/human-trafficking-data-collection-activities-2022

Fraction of children in human trafficking (p. 48)

https://www.unodc.org/documents/Global_Report_on_TIP.pdf

Drug trafficking statistics

https://www.ussc.gov/research/quick-facts/drug-trafficking

Critique of Sound of Freedom

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/sound-of-freedom-child-trafficking-experts-1234786352/

The claimed stats at the end of Sound of Freedom

https://www.looper.com/1343442/sound-of-freedom-ending-explained/

Quick Hits

AI and telemarketers

https://www.wsj.com/articles/people-hire-phone-bots-to-torture-telemarketers-2dbb8457

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Episode 336: A Fireside Chat Without the Fire

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Howie Baetjer, Rob McDonald, James Stacey Taylor, and Clark Neily join us to talk about gun rights, canceling the Founders, and animal rights. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

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Encore Episode 335: When Benevolence Backfires

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 14:30:00 -0000

This encore performance is of our most popular episode. This episode, in which we explore unintended consequences, first aired in September of 2019. Foolishness of the week: 06:19 Main episode: 10:54

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Quick Hits https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/maryland-sk-court-case-teen-sexting-child-pornography.html

https://www.blackbusiness.com/2019/05/roy-allela-black-engineer-invents-gloves-turn-sign-language-audible-speech.html

Foolishness of the Week https://reason.com/2019/08/28/de-blasio-advisory-group-wants-to-abolish-gifted-classes-in-nyc-public-schools/

https://reason.com/2019/08/28/de-blasio-advisory-group-wants-to-abolish-gifted-classes-in-nyc-public-schools/

Episode Topic https://www.wired.com/2008/12/a380-is-so-quie/ http://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-cobra-effect-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-political-assault-on-paydays-1464909417 https://www.nber.org/papers/w6670 https://berniesanders.com/issues/the-green-new-deal/

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Episode 334: Live at Brookfield Academy, pt.2

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 14:30:00 -0000

James and Ant field questions from students at Brookfield Academy on possible fixes for Social Security, the politics of taxation and spending, and how we’ve broken the separation of powers, Foolishness of the week: 06:41 Main episode: 03:53

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Episode 333: Live at Brookfield Academy, pt.1

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 14:30:00 -0000

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Episode 332: Should Speech be Free?

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 14:30:00 -0000

This week’s episode is a live recording of a panel discussion on free speech at the University of Washington. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

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Christin Gilmer

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christingilmer

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Episode 331: A Fireside Chat

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:30:00 -0000

This week, historian Rob McDonald, Constitutional scholar and lawyer Clark Neily, philosophy James Stacey Taylor, and economist Howard Baetjer join James and Ant around a fire to discuss the indictments against former President Donald Trump. To accommodate the extended conversation, this week we forego our usual quick hits and foolishness of the week. We think you'll agree that, regardless of on which side you fall on the topic, the whole business with Donald Trump qualifies as foolishness.

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Episode 330: What’s Up in the Economy?

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Weird things are happening. Retail sales have stagnated, savings are markedly down, yet unemployment is low, inflation isn’t as bad as it was. Have we reached a “new normal?” Foolishness of the week: 05:00 Main episode: 06:41 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

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Quick Hits https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/05/federal-judge-makes-history-holding-border-searches-cell-phones-require-warrant https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/his-township-spied-on-his-car-collection-with-a-drone-now-the-state-supreme-court-will-decide-if-they-violated-his-rights/ar-AA1c2djX https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65602519

Foolishness of the Week https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2023/06/04/are-chickens-really-related-to-t-rex-dinosaurs-peta-spotlights-evolutionary-link/

Topic of the Week https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RSXFS https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/TOTALSA https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PMSAVE

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Episode 329: The Chevron Doctrine

Wed, 31 May 2023 14:30:00 -0000

For decades and where the law is ambiguous, courts have invoked the Chevron doctrine in allowing regulatory agencies to decide for themselves the meaning of the ambiguous language. Unsurprisingly, agencies invariably interpret ambiguous language in their own favors. The Supreme Court recently agreed to reconsider the Chevron doctrine. Overturning the doctrine could call into question decades’ worth of regulatory rulings. Clark Neily joins us this week to discuss. Foolishness of the week: 06:10 Main episode: 08:37

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Quick Hits https://dailyhive.com/toronto/the-anarchist-toronto-cafe-permanently-closing

https://www.youtube.com/live/-B-9XOlMCks?feature=share

https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-744499

Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/toddler-in-north-korea-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-after-parents-caught-with-bible/ar-AA1bQbss

Topic of the Week

https://www.cato.org/blog/supreme-court-should-end-chevron-deference

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#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 328: Artificial Intelligence

Wed, 24 May 2023 14:30:00 -0000

People are saying that artificial intelligence will destroy jobs and enslave humans. We’ve heard this many times before. Before artificial intelligence, people said it about computers. Before computers, they said it about machines. Not only were people wrong before, they were spectacularly wrong. They’re likely wrong again. Foolishness of the week: 09:15 Main episode: 10:16

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Quick Hits

Foolishness of the Week

Topic of the Week

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/should-the-laborer-fear-machines/380476/

Labor productivity (output per hour per worker) Up 2% per year since 1950 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PRS85006092 Employees 1939: 30 million Today: 156 million https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PAYEMS Employment population ratio (employees per people 25 to 54 years old) 1950s: 65% Today: 81% https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS12300060 Real disposable personal income Almost quadruple today what it was in the 1950s https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/A229RX0 Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 327: To Vote or Not To Vote

Wed, 17 May 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Episode 327: To Vote or Not To Vote

This week’s episode comes live from Sandy High School in Sandy Oregon where James and I give arguments for and against voting. Foolishness of the week: 07:56 Main episode: 08:37

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Quick Hits

https://apnews.com/article/facial-recognition-airport-screening-tsa-d8b6397c02afe16602c8d34409d1451f

Foolishness of the Week https://www.wsj.com/articles/got-chocolate-milk-kids-washington-might-take-it-away-in-schools-b4c9b29e

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 326: Gender and Race Wage Gaps

Wed, 10 May 2023 14:30:00 -0000

We hear that women make 80 cents for every dollar that men make, and that blacks earn less than whites. This week, we delve into the data and find these claims far more complicated and interesting than they first appear. Foolishness of the week: 02:50 Main episode: 03:25

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Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week

Topic of the Week https://www.bls.gov/charts/usual-weekly-earnings/usual-weekly-earnings-current-quarter-by-race-and-sex.htm https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/race-and-ethnicity/2021/home.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr71/nvsr71-01.pdf https://www.atlantafed.org/chcs/wage-growth-tracker

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 325: Central Bank Digital Currencies

Wed, 03 May 2023 14:30:00 -0000

One of the things that cryptocurrency has done is to prompt central banks to develop their own digital currencies. These will combine the downsides of private digital currencies with the downsides of government currencies. Foolishness of the week: 08:21 Main episode: 09:58

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/07/21/are-you-in-the-global-middle-class-find-out-with-our-income-calculator/

https://apnews.com/article/drug-shortages-adderall-ozempic-855632a04a17c2bf75b6a89e4c08ef79

Foolishness of the Week https://news.yahoo.com/british-people-urged-swear-allegiance-223829342.html

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 324: How Much Do Americans Earn?

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 14:30:00 -0000

The question, “How much do Americans earn?” seems simple. But there are so many moving parts below the surface that there is no single answer. For example, by “earn” do we mean “money from a job” or are we including interest income. What about Social Security retirement benefits? What about government welfare benefits? When we say “Americans” do we mean individual workers, or families, or households? When we say “How much” do we mean the average number or the median? Foolishness of the week: 02:43 Main episode: 06:00

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits

https://globalnews.ca/news/9642634/psac-stike-remote-work/

https://www.dw.com/en/german-editor-fired-over-ai-created-schumacher-interview/a-65405192

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/21/opinions/income-tax-wealthy-hodge/index.html

Episode Topic (Numbers are for 2021) Personal income: Income earned by all people from all sources Median personal income: $38,000 Mean personal income: $57,000 Usual Full-Time Earnings: Wages and salaries earned by workers who are employed full-time Median usual earnings: $56,000 Family income: Income earned from all sources by households of two or more related people Median family income: $89,000 Mean family income: $121,000 Household income: Income earned from all sources by households of one or more people Median household income: $71,000 Market income: Household income earned from market activities only Median market Income: $64,000 Per-capita GDP: All the income generated in the economy divided by the population Per-capita GDP: $70,000 https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/households.html https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 323: Losing the Dollar

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 14:30:00 -0000

What happens if the dollar is no longer a world currency? Financial expert Pete Earle joins us to discuss his recent article on the end of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Foolishness of the week: 05:42 Main episode: 07:39

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See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits

https://yourmileagemayvary.net/2023/04/09/a-loophole-to-outwit-airlines-no-name-change-policy

https://www.bankrate.com/loans/auto-loans/rates/

Foolishness of the Week

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/california-power-companies-roll-out-fixed-rate-bill-proposal/

Episode Topic https://www.aier.org/article/de-dollarization-has-begun/

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational

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Episode 322: A Smorgasbord of Topics

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Bank runs, green investing, doctor shortage in Europe, are people getting dumber? Foolishness of the week: 09:07 Main episode: 11:32

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits www.goodnewsnetwork.org

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3917919-nyc-bill-would-ban-discrimination-based-on-weight/

Foolishness of the Week https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/10/gop-bomb-mexico-fentanyl-00091132

Episode Topic https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/federal-reserve-meeting-interest-rate-march-2023/card/pacwest-stock-falls-premarket-after-reporting-deposit-fall-5iilc6yQ4WDh3QhQIvPm https://www.fdic.gov/bank/historical/bank/ https://reason.com/2023/03/21/bidens-first-veto-protects-and-promotes-esg/ https://hbr.org/2022/03/an-inconvenient-truth-about-esg-investing https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5ESPESG https://marketrealist.com/p/what-is-esg/ https://studyfinds.org/americans-iq-test-scores-drop/ https://www.abokifx.com/news/europe-is-running-out-of-doctors-and-nurses-who-warns-bloomberg?type=market

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Episode 321: Space and Property

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Episode 321: Space and Property

As humans venture out into space - not just under the auspices of government, but now as private citizens - establishing and adjudicating property rights will become ever more important. The treaty under which countries operate was signed back in the 1960s. It says that government may not lay claim to anything beyond Earth, but is completely silent about private citizens. Foolishness of the week: 07:08 Main episode: 09:51

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits https://calmatters.org/transportation/2023/03/california-high-speed-rail/ https://youtu.be/iJOb9xHggS4?t=447 https://dnyuz.com/2023/03/09/with-its-future-at-stake-the-academy-tries-to-fix-the-oscars-again/

Foolishness of the Week https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Moves-Games-Classic-Ouija/dp/B00EFDXAB4/ https://www.the-sun.com/news/7574259/girls-hospital-ouija-board-school/

Episode Topic https://news.usni.org/2023/03/09/chinese-rocket-that-delivered-military-spy-satellites-breaks-up-over-texas https://news.yahoo.com/war-space-u-officials-debating-120515128.html

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Episode 320: Politics, Anarchy, and Baseball

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Episode 320: Politics, Anarchy, and Baseball

Economist, former mayor, self-professed anarchist, and baseball fan Randy Simmons joins us this week to talk about government and politics through the eyes of someone who is both a skeptic of government and who served in elected office. We recorded this episode in January, but saved it for the opening of baseball season. You’ll hear why in the episode.

Foolishness of the week: 10:18 Main episode: 14:21

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits

https://www.wsj.com/articles/home-buyers-big-ask-the-deal-is-off-if-i-lose-my-job-d9f30f45

Foolishness of the Week

https://news.yahoo.com/cuba-holds-stacked-election-amid-120000306.html

Episode Topic https://theconversation.com/profiles/randy-simmons-141612

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Politics-Roots-Government-Failure/dp/1598130420

https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Unbound-Bureaucracy-Environment-Independent/dp/1598132288

Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Episode 319: The Death of Silicon Valley Bank

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Many listeners have asked that we do an episode on the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and its implications for the rest of the banking sector. Peter Earle, economist and former Wall Street trader, joins us to talk about what happened, how it might have been avoided, what comes next, and whether the rest of the banking system is in danger.

Foolishness of the week: 04:10 Main episode: 05:50

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James!

http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice

https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits

https://news.yahoo.com/l-riders-bail-metro-trains-120007450.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://news.yahoo.com/l-riders-bail-metro-trains-120007450.html

Episode Topic

https://www.aier.org/people/peter-c-earle/

https://thestack.technology/silicon-valley-bank-crisis/

https://www.atmmarketplace.com/news/regulators-seize-signature-bank-svp-bank-following-collapse/

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Episode 318: Nostalgia and Pop-Culture

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 14:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the week: 12:19 Main episode: 16:54

People’s view of the past is biased because we tend to forget the bad things. The (inexplicable to an economist) tendency of young people to think that like in the 1950s was better than life today is one example. This week, we talk about this tendency to nostalgia and how it shows up in pop-culture.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James!

http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice

https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits

Foolishness of the Week

Episode Topic

https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2016/12/balkanization-boutique-world-james-harrigan.html

https://isi.org/intercollegiate-review/truth-justice-and-the-american-way/

https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-123-james-harrigan-what-does-pop-culture-say-about-a-society/

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Words and Numbers Trailer

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:04:00 -0000

Words and Numbers is a weekly half-hour podcast that explores current events through the eyes of an economist and political scientist. The show is an alternative to the shouting heads that occupy most public discussions. We follow evidence and reason where they lead for a non-partisan and entertaining approach to topics relating to politics, economics, and government.

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Episode 317: Slavery, Capitalism, and The 1619 Project, Pt. 2

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 15:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the week: 07:11 Main episode: 11:20

Economic historian Phil Magness joins us to talk about how the popular 1619 Project gets both the history and the relationship between slavery and capitalism wrong. This is the second of a two-part episode.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James!

http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice

https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits

https://www.cleveland.com/business/2016/05/its_shockingly_easy_for_a_thie.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/tesla-cuts-prices-of-model-x-and-model-s-1898bc5d

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=tesla+stock+quote&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Foolishness of the Week

https://reason.com/2023/02/27/new-yorks-message-to-gun-owners-you-can-have-a-carry-permit-good-luck-using-it/

Episode Topic

Phil Magness https://www.aier.org/people/phillip-w-magness/

https://www.amazon.com/1619-Project-Critique-Phillip-Magness/dp/1630692018

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-1619-project-vindicates-capitalism-hulu-systemic-racism-jim-crow-reparations-fha-labor-union-civil-rights-d9365c71

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Episode 316: Slavery, Capitalism, and The 1619 Project, Pt. 1

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the week: 04:55 Main episode: 07:34

Economic historian Phil Magness joins us to talk about how the popular 1619 Project gets both the history and the relationship between slavery and capitalism wrong. This is the first of a two-part episode.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

See More Ant and James!

http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice

https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

Quick Hits

https://boingboing.net/2023/02/22/mom-asks-if-10-year-olds-first-composition-can-be-played-then-musicians-around-the-world-give-their-take.html

https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-removing-internet-explorer-from-pcs/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/roald-dahl-controversy-changes-salman-rushdie-willy-wonka-1235333536/

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/after-roald-dahl-james-bond-books-edited-to-remove-offensive-references-3815772

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/books/roald-dahl-books-changes.html

Episode Topic

Phil Magness https://www.aier.org/people/phillip-w-magness/

https://www.amazon.com/1619-Project-Critique-Phillip-Magness/dp/1630692018

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-1619-project-vindicates-capitalism-hulu-systemic-racism-jim-crow-reparations-fha-labor-union-civil-rights-d9365c71

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

More James at Smoke & Stories

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Episode 315: Are We Done With Inflation?

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 15:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the Week: 06:19 Main episode: 07:37 As recently as two months ago, many economists were concerned that significant inflation was here to stay. But last month’s data show that inflation is back near zero. Whether this is good news or simply a brief respite, we won’t know for another few months.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

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See More Ant and James!

http://www.wordsandnumbers.org

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice

https://www.wabash.edu/stephenson-institute/summer-seminars

James and Ant are at Basis Scottsdale this week

https://nypost.com/2023/02/14/scientists-switch-off-autism-using-3-epilepsy-drug-study/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/born-in-2007-or-later-this-california-bill-would-bar-you-from-ever-buying-a-tobacco-product/ar-AA17D9gp

Words & Numbers Backstage

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More James at Smoke & Stories

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig

More Ant on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Episode 314: What Happened to Trade?

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 15:30:00 -0000

There is much evidence pointing to a relationship between increased trade and improved socio-economic factors like income, poverty, equality, and the environment. But there’s a disturbing trend afoot. World trade (measured as exports and imports as a fraction of world GDP) is down 5% since 2011, and US trade is down 20% over the same period. Worse, prior to 2011, US trade was on a solid upward trajectory for a couple of decades. From 2011 on, had US trade continued to grow at its historical rate, it would be 30% more today than it is.

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James and Ant are at Basis Scottsdale this week

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS?locations=US https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS https://enrollbasis.com/scottsdale/

Words & Numbers Backstage

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Let Us Know What You Think

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https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

#AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal

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Episode 313: Nudging and Capturing

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 15:30:00 -0000

Foolishness of the week: 10:57 Main episode: 11:17 The USDA is experimenting with paying people to eat fruits and vegetables. That sounds like a good idea, but it opens the door to regulatory capture wherein companies lobby the USDA to have their products included in the program, and where manufacturers add just enough ingredients to call their formerly-fruit-and-vegetable-free product a “fruit” or “vegetable” and so qualify for the USDA subsidy.

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Quick Hits

https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/google-unveils-bard-its-chatgpt-rival-for-ai-powered-conversation/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/biden-will-call-for-billionaire-tax-bigger-levy-on-stock-buybacks-in-state-of-the-union/ar-AA17aRGj

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Episode 312: The Next American Economy

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 15:30:00 -0000

Dr. Samuel Gregg joins us to talk about his latest book, The Next American Economy, in which he describes emerging problems and potential solutions to America’s slow movement away from freedom.

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Apply for the Seminar on Classical Liberalism: Theory and Practice

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Quick Hits

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artificial-intelligence-identifies-long-overlooked-raphael-masterpiece-180981528/

https://news.gallup.com/poll/468983/cite-gov-top-problem-inflation-ranks-second.aspx

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgyb4k/ohio-nazi-dissident-homeschool

This Week’s TopicSamuel Gregg on Twitter: @drsamuelgregg

The Next American Economyhttps://www.amazon.com/Next-American-Economy-Markets-Uncertain/dp/164177276X

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Episode 311: Supply Chains Revisited

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:30:00 -0000

A year ago, Mikhail Rasner joined us to talk about shortages and supply chains. A year later, he’s back to talk about what’s happened, both expected and unexpected, and where he sees the economy going in the near future.

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Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/once-biologically-dead-the-river-mersey-in-england-is-best-environmental-story-in-europe/

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/earth-talk-how-effective-is-endangered-species-act/

https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgyje7/earths-core-has-stopped-and-may-be-reversing-direction-study-says

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/21/china-says-covid-outbreak-has-infected-80percent-of-population.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11667115/Protesters-swarm-Justice-Kavanaughs-home-50th-anniversary-Roe-v-Wade.html

Mikhail’s Previous Episodehttps://wordsandnumbers.libsyn.com/episode-256-an-insiders-view-of-the-supply-chain

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Episode 310: The Ratchet Effect and Civil Disagreement (fixed)

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 19:56:00 -0000

This week, we answer listener questions about the ratchet effect, how to disagree civilly, and who our dream guest would be.

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Quick Hits

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/supreme-court-justices-public-conflict/672494/

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/washington/2023/01/15/classified-document-snafus-predate-biden-presidency/69809187007/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.semafor.com/article/01/15/2023/cnn-is-serious-about-getting-into-comedy

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https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 309: Liabilities, Rights, the Commerce Clause, and Significance

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 15:30:00 -0000

This week, we answer listener questions about unfunded liabilities, different types of rights, what would happen if the Supreme Court overturned the broad interpretation of the commerce clause, and statistical versus practical significance

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Quick Hits

https://www.ocregister.com/2023/01/09/us-safety-agency-to-consider-ban-on-gas-stoves-amid-health-fears/

https://www.enerdynamics.com/Energy-Currents_Blog/How-Much-Primary-Energy-Is-Wasted-Before-Consumers-See-Value-from-Electricity.aspx

https://dailycaller.com/2023/01/06/university-michigan-diversicrats-year-diversity-equity-inclusion/

Foolishness of the Week

https://thepostmillennial.com/historically-debunked-1619-project-to-be-released-as-hulu-docuseries

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Antony Davies on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/antonydavies

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Episode 308: The Pursuit of Wealth

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 16:09:00 -0000

Pope Francis devoted his Christmas homily to speaking out about the evils of pursuing wealth. This week, James and Ant share their different takes on the topic.

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Quick Hits

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/people-skipped-covid-vaccine-higher-183148392.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/weight-loss-drug-affordability-rcna60422

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/30/1146377342/5-things-to-know-about-southwests-disastrous-meltdown

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Episode 307: Listener Questions: Central Banking, National Divorce, and Public Companies

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 15:30:00 -0000

Listener questions this week include: What are the benefits of central banking? Is it time for the states to have an amicable divorce? What would it take to reduce the size of the federal government? What’s the difference between private and public companies?

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Quick Hits

https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb040.html

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tx.htm#35-0000

https://ktrh.iheart.com/featured/houston-texas-news/content/2022-12-22-fully-automated-mcdonalds-here-in-texas-sparks-debate/

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Episode 306: Listener Questions: Contagion, Lawsuits, and Socialism, Pt. 1

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 15:30:00 -0000

This week, listeners ask whether it’s right to think of contagion as pollution, and if so, whether government has a role in containing contagion, why are we so litigious, and how we can say anything about socialism or capitalism if neither one has ever existed in a pure form.

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Quick Hits

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/spain-digital-nomad-visa-37201509

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Episode 305: How Did We Get Here?

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 15:30:00 -0000

Over the past century, three constraints on the federal government have failed. When we started ignoring Constitutional constraints, we opened the door to massive increases in federal spending. When voters started asking politicians for more “free” stuff, we walked through the door. And when we went off the gold standard politicians were able to strong-arm the Federal Reserve into funding the massive spending. What transpired was unsustainable spending, which created unsustainable debt, which required money printing, which is causing inflation.

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Quick Hits

https://www.creativebloq.com/news/kia-logo

https://www.industryweek.com/the-economy/trade/article/21949510/bite-the-wax-tadpole

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/u-s-to-announce-fusion-energy-breakthrough/ar-AA15ahiG

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.mediaite.com/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-makes-shocking-comments-about-armed-jan-6-if-i-organized-it-we-would-have-won/

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Episode 304: Good and Bad Regulations

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:30:00 -0000

Whether regulations are a good thing or a bad thing is a more complicated question than it appears. Government can regulate through law. But consumers can also regulate through choice. Some government regulations protect people from harm. But some purport to protect people from harm while actually protecting favored businesses from competition. In this live episode, recorded at Susquehanna University, we talk about the good and bad of regulation.

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Quick Hits

https://www.livescience.com/quantum-computing

https://www.heatbit.com

https://cointelegraph.com/news/repurposing-bitcoin-mining-heat-can-solve-global-energy-crisis-arcane

https://dnyuz.com/2022/12/06/in-sweeping-new-law-indonesia-outlaws-sex-outside-of-marriage

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.newsweek.com/kanye-west-tells-jews-forgive-hitler-amid-anti-semitism-controversy-1764844

Topic of the Week

https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1700

https://www.ijcb.org/journal/ijcb13q4a2.pdf

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Episode 303: Ronald Reagan

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:30:00 -0000

Our greatest immediate concerns are the combination of inflation and recession, and the threat of war with Russia. The United States faced this combination of problems forty years ago. One important difference is that whereas we are politically divided today, then we were politically united. Going by electoral votes, Ronald Reagan was the last President who united the country, and the only President to unite it to a greater degree than George Washington.

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Quick Hits

https://https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/23/new-york-governor-signs-law-cracking-down-on-bitcoin-mining.html

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volunteer_computing_projects

https://www.wsj.com/articles/employers-rethink-need-for-college-degrees-in-tight-labor-market-11669432133

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://studyfinds.org/morning-people-smarter-verbal-intelligence/

Topic of the Week

https://www.yaf.org

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 302: Population Growth

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 15:30:00 -0000

Last week, we talked about the world population crossing the 8 billion mark. This week, we look at a related topic, population growth. We find the interesting fact that population growth has slowed to near zero in the developed world, and that future population growth will come mostly from Africa.

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Quick Hits

https://inoculation.science

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/22/business/budweiser-unsold-beer-world-cup/index.html

https://www.si.com/soccer/2022/11/19/qatar-world-cup-2022-beer-stadium-ban-fifa-gianni-infantino

https://www.npr.org/2022/11/19/1137783957/world-cup-qatar-fan-restrictions-alcohol

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/success/home-heating-prices/index.html

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://apnews.com/article/religion-new-york-brooklyn-796a0304635738768e52d21a6dd42f64

Topic of the Week

https://ourworldindata.org/air-pollution

https://ourworldindata.org/deforestation

https://ourworldindata.org/water-access#what-share-of-people-have-access-to-safe-drinking-water

https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions

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Episode 301: 8 Billion

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:30:00 -0000

The world population crossed the 8 billion mark this week. As far back as at least the late 1700s, experts were predicting that overpopulation would lead to mass starvation. Time and again, the experts end up being both right and wrong. They tend to be right in their projections that the world population is exploding, but they are always wrong about it leading to mass starvation. In fact, today’s 8 billion people live far better lives than did the 1 billion that lived back in the late 1700s.

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Quick Hitshttps://www.vice.com/en/article/dy7kbq/palmer-luckey-made-a-vr-headset-that-kills-the-user-if-they-die-in-the-game

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/election-deniers-lose-races-for-key-state-offices-in-every-2020-battleground/ar-AA1433zT https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/13/trump-election-deniers-accept-2022-results-00066626 https://dnyuz.com/2022/11/12/trump-angst-wracks-republicans-again-as-2024-announcement-looms/

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://www.cnn.com/2022/11/10/business/kfc-germany-kristallnacht

Topic of the Week

https://ourworldindata.org/air-pollution

https://ourworldindata.org/deforestation

https://ourworldindata.org/water-access#what-share-of-people-have-access-to-safe-drinking-water

https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions

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Episode 300: Economic Inequality in America

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 15:30:00 -0000

For our 300th episode, Senator Phil Gramm joins us to talk about his recent book on income inequality in America. The disturbing thing is that the government figures that people quote concerning income inequality exclude all the tax and transfer adjustments we deliberately make to mitigate income inequality.

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Quick Hits

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/08/billionaires-emit-a-million-times-more-greenhouse-gases-than-the-average-person-oxfam.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/india/us-national-park-service-warns-people-to-stop-licking-toad-that-causes-hallucinations/ar-AA13Rs8d

Topic of the Week

https://www.amazon.com/Myth-American-Inequality-Government-Biases/dp/1538167387/

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Episode 299: The Rights of the Dead

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 14:30:00 -0000

Do the dead have rights? This Halloween, philosopher James Stacey Taylor joins us for a live (heh) recording of Words & Numbers to take this question seriously.

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Quick Hits

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/11/new-york-gun-buyback-rules-3d-printed-parts

https://studyfinds.org/americans-unsure-about-god-politics-white-evangelicals/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/sympathisers-mark-centenary-of-mussolinis-rise-to-power-in-italy/ar-AA13xayV

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Episode 298: How do Treasury Bills Work?

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 14:30:00 -0000

People spend a lot of time talking about the debt and deficit, but most are unaware of the mechanics involved. This week, we cover some of those mechanics with a discussion of Treasury notes, bills, and bonds.

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Quick Hits

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/21/tax-revenue-spending-budget-deficit-drop-deficit-00062923

https://taxfoundation.org/federal-tax-collections-inflation-surging/

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/oct/23/salman-rushdie-has-lost-sight-in-one-eye-and-use-of-one-hand-says-agent

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/17/salman-rushdie-survive-attacker-00052549

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2022/08/30/dea-warns-brightly-colored-fentanyl-used-target-young-americans

Topic of the Weekhttps://www.treasurydirect.gov

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Episode 297: What Happened to Poverty?

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:30:00 -0000

This month, the world takes stock of international poverty, and James and Ant put poverty into perspective both across countries and across time.

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Quick Hits

https://slashdot.org/story/22/10/08/2234213/paypal-says-it-wont-fine-customers-2500-for-misinformation

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/-check-walker-acknowledges-giving-700-ex-denies-claim-knew-was-abortio-rcna52252

Foolishness of the Week

https://nypost.com/2022/10/17/home-asking-prices-tumble-at-record-pace-as-mortgage-rates-surge/

Topic of the Weekhttps://foreignpolicy.com/2012/02/27/were-all-the-1-percent/

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Episode 296: Think Like an Economist

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 14:30:00 -0000

All of economics boils down to a single fact: people respond to incentives. The first step to thinking like an economist is to take that fact seriously. Once you do, the world never looks the same.

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Quick Hits

https://fortune.com/2022/10/03/how-to-get-stimulus-check-california-inflation-relief/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.theguardian.com/music/commentisfree/2022/oct/07/kanye-west-white-lives-matter-tucker-carlson

Topic of the Weekhttps://mscee.org

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Episode 295: Must Government Control Money?

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:30:00 -0000

People - including some economists - are so used to governments establishing currencies that we are unaware that there are alternatives. Money is simply a tool that reduces the frictional costs of trading goods and services and of saving. Markets can evolve money in the same way that they evolve all manner of other solutions to even more complex problems. Prof. Lawrence H. White joins us this week to talk about alternatives to government-created currencies.

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Quick Hits

https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/trends-in-youth-arrests.pdf

https://observer.com/2022/09/nft-trading-volume-plunges-97-since-january-raising-questions-about-their-future/

Foolishness of the Week

https://news.yahoo.com/us-home-prices-now-posting-040100770.html

Topic of the Week

https://www.amazon.com/Lawrence-H-White/e/B001HD35S8

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Episode 294: Article I, Section 8, Pt.2

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 14:30:13 -0000

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution lists the things the Federal government is permitted to do. Somewhere in our history, citizens have come to regard the Constitution as a document that outlines what the government is not allowed to do. That’s exactly the opposite of what the Founders intended.

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Quick Hits

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/22/turkey-cuts-interest-rates-again-as-country-struggles-under-inflation.html

https://www.thelocal.es/20220923/spain-to-tax-rich-to-offset-inflation-relief-measures/

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Episode 293: Article I, Section 8, Pt.1

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:30:05 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.guntab.com/insights/new-mcc-code-for-gun-stores-is-step-toward-suspicious-transaction-reports/

https://www-wtae-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.wtae.com/amp/article/pennsylvania-alcohol-self-imposed-ban-proposed/41233874

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/29/nasa-dart-crash-dart-asteroid-how-to-see/7926449001/

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Episode 292: When Are We Adults?

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 14:30:54 -0000

The “age of majority” is the age at which a person is considered, legally, an adult. Not only does the age of majority vary by state and over time, it also varies by activity. Someone who is considered an adult for the purpose of voting, may not be for the purpose of drinking. As only adults can exercise their freedoms fully, the question of what constitutes an adult goes to the heart of what it is to be a free person.

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Quick Hits

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/10/guns-credit-card-trackable

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cnsnews.com/article/washington/terence-p-jeffrey/americans-spent-more-taxes-2021-food-clothing-and-health-care

Topic of the Week

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/age-of-majority-by-state

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Episode 291: An Interview with Ant and James

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 14:30:43 -0000

This episode is an excerpt of an interview we gave with Dr. Anwar Dunbar for his YouTube channel, Big Discussions.

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Carson Collins’ Award-Winning Video on the Minimum Wage

https://www.viddler.com/v/5e4c1764

Quick Hits

https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm

https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2022/09/05/prevent-martian-plague-nasa-will/

Foolishness of the Week

https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/contact-lenses-might-soon-replace-our-phone-screens-8131768/

Topic of the Week

https://bigwordsarepowerful.com

https://www.youtube.com/c/BigDiscussions76

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF2pol-wUtQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEkRHqbj0zU

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Episode 290: Loan Forgiveness and Lying to Pollsters

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 14:30:22 -0000

We discuss two topics in-depth this week: student loan forgiveness and lying to pollsters. There’s an interesting technique for distinguishing between what voters say they believe and what they actually believe, and there’s a recent poll that uses this technique in asking people about their attitudes toward controversial topics.

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Quick Hits

https://reason.com/2022/08/29/what-americans-think-about-marijuana-in-2022/

Foolishness of the Week

https://reason.com/2022/08/25/ben-shapiro-podcast-movement-harm-done-twitter/

Topic of the Week

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59153bc0e6f2e109b2a85cbc/t/62fd07b49271c657d243505d/1660749762686/

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Episode 289: Woke-ism and Movies

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 14:30:09 -0000

Today’s woke-ism evolved from political correctness of the 1990s. While people have embraced many lessons about inclusion and empathy from the era of political correctness, people appear to be rejecting the woke-ism that tries to insinuate itself into popular culture. Post-covid movies provide a good example. Elite critics are applauding, and audiences are largely rejecting movies that use entertainment to teach woke-ism. Meanwhile, audiences are handing their dollars to movie makers (woke or otherwise) who entertain.

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Quick Hits

https://www.cato.org/blog/senate-bill-irs-funding-hypocrisy

https://nypost.com/2022/08/03/why-irs-80b-expansion-is-a-nightmare-for-small-business/

https://apnews.com/article/inflation-ap-fact-check-congress-government-and-politics-11eae023a3dc3a04584371843234cab7

https://deadline.com/2022/08/cnn-firings-brian-stelter-chris-licht-john-malone-warner-bros-discovery-1235096292/

https://www.thewrap.com/don-lemon-jim-acosta-expected-to-stay-cnn-neutral-direction-exclusive/ Foolishness of the Week

https://apnews.com/article/nato-covid-health-finland-helsinki-bb9704d5663b68766fcd2376335a29c4

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Episode 288: What's a Recession?

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 14:30:40 -0000

Maybe we’re in a recession, but maybe we’re not. This week, we talk about what a recession is and what it means, practically, for people.

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Quick Hitshttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/30/us/columbia-us-news-rankings.html https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2014/08/26/how-northeastern-gamed-the-college-rankings/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/liz-cheney-s-political-life-is-likely-ending-and-just-beginning/ar-AA10FNr7 https://theweek.com/liz-cheney/1015866/inside-the-liz-cheney-presidential-run-speculation https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spaghetti-sauce-under-threat-water-124539175.html

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://reason.com/2022/08/14/spain-bans-a-c-below-80-degrees-during-record-setting-summer-heat/

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Episode 287: Secession: Good for me but not for thee?

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 14:30:14 -0000

The Founders gave strong philosophical arguments for why secession from Great Britain was right and proper. Yet, when the Confederacy tried to secede from the Union, philosophical arguments against secession were few. Clearly, ending slavery was right and proper. And, the question of secession was, practically speaking, answered with the eradication of slavery. But the question of whether it is right and proper for states to secede remains, at least from a philosophical perspective, unaddressed.

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Quick Hitshttps://theaviationgeekclub.com/heres-why-producing-thousand-gallons-of-jp-7-fuel-used-in-the-sr-71-blackbird-mach-3-spy-plane-caused-a-nationwide-shortage-of-flit-insecticide/

https://www.fastcompany.com/90775427/amazon-grandma-alexa-evolution-text-to-speech

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/15/inside-the-war-between-trump-and-his-generals

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/602142/tax-on-mega-millions-jackpot

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Episode 286: Balance in Discussing Guns

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 14:30:13 -0000

Part of the reason we make little progress on this topic of guns in this country is that the pro- and anti-gun camps talk past each other. This is fueled by a media that tends to show only one side of the story, causing both sides in the debate to become paranoid - one side comes to think that half the country is looking to disarm them, and the other side comes to think that half the country is blind to gun violence. A recent shooting gives us the opportunity to think about the topic from a more balanced perspective.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Weekhttps://abcnews.go.com/US/video/biden-tests-positive-covid-19-paxlovid-87762070

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/beyonce-offensive-lyric-ableist-slur-spaz-170000669.html

Topic of the Week

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/indiana-passer-by-hailed-after-shooting-mall-gunman-2022-07-18/

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Episode 285: What’s News in the Economy?

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 14:30:07 -0000

Oddly, there’s not a lot in the news this week. Given what we’ve all been through the past couple of years, that’s likely a good thing. This week, we sit back and take a casual look at inflation, economic growth, entrepreneurs, standardization, and the gig economy.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Weekhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GASREGW

https://gasprices.aaa.com

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ice-cream-trucks-are-the-latest-target-of-inflation/ar-AAZYTxK

Foolishness of the Week

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenny_Bruce#Death_and_posthumous_pardon

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/21/1112722821/dave-chappelle-minneapolis-show-canceled

Topic of the Week

https://www.usacarry.com/40-yards-elisjsha-dicken-landed-shots-mall-shooter/

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/19/us/eli-dicken-indiana-mall-shooting-bystander/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/us/armed-bystander-indiana-mall-shooting.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/indiana-mall-shooting-elisjsha-dicken-neutralized-gunman-15-seconds/

https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%201-m&geo=US&gprop=news&q=shooting

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Episode 284: Phasing Out Social Security

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 14:30:29 -0000

Social Security has become a trillion dollar weight dragging down our economics and politics. On the one hand, according to the Social Security administration itself, the program will be insolvent within a decade. On the other, we can’t shut it down without condemning many elderly to destitution. This week, we talk about a plan that would phase out Social Security, do it without cutting benefits to current retirees, leave future retirees better off, and save the government money. The catch is that the phase-out requires many decades.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/snaiohx-hampton-suites-irvine-orange-county-airport/

https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-york-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-queens-congress-7e1d71dec55714872f60a4f34d02b7d7

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/aoc-laments-insane-cost-of-being-congresswoman

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11022021/Jill-Biden-voices-frustration-Joes-lack-progress-White-House.html

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/20407226/bidens-dissertation.pdf

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Episode 283: Americans Don’t Trust the Media

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 14:30:46 -0000

Recently, we talked about polls showing a serious erosion of trust in the branches of government. This week, we focus on the media. It turns out that Americans trust the media about as much as they trust Congress - and it’s amazing how little they trust Congress. Interestingly, there’s a sharp division among party lines.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

https://www.amazon.com/Alone/dp/B07RYP2QSW

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/outrage-erupts-white-house-calls-013222807.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pregnant-woman-given-hov-ticket-argues-fetus-is-passenger-post-roe/ar-AAZoI2r

Topic of the Week

https://www.axios.com/2022/07/08/news-republicans-democrats-trust-partisanship

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Episode 282: What Happened to Health Care

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 14:30:02 -0000

No matter what we do to tweak our healthcare system, we seem to end up with the same problems decade after decade. Proponents of socialized medicine say that healthcare is simply too complex of a problem to leave to profit-seeking actors in the marketplace. Proponents of free market medicine say that healthcare is a product like any other product and that much of the complexity that exists is actually due to government regulations themselves. This week, we talk with an economic historian and ask, what happened to healthcare in this country?

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/wxn8qx/amtrak-spent-11-years-and-dollar450-million-to-save-acela-riders-100-seconds

https://www.railpassengers.org/site/assets/files/3480/1.pdf

https://news.gallup.com/poll/394283/confidence-institutions-down-average-new-low.aspx

Foolishness of the Week

https://abcnews.go.com/US/couple-fined-1500-parking-driveway/story?id=86181089

Topic of the Week

https://history.umbc.edu/facultystaff/full-time/christy-ford-chapin/

https://www.amazon.com/Ensuring-Americas-Health-Creation-Corporate/dp/1107622875/ref=sr_1_1

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Episode 281: Declared Independence

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 14:30:06 -0000

Historian Rob McDonald joins us on this Fourth of July week to talk about the events leading up to the founding, and his observation that the Founders thought less that they were declaring independence from Great Britain than that Parliament and the King had effectively declared the colonies independent by failing to fulfill the basic functions of government.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/this-gorgeous-leather-is-made-from-the-hide-of-an-invasive-predatory-fish/

https://www.inversaleathers.com

https://www.fb.org/newsroom/cost-of-july-4th-cookout-17-higher-compared-to-year-ago

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-gas-prices-surge-stations-now-hold-up-to-175-of-your-money-when-you-swipe-11656277411

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Episode 280: The End of the Experiment in Unlimited Government

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 14:30:43 -0000

For one-hundred years, the United States has been conducting an experiment in unlimited government wherein politicians spend far beyond the government’s means, kicking the fiscal can down the road for future generations to pay. The future has finally arrived and we are that future generation. The inflation we’re experiencing now is the beginning of the price we’ll be paying for a century of unlimited government.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

https://www.wuft.org/news/2022/06/02/gainesville-residents-and-city-officials-gather-to-strategize-how-to-tackle-affordable-housing-issues-in-the-city/

https://www.sightline.org/2014/09/29/zoning-inclusionary-v-exclusionary/

https://dailytravelpill.com/montane-mansion-hong-kong-monster-building/

https://news.yahoo.com/affordable-housing-california-now-routinely-120027201.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/19/holiday-weekend-sees-massive-amount-of-flight-cancellations.html

Topic of the Week

https://www.aier.org/article/a-time-for-reckoning/

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Episode 279: The Pain of Drug Laws

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 14:30:15 -0000

Critics of drug laws focus on the costs, both in dollars and lives, of incarcerating people for an act that often hurts no one. Lost in the discussion is the cost of making it harder for people who suffer from chronic pain to obtain drugs they need to function.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-31/yellen-says-i-was-wrong-last-year-on-the-path-of-us-inflation

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2322693-damaged-liver-repaired-inside-machine-for-three-days-before-transplant/

Foolishness of the Week

https://news.yahoo.com/justin-trudeau-points-u-gun-193328676.html

Topic of the Week

https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/crime-pmn/canada-to-temporarily-decriminalize-some-drug-possession-to-tackle-abuse-problem

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Episode 278: Consumers' Hidden Profit

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 14:30:54 -0000

We all see the profits companies make when they sell things for more than it cost them to produce. Companies carefully measure these profits, and many are required to publicly report them to the penny. What we don’t see, but is every bit as real, is the “profit” consumers make when they buy from those companies. A consumer’s “profit” occurs when the consumer pays less for a thing than the maximum the consumer was willing to pay. The fact that we readily see companies’ profits and don’t readily see consumers’ profits contributes to many people’s misunderstandings about economics.

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Quick Hits

https://wordsandnumbers.libsyn.com/episode-243-the-nature-of-exchange-pt-1

https://wordsandnumbers.libsyn.com/episode-244-the-nature-of-exchange-pt-2

Foolishness of the Week

https://apnews.com/article/california-race-and-ethnicity-san-francisco-voter-registration-6bc187073ed7477f654b63d869bacdf7

Topic of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLXKazEbRJ8

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Episode 277: UNC Wilmington: Cooperation & Coercion, Pt. 2

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 14:30:46 -0000

James and I were invited to kick off UNC Wilmington’s annual Business Week with a live recording of Words & Numbers. The talk was loosely based on our book, Cooperation & Coercion. If you’ve read the book, you’ll still find fresh material in these episodes. The first part of this two-part episode is the presentation. The second part is the audience Q&A.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences.

Topic of the Week

https://www.wilmingtonbiz.com/insights/robert__burrus/csb_business_week_2022_-_connecting_uncws_cameron_school_of_business_to_its_powerful_network/3365

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Episode 276: UNC Wilmington: Cooperation & Coercion, Pt. 1

Wed, 25 May 2022 14:30:42 -0000

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences.

Topic of the Week

https://www.wilmingtonbiz.com/insights/robert__burrus/csb_business_week_2022_-_connecting_uncws_cameron_school_of_business_to_its_powerful_network/3365

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Episode 275: Economics Is About A Lot More Than Money

Wed, 18 May 2022 14:30:40 -0000

Most of what the public knows about economics is really macroeconomics - the field of economics that deals with interest rates, inflation, unemployment, and GDP. Economics is really about human behavior, and there’s a lot more to it than simply macroeconomics. Economist Matt Ryan joins us this week to talk about his work in applying economics to interesting topics from sports betting to police making traffic stops.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences.

Topic of the Week

https://www.duq.edu/academics/faculty/matt-ryan

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Episode 274: The CBO Predicts the Future

Wed, 11 May 2022 14:30:34 -0000

The Congressional Budget Office is the government entity that produces forecasts about the effects of new taxes and spending on the economy and the federal budget. Four years ago, we did an episode in which we showed that the CBO had a track record of under-estimating future spending and over-estimating future tax revenues. With four years behind us, we revisit the topic and ask whether the CBO has gotten any better and what it’s now forecasting for the future.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences.

Topic of the Week

Historical CBO forecasts

https://www.cbo.gov/about/products/budget-economic-data#3

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Episode 273: Markets With Limits, Pt. 2

Wed, 04 May 2022 14:30:07 -0000

There are some things that people have an emotional reaction to buying and selling: sex, body parts, votes. There are other things whose quality people aren’t able to judge. Is it possible that markets shouldn’t or can’t handle these things? Philosopher James Stacey Taylor joins us to discuss his latest book, Markets With Limits.

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences.

Topic of the Week

Markets With Limits by James Stacey Taylor

https://www.amazon.com/Markets-Limits-Merits-Market-Critical-Arguments/dp/1032171480/ref=sr_1_1

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Episode 272: Markets With Limits, Pt. 1

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 14:30:46 -0000

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

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Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week

Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences.

Topic of the Week

Markets With Limits by James Stacey Taylor

https://www.amazon.com/Markets-Limits-Merits-Market-Critical-Arguments/dp/1032171480/ref=sr_1_1

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Episode 271: Our Dual Natures

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 14:30:17 -0000

Humans have dual natures. We are, simultaneously, individuals and members of a shared society. That each of us should be free arises from our status as individuals. But, what arises from our status as members of a shared society are obligations to one another. What economists call “economic freedom” is really the encoding of the appropriate balance of our two natures into the rule of law.

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Quick Hits

https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2022/happiness-benevolence-and-trust-during-covid-19-and-beyond/#ranking-of-happiness-2019-2021

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/economic-freedom/map?geozone=world&page=map&year=2018

https://nypost.com/2022/04/14/biden-shakes-hands-with-thin-air-after-north-carolina-speech/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/decade-high-mortgage-rates-pose-threat-to-spring-housing-market-11650101401

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article260445977.html

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 270: A Conversation with Award Winning Students, Pt. 3

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 14:30:01 -0000

This is the final installment of our talk with the economics students of Mount Hebron High School. The students have won the state economics championship 16 times, the national championship six times, and recently won the international championship for the first time.

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Quick Hits

https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/income/

https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2019/may/how-much-us-households-employer-insurance-spend-premiums-out-of-pocket

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/chipotle-tests-chip-making-robots

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.statista.com/statistics/253743/academy-awards--number-of-viewers/

Topic of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F79X_-PwKhg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke38g7fFvtk

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 269: A Conversation with Award Winning Students, Pt. 2

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 14:30:39 -0000

This week, we talk with the economics students of Mount Hebron High School who have won the state economics championship 16 times, the national championship six times, and recently won the international championship for the first time. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick Hits

https://www.wsj.com/articles/oberlin-college-loses-appeal-ohio-gibsons-bakery-v-woke-pc-cancel-culture-crt-critical-race-theory-libel-emotional-distress-racial-profiling-higher-education-11648829090?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-historic-all-black-town-wants-reparations-to-rebuild-as-a-e2-80-98safe-haven-e2-80-99/ar-AAVKiWv

Topic of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F79X_-PwKhg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke38g7fFvtk

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 268: A Conversation with Award Winning Students, Pt. 1

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 14:30:41 -0000

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick Hits

https://www.thedrive.com/news/44445/canada-has-a-railroad-for-fish-thats-only-200-feet-long-heres-why

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bayside+Canadian+Railway/@45.1588746,-67.1399627,156m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x4ca6016202a5eb6f:0xdd7c0d6ee9b1c34a!8m2!3d45.1586153!4d-67.1396707

https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/599768-biden-is-planning-a-new-digital-currency-heres-why-you-should-be-very-worried

Foolishness of the Week

https://thehill.com/regulation/599821-thomas-scrutiny-intensifies-after-latest-revelations

Topic of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F79X_-PwKhg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke38g7fFvtk

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Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 267: Ten Years of ObamaCare

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:30:27 -0000

Now that a decade has passed since the Affordable Care Act reached full implementation, it’s a good time to look back at what we were promised, what we got, and what we didn’t get..

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Quick Hits

https://advisor.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-biggest-u-s-tax-expenditures/

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-approves-bill-that-would-make-daylight-savings-time-permanent-2023-2022-03-15/

Foolishness of the Week

https://reason.com/2022/03/04/d-c-managed-to-lose-4-million-on-its-own-sports-betting-app/

Topic of the Week

https://www.thebalance.com/causes-of-rising-healthcare-costs-4064878

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Episode 266: Subsidiarity, Solidarity, and the Common Good

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 14:30:21 -0000

The Catholic Church likes subsidiarity. Politicians like federalism. Economists like free markets. It turns out that, if you can adequately define “the common good,” the three - subsidiarity, federalism, and free markets - pretty much boil down to the same thing. This week is the first half of a four-way discussion with two Catholic theologians, a political scientist, and an economist on subsidiarity and the common good.

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Quick Hits

https://nypost.com/2022/03/04/hundreds-of-people-are-booking-airbnb-rentals-in-ukraine-heres-why/

https://scoop.upworthy.com/polish-moms-leave-baby-strollers-at-train-station-for-ukrainians-moms-who-need-them

https://www.cato.org/commentary/pick-time-stick-it

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/california-lawmaker-proposes-25-tax-on-real-estate-investors-to-level-playing-field/2834287/

Topic of the Week

https://stvincent.academia.edu/JasonKing/CurriculumVitae

https://stvincent.academia.edu/ChristopherMcMahon/CurriculumVitae

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Episode 265: Higher Education Fraud?

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:30:58 -0000

Is there a massive class action suit awaiting colleges and universities that promise certain educational outcomes and don’t deliver? Colleges and universities are admitting students they know won’t succeed and happily cashing their tuition checks. There are scary parallels here to bankers who gave mortgages to borrowers the banks knew couldn’t afford to repay those mortgages.

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Quick Hits

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/INDPRO

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MANEMP

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/USMINE

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES1021100001

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IPUCN2211W200000000

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/politics/biden-buy-american-domestic-manufacturing/index.htmhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/andrew-cuomo-chris-cnn-cancel-culture-pc-political-correct-sexual-harrassment-accusation-new-york-governor-church-speech-11646599202l

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/sony-unveils-new-gold-plated-walkman

Topic of the Week

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/16/1081107925/education-department-devry-university-borrower-defense-student-loan-relief

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=73

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Episode 264: Should Cities Invest in Sports Stadiums?

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 15:30:23 -0000

Politicians often argue the benefits of raising taxes to pay for sports stadiums, citing all the economic benefits that accrue from attracting major sports teams. But if there were significant economic benefits, wouldn’t private investors have an incentive to pay for the stadiums on their own? Why do we need tax revenues to fund them? This week, economist Lauren Heller joins us to talk about the economics of sport stadiums.

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Quick Hits

https://russiandefpolicy.com/2021/12/27/russian-military-pay-still-lags/

https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/when-do-economic-sanctions-work-best

https://www.wsj.com/articles/self-driving-trucks-start-to-propel-land-rush-near-major-cities-11646053200

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2022/02/25/mask-mandate-travel-cdc-guidelines/6938530001/

Topic of the Week

https://www.berry.edu/academics/fs/lheller

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Episode 263: The Fall of Amazon

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 15:30:14 -0000

The life cycle of birth, maturation, death, and new life plays out in markets in the same way and for the same reasons. Entrepreneurs come up with new ideas. If customers like those ideas better than they like dollars in their pockets, they pay the entrepreneurs and the new ideas mature. But with maturation comes some ossification as once nimble companies get bogged down by their own bureaucracies. This creates opportunities for new entrepreneurs to come along and replace the old. Amazon, once the nimble upstart that gave customers what they wanted at prices they were willing to pay, may be showing signs of its oncoming and inevitable decline.

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Quick Hits

https://www.facebook.com/HistoricPhotographs/posts/2026578217515918

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2022/02/21/report-apple-store-employees-want-to-unionize-use-android-phones-to-avoid-tim-cooks-snooping/

Topic of the Week

https://www.salesforce.com/blog/jeff-bezos-lessons-blog/

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Episode 262: David Friedman on the Gold Standard

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 15:30:45 -0000

David Friedman joins us to talk about the gold standard: why one existed at all, why we went off it, and what would happen if we reinstituted it.

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Quick Hits

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/02/03/betty-whiteout-ctrl-salt-delete-top-winners-in-mndot-nameasnowplow-contest

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/northwest-territories-looking-for-new-name-bob-need-not-apply-1.319749

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/world/europe/boaty-mcboatface-what-you-get-when-you-let-the-internet-decide.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/taxes/irs-backlog-hits-nearly-24-million-returns-further-imperiling-the-2022-tax-filing-season/ar-AATKL3A

Foolishness of the Week

https://reason.com/2022/02/10/ohio-mayor-warns-that-ice-fishing-will-lead-to-prostitution/

Topic of the Week

http://www.daviddfriedman.com

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Episode 261: $30 trillion

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 15:30:51 -0000

The federal debt recently crossed the $30 trillion mark, making the debt 50% larger than the entire US economy.

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Quick Hits

https://www.wsj.com/articles/belarusian-officials-charged-with-aircraft-piracy-for-diversion-of-ryanair-flight-11642723692

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-02-07/scientists-create-spinal-cord-implants-that-could-allow-paralysed-people-to-walk

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.claimscon.org/study/

Topic of the Week

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disposable_household_and_per_capita_income

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Episode 260: Shortages at Home, Starvation Elsewhere

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 15:30:24 -0000

Americans are so used to having goods available to them at low prices, in expansive variety, and in apparently limitless quantities that sporadic shortages are shaking up our lives. Yet, what we experience as an inconvenience, others in the world experience as starvation. Humans’ default condition is not one of plenty, but one of poverty. What stands athwart any society and poverty is good governance and a free economy.

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Quick Hits

https://www.artforum.com/news/ireland-to-launch-universal-basic-income-program-for-artists-87612

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/31/europe/ireland-fishermen-russia-navy-intl/index.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/he-e2-80-99s-declining-a-coronavirus-vaccine-at-the-expense-of-a-lifesaving-transplant-e2-80-98i-was-born-free-i-e2-80-99ll-die-free-e2-80-99/ar-AATkeOa

Topic of the Week

https://www.unitlife.org/impact-of-covid-19-on-malnutrition

https://www.statista.com/statistics/269924/countries-most-affected-by-hunger-in-the-world-according-to-world-hunger-index/

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS

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Episode 259: The Chosen

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 15:30:39 -0000

The Chosen is a remarkable TV series on two counts. It is the largest crowdfunded effort of its type, having raised more than $10 million and attracted over 150 million downloads over its two seasons. It also manages to depict stories from the New Testament in a way that is attractive to atheists and people of faith alike. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

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Quick Hits

https://katu.com/news/nation-world/students-at-no-2-business-school-struggle-to-identify-the-average-americans-salary

https://mcdc.missouri.edu/help/measures-of-income/

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/college-mobility/university-of-pennsylvania

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abd0380

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-21/bezos-loses-20-billion-in-brutal-week-for-tech-billionaires

Topic of the Week https://www.amazon.com/The-Chosen-season-1/dp/B091D6KCBS

https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen

https://derraleves.com/certified-youtube-consultant/

https://www.316tees.com/blogs/316/the-chosen-highest-crowd-funded-media

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Episode 258: Why the Anger?

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:30:00 -0000

Something odd is happening among Americans. People are generally quite nice to each other. Historically, Americans have been a generous people, and most have a good sense of civic duty. Yet, Americans on both the left and the right are angry about our politics. Both sides are coming to view the other as “the enemy.” It’s possible that we’ve reached a point where the best way forward is to go our separate ways. And we might not have reached this point at all if we had taken our founding principles more seriously.

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Quick HitsFoolishness of the Week

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Episode 257: The Time Value of Money

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 15:30:56 -0000

Even in the absence of inflation, a dollar in the future is less than a dollar today simply because it exists in the future. Humans have figured out how to use this fact to invent things like mortgages, installment payments, and subscriptions. We talk about the implications of the time value of money, then segue into virtual reality and the future of labor markets, then into the service the rich perform for the rest of us as first adopters. This is what happens when you don’t have a script.

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Quick Hitshttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/05/maryland-couple-schmidt-baking-company-virginia-i-95/9110543002/

https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/01/uber-rider-stuck-on-i-95-hit-with-600-bill/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2022/01/08/houston-teacher-accused-of-locking-son-in-trunk-of-car-to-avoid-covid-19-exposure/

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TAOlFLJq9bgnsgINqcg6

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Episode 256: An Insider's View of the Supply Chain

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 16:32:26 -0000

Goods appear to be randomly missing in stores, and prices seem to be rising. Much of what we're seeing is due to disruptions in the supply chain. This week, we talk with industry insider Mikhail Rasner about what's going on. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

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Quick Hits

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1064855510/kraft-cream-cheese-20-dollar-website

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-10/supply-chain-latest-cream-cheese-is-the-latest-casualty-of-cyberattacks

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-with-the-supreme-court-lurching-right-state-courts-offer-liberals-hope/ar-AASaLg5

Foolishness of the Week

https://nypost.com/2022/01/02/australian-man-self-immolates-after-ranting-against-covid-vaccines/

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Episode 255: What is Critical Race Theory?

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 15:30:41 -0000

Phil Magness joins us to discuss critical race theory: what is it, and why is it controversial?

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Quick Hits

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1064855510/kraft-cream-cheese-20-dollar-website

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-10/supply-chain-latest-cream-cheese-is-the-latest-casualty-of-cyberattacks

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-with-the-supreme-court-lurching-right-state-courts-offer-liberals-hope/ar-AASaLg5

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/fauci-says-domestic-travel-vaccination-rule-should-be-considered/ar-AASbcTj

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/10/world/covid-omicron-vaccines

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Episode 254: Tradeoffs Audience Q&A

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 15:30:01 -0000

We had such good feedback from last week's live tradeoffs episode that we're including the audience Q&A session for this week's episode. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

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Quick Hits

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/18/1063205596/housing-cash-offer-home-buyer-seller

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/giant-rave-in-saudi-desert-pushes-kingdoms-changing-boundaries

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-says-he-will-pay-more-than-11-billion-in-taxes-this-year-11640001132

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Episode 253: Tradeoffs, Lockdowns, Climate Change, and Free Stuff

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 15:30:46 -0000

What do climate change, the covid lockdowns, taxing billionaires, free college, and free healthcare have in common? In each case, politicians would prefer that voters ignore the reality of tradeoffs.

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Quick Hits

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/end-of-an-era-chris-wallaces-departure-from-fox-news-sets-off-a-media-and-political-firestorm/

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127245863/covid19-man-receives-up-to-10-vaccines-in-one-day

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Episode 252: A Second Lockdown?

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 15:30:00 -0000

As events point to the possibility of a second lockdown, we ask what we have learned from the last one.

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This Week’s Topichttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths

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Episode 251: Wealth, Income, Capital Gains, and Taxes

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 15:30:00 -0000

In response to record-breaking deficits, politicians, pundits, and concerned voters are discussing new sources of tax revenue. Unfortunately, they often conflate wealth, income, and unrealized capital gains. This week, we clarify some of the confusion.

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This Week’s Topichttps://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/#Burdens

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFSD

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GNP

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFR

https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-do-us-taxes-compare-internationally

https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html

https://www.investopedia.com/how-much-does-health-insurance-cost-4774184

https://ips-dc.org/u-s-billionaire-wealth-surged-by-70-percent-or-2-1-trillion-during-pandemic-theyre-now-worth-a-combined-5-trillion/

https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/chart/

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Episode 250: Listener Questions, pt. 2

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 15:30:00 -0000

This week, we answer listener questions that cover a gamut of topics.

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Quick Hitshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/technology/personaltech/iphone-upgrades-cost.html

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Episode 249: Listener Questions, pt. 1

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 15:30:00 -0000

This week, we answer listener questions that cover a gamut of topics. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

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Quick Hitshttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-monday-edition-1.5868846/how-tiktok-users-designed-a-better-pill-bottle-for-people-with-parkinson-s-1.5868848

https://nypost.com/2021/11/15/kamala-harris-sidelined-amid-tensions-with-president-biden/

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Episode 248: The Nobel Prize and the Minimum Wage

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 15:30:00 -0000

David Card recently won the Nobel Prize in economics for his contributions to the study of labor markets and natural experiments. Some minimum wage proponents confuse these excellent contributions with a particular application of his contributions to a study he conducted of a hike in New Jersey’s minimum wage. We discuss the flaws in that oft-cited study, and the distinction between his contributions and the study.

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Quick Hitshttps://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/11/buffalo-election-2021-results-india-walton-defeated.html

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/580322-democrats-brace-for-flood-of-retirements-after-virginia-rout

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/07/biden-approval-falls-38-midterms-loom-usa-today-suffolk-poll/6320098001/

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/annual-microsoft-ignite-conference-entices-criticism-over-woke-introductions

https://freebeacon.com/culture/microsoft-encourages-employees-to-state-race-gender-during-presentations/

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/one-of-worlds-largest-investment-firms-will-need-permission-to-hire-white-men

Topic of the Week

https://davidcard.berkeley.edu/papers/njmin-aer.pdf

https://www.econlib.org/no-krueger-didnt-prove-that-raising-the-minimum-wage-doesnt-increase-unemployment/

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Episode 247: Pachyderms, Property, and Profit

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 14:30:00 -0000

The combination of property rights and a profit incentive yields good outcomes. Elephants provide an excellent example.

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Quick Hitshttps://www.techspot.com/news/91430-bitcoin-mining-company-buys-pennsylvania-power-plant-meet.html https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-actually-consume https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/after-san-francisco-shoplifting-video-goes-viral-officials-argue-thefts-n1273848

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://www.the-sun.com/sport/3969736/colin-kaepernick-nfl-draft-slavery-netflix/

Topic of the Week

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/22/1048336907/elephants-tuskless-ivory-poaching-africa

https://www.amazon.com/Free-Our-Markets-Essential-Economics/dp/098442542X

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Episode 246: The Link Between Politics and Economics

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:30:00 -0000

Politics, not partisanship, and economics are linked because both emerge from humans attempting to employ their abilities to satisfy their needs. In this episode, we explore the connection.

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Quick Hits

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/10/13/norway-kongsberg-bow-arrow-attack/

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/09/china/china-knife-attacks-mic-intl-hnk/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/25/tech/blue-origin-space-station-jeff-bezos-scn/index.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/tom-brady-s-historic-day-took-a-backseat-to-his-encounter-with-a-9-year-old-cancer-survivor/ar-AAPVYUj

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Episode 245: Should We Fund Children or Institutions?

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 14:30:00 -0000

Corey DeAngelis, who has made himself the public gadfly of teachers unions, joins us to talk about how Americans’ attitudes about funding public schools changed with covid.

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Quick Hits

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-and-building-inspectors.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/diagnostic-medical-sonographers.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiation-therapists.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/elevator-installers-and-repairers.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/airline-and-commercial-pilots.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/air-traffic-controllers.htm

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58878473

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr_F_XQrukM

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/oct/16/figures-of-babylon-oldest-drawing-of-a-ghost-found-in-british-museum-vault

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Episode 244: The Nature of Exchange, pt. 2

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 14:30:00 -0000

Money is an excellent tool for facilitating exchange. It solves problems like how to save while avoiding spoilage and how to exchange with people who don’t want what you’re offering. But we’ve come to rely so heavily on money that we’ve forgotten what exchange really is. In this first of two episodes, we discuss the nature of exchange.

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Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/a-checkout-line-where-slower-is-better-supermarket-jumbo/

https://gizmodo.com/9-horrifying-facts-from-the-facebook-whistleblowers-new-1847791184

Foolishness of the Week

https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/psaki-unfair-and-absurd-to-say-companies-would-raise-prices-in-response-to-tax-increases/

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Episode 243: The Nature of Exchange, pt. 1

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 14:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/a-checkout-line-where-slower-is-better-supermarket-jumbo/

https://gizmodo.com/9-horrifying-facts-from-the-facebook-whistleblowers-new-1847791184

Foolishness of the Week

https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/psaki-unfair-and-absurd-to-say-companies-would-raise-prices-in-response-to-tax-increases/

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Episode 242: What About Unions?

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 14:30:00 -0000

People who are pro-market often complain about unions. But unions are associations of people, just as corporations are associations of people. If it is people’s right to form one, then it is also their right to form the other. But, as it is bad for government to protect corporations from competition, so too is it bad for government to protect unions from competition. In this episode, we take a look at unions separate from government protection.

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Quick Hits

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_4613

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/27/fed-chair-powell-to-warn-congress-that-inflation-pressures-could-last-longer-than-expected.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/federal-authorities-safety-box-seizures-owners-fight-back

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Episode 241: The Death Tax for the Rest of Us

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:14:49 -0000

As politicians run out of revenue sources, they increasingly turn their attention from the rich to the middle class. Congress is considering a tax plan that effectively imposes a death tax on the middle class. Interestingly, politicians are calling it "a capital gains tax."

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Quick Hits

https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13012-017-0637-1

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/20/ivermectin-shortage-horse-owners-covidhttps://www.aier.org/article/a-subtle-catastrophe/

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Episode 240: Potluck #1

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 14:30:00 -0000

This episode is a potluck. There's no specific topic, we're just discussing things in the news that caught our interests.

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Quick Hits

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/top-earning-new-yorkers-could-face-61point2percent-combined-tax-rate-under-house-plan-californians-may-face-59percent-rate.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.aier.org/article/a-subtle-catastrophe/

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Episode 239: Who Ultimately Pays a Tax?

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:30:00 -0000

In an interesting twist of economics, it turns out that governments have no control over who ultimately pays a tax. Politicians can say they’re taxing consumers or taxing producers or taxing anyone else, but the market decides who ultimately pays the tax. And there’s nothing politicians can do to stop it.

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Quick Hits

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/03/tech/apple-child-safety-tools-reversal/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-virgin-plastics-tax-could-help-save-the-oceans/2021/06/18/3ecb9cde-cd8d-11eb-8cd2-4e95230cfac2_story.html

https://www.atr.org/democrats-eye-national-plastic-tax

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/05/covid-coronavirus-work-home-office-surveillance

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Episode 238: Term Limits Revisited

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 14:30:00 -0000

Commonwealth Foundation Vice-President Nathan Benefield disagreed with our take on term limits from a couple of episodes ago. So we invited him to give arguments in favor.

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Quick Hitshttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/mcdonalds-others-consider-closing-indoor-seating-amid-delta-surge-us-2021-08-30/

Foolishness of the Week

https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7

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Episode 237: Can the CDC Mandate Moratoriums?

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 14:30:00 -0000

The CDC has mandated a moratorium on evictions. Under the CDC’s rules, landlords may not evict renters who haven’t paid their rent. But it is unclear that even Congress would have the constitutional authority to issue such a mandate. How then can the CDC do so? Clark Neily joins us to discuss this interesting question.

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Topichttps://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/04/2020-19654/temporary-halt-in-residential-evictions-to-prevent-the-further-spread-of-covid-19

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20a169_4f15.pdf

Quick Hitshttps://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/quentin-quarantino-meme-artist-raises-over-5-million-for-afghanistan/

https://www.nptrust.org/philanthropic-resources/charitable-giving-statistics/

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/07/27/tn-pastor-greg-locke-says-masks-arent-allowed-bible-church/5385007001/

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Episode 236: Errors We Repeat in Politics, Pt. 2

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 14:30:00 -0000

We all have a tendency to repeat things we hear. But when many people start repeating the same thing, we come to believe that the thing must be true. Unfortunately, this happens a lot when it comes to politics and government. This is the first of a two-part episode in which we discuss incorrect things that people tend to think are correct simply because they get repeated.

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Quick Hitshttps://reason.com/2021/08/06/apple-will-start-checking-your-messages-for-dick-picks/ https://www.eksposure.com/mobile-photography-statistics/ https://enough.org/stats_exploitation https://www.wsj.com/articles/burial-crypt-for-sale-los-angeles-11628773222

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2021/08/12/philadelphia-mask-mandate-vaccine-requirements-businesses/

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Episode 235: Errors We Repeat in Politics, Pt. 1

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 14:30:00 -0000

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Quick Hitshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtbSP3GG_YI https://www.siliconrepublic.com/companies/the-interview-john-beckett-entrepreneur-who-built-the-first-ryanair-website-video https://www.nationalreview.com/news/small-time-landlords-hanging-on-by-their-fingernails-as-eviction-moratorium-drags-on/ https://www.nationalreview.com/news/biden-admin-to-implement-limited-eviction-moratorium/ https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/07/there-are-about-1-million-more-job-openings-than-people-looking-for-work.html

Foolishness of the Weekhttps://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/university-wisconsin-removes-rock-sign-racism-79313853 https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/read-the-wisconsin-state-journals-original-article-on-chamberlin-rock-1925/article_e4cfcb52-774c-53ab-8b46-34009a0aeb64.html

Topic of the Week

https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/government-cost-overruns

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Episode 234: Errors We Repeat in Economics

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 14:00:00 -0000

We all have a tendency to repeat things we hear. But when many people start repeating the same thing, we come to believe that the thing must be true. Unfortunately, this happens a lot when it comes to economics and public policy. This week, we discuss incorrect things that people tend to think are correct simply because they get repeated.

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Quick Hits

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/how-a-wasp-inspired-a-new-tool-for-keyhole-surgery-delft/

https://interestingengineering.com/biomimicry-9-ways-engineers-have-been-inspired-by-nature

Foolishness of the Week

https://oceansasia.org/covid-19-facemasks/

Topic of the Week

https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/government-cost-overruns

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Episode 233: Disincentivizing Taxes

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0000

If there’s a single core principle in economics, it’s that people respond to incentives. Whether governments intend to, imposing taxes on people causes those people to change their behaviors. Consequently, governments end up collecting less tax revenue than they anticipated and often cause people to waste their time and money attempting to avoid those taxes.

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Quick Hits

Lottery and Saving

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/07/22/canada-lotto-OLG-Lotto-Max-Anne-Hickey-five-years/2681626992009/

https://www.olg.ca/en/lottery/play-lotto-max-encore/odds-and-payouts.html

Philip Morris

https://apnews.com/article/philip-morris-marlboro-britain-496ac5b559d6cfe5b85d56b39f383905

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/san-francisco-considering-congestion-tax-on-high-earning-drivers

Topic of the Week

https://www.thefemalecompany.com/tampon-book-en/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235989/

https://www.npr.org/sections/ablogsupreme/2013/04/16/177486309/how-taxes-and-moving-changed-the-sound-of-jazz

https://www.efile.com/unusual-strange-funny-taxes-throughout-the-world-and-history/

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Episode 232: A Constitutional Shift

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Over the past century and a half, the federal government has quietly morphed from a government based on a constitution to a government based on a constitutional tradition. As it has done so, the Supreme Court has come to replace the Constitution as the limiting force on government. As the Supreme Court is, itself, part of the federal government, this transformation has fueled a runaway government that only ever gets larger and more powerful at the expense of the state and the people.

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Quick Hits

https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/exxons-corporate-coup

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/the-new-real-estate-normal/ar-AAMir6k

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/branding-us-left-aoc-makes-push-into-political-merchandise-2021-07-19/

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Episode 231: The Misinformation on Inflation

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Consumer prices have been rising more than usual since February. James and Ant discuss the nature of inflation, what causes it, and when it is and isn’t a bad thing.

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Quick Hits

https://democracyjournal.org/arguments/ranked-choice-voting-is-not-the-solution/

https://nypost.com/2021/07/11/hotel-maid-prevents-potential-shooting-at-mlb-all-star-game-report/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGhDkZJkbMI

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Episode 230: The Words and Numbers Trio Pt. 2

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Clark Neily, Rob McDonald, and Howard Baetjer join us for the second part of a free-wheeling conversation on government, history, and economics.

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Quick Hits

https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases

https://www.showbiz411.com/2021/07/04/what-year-is-it-the-number-1-and-2-albums-on-itunes-are-40-queen-and-50-joni-mitchell-years-old

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nationals-cancel-freedom-fireworks-fourth-of-july-citys-noise-curfew

https://www.federalbaseball.com/2020/4/27/21227988/look-back-when-washington-nationals-wore-natinals-jerseys

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Episode 229: A Deeper Look into Thomas Jefferson

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Historian Rob McDonald joins us to answer the questions, how is it that Thomas Jefferson came to be a slave owner and what could he have done to free his slaves. The answer, it turns out, is much more complicated than people tend to appreciate.

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Foolishness of the Week

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/06/police-break-up-exorcism-at-pa-home-depot.html

Topic of the Week

Rob McDonald

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/the-american-revolution-professor-robert-mcdonalds-new-core-document-collection/

Books

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-M-S-McDonald/e/B006G5XJK6

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Episode 228: The Words and Numbers Trio Pt. 1

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Clark Neily, Rob McDonald, and Howard Baetjer join us for the first of a multi-part free-wheeling conversation on government, history, and economics.

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Quick Hits

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/aumf-repeal-congress/2021/06/17/1bd1ec70-cf76-11eb-a7f1-52b8870bef7c_story.html

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/crypto-currency-confusion-georgia-man-wakes-up-a-trillionaire

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9704447/Manhattan-City-Council-candidate-26-caught-ex-girlfriend-leaked-dominatrix-video.html

Topic of the Week

https://www.cato.org/people/clark-neily

https://www.westpoint.edu/history/profile/robert_mcdonald

http://wp.towson.edu/baetjer/

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Episode 227: Outside of the Accredited Circle

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Bob Luddy, founder of Thales College joins us this week to talk about a revolutionary model for higher education that attempts to break the guild system that is holding back innovation. Thales College is refusing to pursue accreditation and will not accept federal funding. This will both keep it out from under the regulatory thumbs of both the government and the existing higher education system.

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Quick Hits

https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/p19.pdf

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/incarceration-rates-by-country

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/14/politics/fbi-qanon-threat-assessment/index.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/lester-holt-challenges-kamala-harris-on-claim-weve-been-to-the-border-you-havent/

Topic of the Week

https://www.thalescollege.org

https://www.thalesacademy.org/about/founder

https://www.neche.org/resources/standards-for-accreditation

https://www.msche.org/standards/

Join the Conversation

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Episode 226: Introducing a Little Anarchy

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Philosopher Michael Huemer joins us this week to talk about anarchy, chaos, and the fact that the government has a monopoly on power.

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Quick Hitshttps://www.businessinsider.com/biotech-startup-trying-to-stop-rhino-poaching-2016-9

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/05/el-salvador-becomes-the-first-country-to-adopt-bitcoin-as-legal-tender-.html

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2014-11-14/why-pay-15-million-for-a-white-canvas

Foolishness of the Week

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/italian-artist-auctioned-off-invisible-sculpture-18300-literally-made-nothing-1976181/amp-page

Topic of the Week

http://www.owl232.net

http://fakenous.net

https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Huemer/e/B001H6GHNU

https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/18/us/biden-admits-plagiarism-in-school-but-says-it-was-not-malevolent.html

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Episode 225: Shooting for Success

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Nav Bhatia, the first fan to be inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame, joins us this week to talk about his passion for basketball, life, and entrepreneurship.

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Quick Hits

https://www.councilforeconed.org/2021/05/25/mount-hebron-high-school-in-ellicott-city-md-clinches-the-21st-annual-national-economics-challenge-from-the-council-for-economic-education/

https://dnyuz.com/2021/05/29/an-arms-race-in-america-gun-buying-spiked-during-the-pandemic-its-still-up/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/do-deficits-matter-anymore-biden-s-first-budget-signals-they-don-t/ar-AAKuHYg

Topic of the Week

https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/basketball/superfan-navdeep-bhatia-his-journey-from-1984-riots-to-nba-hall-of-fame-7326814/

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Episode 224: Charlie Brown’s America

Wed, 26 May 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Blake Scott Ball joins us to discuss his book on Charles Schulz and the political narrative in the Peanuts comic that managed to attract both liberals and conservatives.

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Quick Hits

https://www.oddee.com/psychedelic-fungus-causes-cicadas-butts-to-fall-off-and-takes-their-place-58847/

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/22/middleeast/jewish-man-organ-donation-arab-woman-intl-cmd/index.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/554894-greene-under-fire-for-comparing-mask-policy-to-the-holocaust-a-neurotic-lack?rl=1

Topic of the Week

Blake Scott Ball

Twitter: @bsb1945

Email: blakescottball@gmail.com

http://blakescottball.medium.com

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/charlie-browns-america-9780190090463

Use promo code “AAFLYG6” for 30% off at checkout

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Episode 223: More Than a Pipe Dream

Wed, 19 May 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Sykes Wilford, founder and CEO of smokingpipes.com joins us this week to discuss his experience as a successful entrepreneur in an industry that has shrunk by 98 percent and that the government has targeted for eventual obliteration.

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Quick Hits

Warren Buffetthttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/buffett-its-corporate-fiction-to-say-higher-business-taxes-hurt-customers-172536348.html

China in Space

https://apnews.com/article/china-technology-business-science-e1c1d0679aa78a8cc79c04a4d1375322

UFOs

https://www.the-sun.com/news/2891893/us-navy-vid-shows-ufo-whizzing-through-sky/

Masks

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mask-no-mask-new-rules-leave-americans-recalibrating-hour-by-hour/ar-BB1gM7FO

Foolishness of the Week

The Story

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/smallbusiness/the-man-who-didnt-invent-flamin-hot-cheetos/ar-BB1gMYd1

Our Error

https://fee.org/shows/audio/words-numbers/Arguing-Outcomes-Instead-of-Principles-Puts-the-Cart-Before-the-Horse

Topic of the Week

SmokingPipes.com

https://corporate.laudisi.com

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Episode 222: Going Public

Wed, 12 May 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Vann Prime, an award-winning public school teacher from (in his words) a standard public school - not rich, not poor, not magnet or charter - joins us to talk about good things happening at his public school and how we might improve public schools in general.

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Quick Hits

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/30/opinion/politics/bubble-politics.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/catholic-schools-are-losing-students-at-record-rates-and-hundreds-are-closing-11620651600

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/a-blinking-light-ahead-slowing-population-growth-raises-questions-about-america-as-a-land-with-unlimited-horizons/ar-BB1gxEif

Topic of the Week

Good news about a public school

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Episode 221: Higher Education’s Cost of Freedom

Wed, 05 May 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Nicole Neily, President of Speech First joins us this week to discuss free speech on college campuses. A growing number of colleges have been restricting speech, both of students and faculty. In defining undesirable speech overly broadly, a chill has been growing in higher education wherein students, faculty, and even administrators are censoring their own speech rather than risk running afoul of rules that can mean expulsion and termination.

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Quick Hits

https://www.oddee.com/hundreds-of-joshes-battle-with-pool-noodles-to-determine-the-ultimate-josh-58155/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1V9_EY-TY0

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/historic-life-saving-step-fda-moves-ban-menthol-cigarettes-flavored-n1265823

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/04/30/a-proclamation-on-loyalty-day-2021/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_Day

Topic of the Week

https://speechfirst.org

https://provost.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/documents/reports/FOECommitteeReport.pdf

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Episode 220: Gaining and Giving

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Philanthropist, lawyer, entrepreneur, musician, and armchair philosopher John LeFebvre joins us this week to discuss philanthropy, run-ins with the law, and how the world is becoming a better place.

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Quick Hits

https://www.wtae.com/article/animal-control-croissant-call/36164733

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/23/us/some-mass-vaccination-sites-in-us-close-as-demand-begins-to-fall.html

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

Foolishness of the Week

https://nypost.com/2021/04/22/usps-reportedly-tracking-americans-social-media-posts/

Topic of the Week

https://www.johnlefebvre.com/

https://www.amazon.com/John-Lefebvre/e/B071FPBMY4

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Episode 219: Unqualified Immunity

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Clark Neily returns this week to discuss recent court cases involving developments with qualified immunity.

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Quick Hits

https://www.thecentersquare.com/west_virginia/west-virginia-ranks-as-one-of-the-worst-states-for-economic-freedom/article_4573ddba-4a27-11eb-8412-6739f37a0035.html

https://www.npr.org/local/305/2021/04/14/987174386/west-virginia-is-paying-remote-workers-12-000-to-move-there

https://www.macrotrends.net/states/west-virginia/population

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Procedures_Reform_Bill_of_1937

https://www.reuters.com/business/legal/most-americans-want-end-lifetime-supreme-court-appointments-2021-04-18/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/16/22388184/new-york-affordable-internet-cost-low-income-price-cap-bill

Topic of the Week: Qualified Immunity

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Episode 218: What's So Funny about Tribalism? Feat. Andrew Heaton

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 14:00:00 -0000

This week, comedian and political commentator Andrew Heaton joins us to talk about his forthcoming book on Tribalism.

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Quick Hits

Keep Wearing Masks

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html

https://www.uchealth.org/today/why-we-must-wear-masks-even-after-getting-the-covid-19-vaccine/

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/03/30/981303287/should-masking-last-beyond-the-pandemic-flu-and-colds-are-down-spurring-a-debate

Foolishness of the Week

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-8e31fdc2b54f9d61e4d317449507c7be

Topic of the Week

Andrew Heaton

https://mightyheaton.com/aboutandrewheaton

The Political Orphanage

https://mightyheaton.com/the-political-orphanage

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Episode 217: Who Is Paying Their Fair Share?

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 14:00:00 -0000

The latest Congressional Budget Office numbers are out showing how much different income groups pay in federal taxes. We combine these numbers with our informal surveys of students to find some interesting conclusions as to who is and is not paying their fair share.

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Quick Hits

Shrinking Inequality

https://www.wsj.com/articles/incredible-shrinking-income-inequality-11616517284

Quality of Life https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2011/demo/well-being/p70-136.html

Virus Passes

https://www.politico.eu/article/united-kingdom-coronavirus-certificate-sporting-events-nightclubs/

Foolishness of the Week

Weddings in Vegas

https://apnews.com/article/occasions-weddings-couples-marriage-las-vegas-39d3418e06b212a63ade2e61eda295dc

Topic of the Week: Income

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56575

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Episode 216: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Russell Shorto joins us this week to discuss his latest book, Smalltime: A story of my family and the mob.

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Quick Hits

Postal Service

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-postal-service-overhaul-calls-for-higher-prices-slower-mail-and-more-packages-11616509800

Alien Languages

https://www.wsj.com/articles/alien-languages-may-not-be-entirely-alien-to-us-11616817660

Foolishness of the Week

Lifeguard Millionaires

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/03/27/top-paid-la-lifeguards-earned-up-to-392000-in-2019/

This Week on Patreon

https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-pandemic-fuels-boomin-virtual-reality.html

Topic of the Week: Smalltime

Russell Shorto

https://www.russellshorto.com

https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586

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Episode 215: Nothing but Urban Legends

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 14:00:00 -0000

People hear things that sound right or interesting, and then repeat them without checking the facts. This is how urban legends are created. On this week’s episode, we discuss some economics urban legends.

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Quick Hits

The Platform

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8228288/

In Time

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637688/

Your Papers!https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56460329

Foolishness of the Week

Sue Bird vs. LeBron James

https://admin.fee.org/media/39317/sue-bird-vs-lebron-james.png

Topic of the Week: Urban Legends

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Episode 214: Listener Special #7 Pt. 3

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 14:00:00 -0000

In this multi-part episode, James and Ant answer listener questions.

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Quick Hits

COVID Testing

https://hidrb.com

Philadelphia Inquirer Comments

https://www.inquirer.com/about/philadelphia-inquirer-comments-section-changes-20210201.html

Vaccine and Blood Clotting

https://apnews.com/article/germany-suspends-astrazeneca-vaccine-blood-clotting-0ab2c4fe13370c96c873e896387eb92f

Kudos of the Week

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-legislators-want-to-rename-highway-after-prince/600034298/

Topic of the Week: Your Questions!

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Episode 213: Listener Special #7 Pt. 2

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 15:00:00 -0000

In this multi-part episode, James and Ant answer listener questions.

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Quick Hits

Cuttlefish

https://www.sciencealert.com/cuttlefish-can-pass-a-cognitive-test-designed-for-children

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/541882-cronkite-signed-off-40-years-ago-it-seems-like-an-eon-in-news-standards

Foolishness of the Week

https://apnews.com/article/mr-potato-head-goes-gender-neutral-d3c178f2b9b0c424ed814657be41a9d8

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/07/qanon-trap-violence-474034

Topic of the Week: Your Questions!

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Episode 212: Listener Special #7 Pt. 1

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 15:00:00 -0000

In this multi-part episode, James and Ant answer listener questions.

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Quick Hits

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-01/richest-100-americans-would-pay-78-billion-under-warren-tax

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/27/971958260/scientists-talked-to-people-in-their-dreams-they-answered

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/youtube-ai-blocked-chess-channel-after-confusing-black-and-white-for-racist-slurs-3454316.html

Topic of the Week: Your Questions!Join the Conversation

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Episode 211: FBI Opening Up!

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0000

Former Supervisory Special Agent Martin Gilvary joins us this week to give us an inside perspective on policing in the US.

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Quick Hits

https://giphy.com/gifs/rickroll-rick-astley-never-gonna-give-you-up-Vuw9m5wXviFIQ

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/i-will-not-make-happen-biden-declines-democrats-call-cancel-n1258069

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2021/01/13/heres-why-biden-cant-cancel-student-loans/

https://apnews.com/article/1st-cloned-endagered-species-ferret-23cde3908e496692648dc28d4b8121ee

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/11/churchill-white-supremacist-leading-empire-worse-nazis-claims/

Topic of the Weekhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/check-your-bias/id1500221730?i=1000466477789

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Episode 210: The End of America and the Rebirth of Her Ideals Pt. 2

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0000

In this second of a two part series, Max Borders joins us to discuss his recent book, After Collapse: The End of America and the Rebirth of Her Ideals. Despite the title and the subject matter, it is an honest but upbeat analysis of political, economic, and cultural changes that have put us on a path to transformation.

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Quick Hits

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/01/oregon-decriminalizes-all-drugs-offers-treatment-instead-jail-time/4311046001/

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2018/03/more-imprisonment-does-not-reduce-state-drug-problems

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2681083/

https://news.yahoo.com/fbi-informant-panic-ruining-friendships-042446613.html

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-chris-cuomo-andrew-cuomo-nursing-home-scandal

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9256103/Chris-Cuomo-fire-saying-brothers-COVID-deaths-coverup-scandal.html

Topic of the WeekAfter Collapse The Social SingularityFuture Frontiers

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Episode 209: The End of America and the Rebirth of Her Ideals Pt. 1

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0000

Max Borders joins us to discuss his recent book, After Collapse: The End of America and the Rebirth of Her Ideals. Despite the title and the subject matter, it is an honest but upbeat analysis of political, economic, and cultural changes that have put us on a path to transformation.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick Hits

30 minutes’ worth of Googling Krogerhttps://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/employment/supermarkets-grocery-stores-united-states/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/999141/gross-margin-of-kroger/

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/537002-kroger-closing-two-stores-after-city-orders-higher-pandemic-pay-for-workers

https://www.workforce.com/news/labor-and-benefits-expenses-in-supermarkets

http://s1.q4cdn.com/137099145/files/doc_downloads/irw/fact_books/2016-PDF-Fact-Book.pdf

MOMA

https://dnyuz.com/2021/02/05/facing-deficit-met-considers-selling-art-to-help-pay-the-bills/

Foolishness of the Week

https://apnews.com/article/house-gop-votes-greene-d00c46241478d39db3996a36f5cbf91e

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/greene-blasts-morons-who-stripped-her-of-committee-posts-hours-after-expressing-contrition/ar-BB1dqCPl

Topic of the WeekAfter Collapse The Social SingularityFuture Frontiers

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Episode 208: “Wage”ing War

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0000

Federal policies have been hitting small businesses particularly hard. From the lockdown to heightened IRS scrutiny to an increased minimum wage to an expanded estate tax, many federal policies harm small businesses more than corporations and so jeopardizes the livelihoods of almost half of American workers.

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Quick Hits

Chick-fil-A

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/south-carolina-chick-fil-a-manager-covid-19-vaccine-drive-thru

Dodger Stadium

https://news.yahoo.com/dodger-stadiums-covid-19-vaccination-233339650.html

Foolishness of the Week

Impeachment 1

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/30/us/politics/trump-butch-bowers-impeachment.html

Impeachment 2https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/politics/butch-bowers-deborah-barbier-trump-impeachment-team/index.html

Topic of the Week

The War on Small Businesseshttps://insidesources.com/the-war-on-small-business/

Minimum Wage Costs 1.3 Million Jobshttps://reason.com/2019/07/08/cbo-says-15-federal-minimum-wage-will-cost-1-3-million-jobs/

List of Minimum Wage Peer-Reviewed Researchhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1fbSTGYQP5ObsEMjgbDWB2W8pgz64XZS5/view?usp=sharing

The Economics of the Estate Tax

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SrMWCAq-HfJdRGBjjQ7kr-KMTGlJjKvX/view?usp=sharing

Survey of Businesses Owners on the Effect of the Estate Taxhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1741-6248.1996.00303.x Union Contracts Tied to Minimum Wagehttps://www.forbes.com/sites/edrensi/2017/01/19/why-it-is-that-unions-fund-the-fight-for-15/

States to Tax Stimulus Loan Forgiveness

https://advocacy.sba.gov/2020/11/03/some-states-may-tax-forgiven-ppp-loan-proceeds/

IRS Targeting Small Businesses

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/tax-compliance/news/21205514/irs-expected-to-audit-more-small-businesses-in-2021

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Episode 207: Political Power Mashup

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:00:00 -0000

This week we discuss a smorgasbord of topics related to the division of power among the branches: pardons, judicial review, agencies, and bureaucracy.

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Quick Hits

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/01/21/census-estimates-show-population-decline-in-16-states

Foolishness of the Week

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/01/21/covid-vaccines-coronavirus-internet-ads/

Topic of the Week: Powers of U.S. Government’s Branches

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Episode 206: The Dutch Angle

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 15:00:00 -0000

Episode 206: A Dutch immigrant gives us a view of the United States from the outside, and a view of the Netherlands from the inside: immigration, taxes, social safety nets, and community.

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Quick Hits

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/17/3rd-antitrust-lawsuit-hits-google-447741

https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share

https://www.statista.com/statistics/265773/market-share-of-the-most-popular-social-media-websites-in-the-us

https://www.wired.com/2002/11/u-s-v-microsoft-timeline/

https://www.kwtx.com/2021/01/15/3-with-covid-19-owe-lives-to-girl-17-who-smelled-smoke-from-early-morning-fire/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/17/live-politics-updates-joe-biden-inauguration-donald-trump-impeachment/4196264001/

Topic of the Week

Bass Van Der Vossen

https://www.basvandervossen.com

https://www.chapman.edu/our-faculty/bas-van-der-vossen

https://www.amazon.com/Defense-Openness-Freedom-Solution-Poverty/dp/0190462957

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Episode 205: "We Didn't Start the Riots!"

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 15:00:00 -0000

The riots in Washington DC and the riots in Seattle have revealed some troubling hypocrisy. Many of those who were for one were against the other. While the impetus behind them was different, the justifications people invoked were the same. This inconsistency is what happens when we ignore principles in favor of justifying outcomes.

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Quick Hits

Parler

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9130649/Conservative-social-media-platform-Parler-banned-Apple.html

Pilot Threatens to Pull The Plane Over

https://www.businessinsider.com/video-american-airlines-pilot-threat-strand-trump-fans-dc-phoenix-2021-1

Foolishness of the Week

Race Offender Registry

https://nypost.com/2020/12/30/leader-of-blm-inspired-group-calls-for-race-offenders-registry

Topic of the Week

Arash Ayrom

https://www.facebook.com/arashayrom/posts/10224723291979277

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Episode 204: The Good Old Days

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 15:00:00 -0000

With the start of a new year, James and Ant look at the phenomenon of nostalgia. Why do we tend to look back on the past with a fondness, and what dangers does that imply for how we look at the present?

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Quick Hits

Walk with Shawn

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/black-man-scared-to-walk-in-neighborhood-joined-by-75-neighbors/

Expunging Marijuana Records

https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/12/31/22208659/cannabis-marijuana-illinois-expunge-pardon-pritzker-legal-pot Foolishness of the Week

Bill de Blasio

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/3262037742?pwd=K2kzWGw5eVdBbCttVVo0MnVaeFdVdz09

https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-andy-cohen-rants-mayor-de-blasio-dance-new-years-eve-show-new-york-20210101-azfjzrhbl5aizbsqibzrcm6v7a-story.html

Topic of the Weekhttps://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1956/demographics/p60-23.pdf

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MAPAINUSA646N

https://www.newser.com/story/225645/average-size-of-us-homes-decade-by-decade.html

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Episode 203: Alternative Energy and Economies of Scale

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0000

We haven’t seen widespread adoption of alternative energy because, for many decades, energy generated from fossil fuels was cheaper. As with any technology, as time progressed, superior technologies evolved. Also, as time progressed, demand for alternative energy increased, resulting in economies of scale.

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Quick Hits

Federal Reserve Database

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881600Q#0

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/COMPRNFB#0

Jeff Bezos: Richest Person in the World

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/10/944620768/theres-rich-and-theres-jeff-bezos-rich-meet-the-members-of-the-100-billion-club

The Richest People Who Ever Lived

https://www.finance-monthly.com/2019/02/who-is-the-richest-person-that-ever-lived/

Average Person Spends 44 Years Looking at Devices

https://www.studyfinds.org/screen-zombies-average-person-spends-44-years-looking-at-devices/

Foolishness of the Week

Secret Witness

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/531668-washington-post-identifies-powells-secret-witness-as-pro-trump-podcaster

Topic of the Weekhttps://www.cmu.edu/epp/people/faculty/lynne-kiesling.html

https://ourworldindata.org/cheap-renewables-growth

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286674124_Deregulation_innovation_and_market_liberalization_Electricity_regulation_in_a_continually_evolving_environment

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Episode 202: The Christmas Special

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0000

This Christmas special is a montage of “best of” moments from Words and Numbers. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all our listeners and supporters!

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Episode 201: Words and Words

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0000

The tool each of us uses most often - language - presents an interesting contradiction. To communicate ideas clearly and efficiently, words must have meanings. Yet, because language is an emergent phenomenon, words and words’ meanings change. This has important implications for everything from how we interact with each other on a daily basis to what rights the Constitution claims to protect.

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Quick HitsPresidential Restraint

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/joe-biden-audio-civil-rights-leaders/index.html

Should Biden Pardon Trump?

https://theconstitutionalist.org/2020/12/13/joe-biden-should-pardon-donald-trump/

Foolishness of the Week

MAGA Protesters

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/protesters-chant-destroy-the-gop-at-pro-trump-rally-1102967/

Topic of the Weekhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_québécois_de_la_langue_française

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2392586/Oxford-English-Dictionary-admits-used-wrong-sense-word-literally.html

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Episode 200: The Adventures of Larry Reed

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0000

For our 200th episode, Larry Reed joins us to talk about his experiences in spreading the good news of liberty and freedom.

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Quick Hits

Hope

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/A939RX0Q048SBEA

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/12/05/fortune-telling-businesses-booming-during-covid-19-pandemic/

Foolishness of the Week

https://www.ajc.com/politics/trump-tells-gop-to-vote-in-rigged-election/IVGOUWDVBBCXHJU573QB5H5XVY/

Topic of the WeekLarry Reed

https://fee.org/people/lawrence-w-reed/

Books by Larry Reed

https://www.amazon.com/Lawrence-W-Reed/e/B08BJD7W9T

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Episode 199: A Game of Risk

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0000

Many people’s misunderstandings about disparate subjects like insurance, profits, and financial speculators have their roots in a single source - a misunderstanding of risk. One of the most important discoveries that gave rise to our technologically advanced world is how to turn risk into a commodity that can be bought and sold.

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Quick HitsSocial Security race gap

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2017/015.pdf

One-third of NJ businesses close

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/527901-almost-one-third-of-small-businesses-in-new-jersey-have-have-closed

Foolishness of the Week

Trump claims FBI rigged the election

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-baselessly-suggests-fbi-rigged-election-against-him-in-first-post-election-interview

Topic of the Week: Misunderstanding of Risk

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Episode 198: Understanding the Gender Pay Gap Pt. 2

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0000

In part 2 of this two-part episode, Steve Horwitz joins us to discuss the realities and myths surrounding gender discrimination and the gender pay gap.

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Quick HitsWomen comprise 67% of HR workforce

https://www.hrdive.com/news/hr-is-overwhelmingly-white-and-female-data-indicates/548600

Venezuelans making their own gas

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-pdvsa-gasoline-feature-idUSKBN27Z1LR

Foolishness of the Week

14 hours for a burger

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8972231/In-N-Burger-chain-opens-two-Colorado-outlets-leading-fights-epic-14-hour-lines.html

Topic of the Week

Steve Horwitz

https://www.amazon.com/Steven-Horwitz/e/B001JP8I1I

Lawsuits under the equal pay act

https://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/eeoc-litigation-statistics-fy-1997-through-fy-2019

Unemployment rates for men and women

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS14000001

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS14000002

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Episode 197: Understanding the Gender Pay Gap Pt. 1

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0000

In part 1 of this two-part episode, Steve Horwitz joins us to discuss the realities and myths surrounding gender discrimination and the gender pay gap.

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Quick HitsWhat the Constitution means to me

https://constitutionbroadway.com

Foolishness of the Week

Student loan forgiveness

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2020/11/16/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-figures-in-my-plan/

Topic of the Week

Steve Horwitz

https://www.amazon.com/Steven-Horwitz/e/B001JP8I1I

Lawsuits under the equal pay act

https://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/eeoc-litigation-statistics-fy-1997-through-fy-2019

Unemployment rates for men and women

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS14000001

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS14000002

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Episode 196: Everything Is Awfully Politicized

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0000

One of the unintended consequences of government overreach is that everything becomes politicized. Much of the acrimony in our political environment is due to the fact that the government has (and often uses) the power to tell people how to live their lives. That power, in turn, comes from the fact that the people ask government for more and more stuff, handing over more of their power with each request.

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Quick HitsExtreme Poverty on the Rise

http://toinformistoinfluence.com/news/business-54448589

Happiness is Genetic

https://nypost.com/2020/11/06/nearly-half-of-happiness-is-genetic-so-most-of-us-are-doomed/

Foolishness of the Week

2020 Presidential Denial

Topic of the Week: Politicizing Government

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Episode 195: Public Defeats and Private Victories Pt. 2

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0000

In this second of a two-part series, we continue the conversation with Clark Neily about differences in publicly provided and privately provided goods and services.

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Quick Hits$10,000,000,000,000,000,000https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hubble-space-telescope-rare-asteroid-16-psyche-worth-10000-quadrillion/?ftag=CNM-00-10aag7e

Foolishness of the Week

Chaotic election

https://www.yahoo.com/now/final-yahoo-news-you-gov-poll-biden-leads-trump-by-10-as-voters-fear-a-chaotic-election-day-132235742.html Stressful electionhttps://www.studyfinds.org/2020-election-day-most-stressful/ Topic of the Week

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZTUb9gKQildyeIAUM9BxEL49_XSsKS0z/view?usp=sharing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_Grapes_(2016_film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Limited

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Episode 194: Public Defeats and Private Victories Pt. 1

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Some goods and services we choose to provide via the government (mail delivery). Some we choose to provide via markets (grocery stores). And some we choose to provide via government and markets working together (road construction), or via them working in competition (education). This week, Clark Neily joins us to compare and contrast publicly provided and privately provided goods and services.

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Quick Hits

Fake Instagrammers

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-instagrammers-are-faking-the-luxury-of-a-private-jet-for-just-dollar64-an-hour

Foolishness of the Week

Gettysburg

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/10/26/gettysburg-trump-black-lives-matter-clashes/

Topic of the Week

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZTUb9gKQildyeIAUM9BxEL49_XSsKS0z/view?usp=sharing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_Grapes_(2016_film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Limited

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Episode 193: Our Ever-Expanding National Debt

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Periodically, the Congressional Budget Office forecasts federal debt, revenue, and spending. For decades, the CBO has underestimated the future debt. If we adjust CBO’s forecasts by their historical error, we get a clearer picture of where the federal government’s finances will be in the next decade. Interestingly, the debt is approaching a point not seen since the first decade of our history when Congress replaced Continental dollars with the US dollar we use today.

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Quick Hits

The Irish and the Choctaw

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/world/coronavirus-ireland-native-american-tribes.html

Foolishness of the Week

Presidential Debates

https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/08/14/presidential-debates/

Topic of the Week

CBO’s Long Term Outlook

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56516

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Episode 192: Trading with Benefits

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0000

The United States is poised to rack up a record trade deficit this year. Politicians and the media will make a big deal about this, but the truth is that trade deficits really don’t matter. Trade is simply an exchange. So long as it’s voluntary, by definition, both parties are better off.

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Quick Hits

US Debthttps://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/economy/deficit-debt-pandemic-cbo/index.html https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEGDQ188S

Facebook Currencyhttps://news.trust.org/item/20201012143626-bfcy3

Foolishness of the Week

Super Trump

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/520540-trump-wanted-to-rip-open-shirt-to-show-superman-t-shirt-when-leaving

Topic of the Week

Trade Deficit

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IEABC

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Episode 191: Your Post-Game Presidential Debate

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0000

James and Ant offer a post-game discussion of the first Presidential debate. Unfortunately, “post-game” is the right word because, for as much as the left and right bicker, the two parties have become largely the same. Regardless of who wins, the government goes on doing the same things it has always done. Mostly what people do now is to root for their team, not out of principle, but because it’s their team.

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Quick Hits

Swearing Parrots

https://www.insider.com/foul-fowl-language-2020-9

Armenia and Azerbaijan Conflict

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/armenia-azerbaijan-clash-nagorno-karabakh-why-it-could-get-uglier/

Foolishness of the Week

Mask Bashing

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/top-trump-campaign-official-ridicules-joe-biden-s-mask-wearing-n1242041

Topic of the Week: The Presidential Debate

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Episode 190: What the Supreme Court Got Right

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0000

We devote plenty of time to discussing things that the government does wrong. This week, we change gears as Clark Neily joins us to discuss things throughout history that the Supreme Court has done right.

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Quick Hits

Deaths by Car and SUV

https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/passenger-vehicle-occupants

https://newsroom.aaa.com/tag/driving-cost-per-mile/

Term Limits for the Supremes?

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/09/25/democrats-introduce-bill-to-democratize-supreme-court-limit-terms-to-18-years/

Rationing

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/other/uk-supermarkets-tesco-and-morrisons-are-rationing-toilet-paper-and-hand-sanitizer-as-fears-of-panic-buying-return-one-worker-said-their-store-was-worse-than-a-bad-christmas/ar-BB19pTBr

Foolishness of the Week

Time Travelling Professor

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articleiii

Topic of the Week: The Supreme Court's History

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Episode 189: Living That Post-COVID Life

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Little by little, things appear to be getting back to normal following COVID and the lockdown. James and Ant discuss what the world will look like as we recover from COVID.

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Quick Hits

Emu Today and Tomorrow

https://www.emutoday.com

Flight to Nowhere

https://gizmodo.com/australias-7-hour-flight-to-nowhere-sells-out-instantly-1845101789

First Annual Clusterchuck

https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/news/history-professor-s-far-flung-fun-brings-students-together

Trump Endangering Journalists

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/517270-msnbc-trump-endangering-journalists-undermining-freedoms-with-comments-about

Foolishness of the Week

Supreme Court Appointment

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/over-our-dead-bodies-liberals-threatens-to-burn-it-all-down-if-gop-replace-ginsburg-before-election-day

Topic of the Week: Things Returning to Normal

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Episode 188: Crypto Coercion

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Roger Ver, founder of bitcoin.com joins us this week to discuss the emergence of cryptocurrency as the answer to the problem of inflated sovereign currencies. Widespread adoption of cryptocurrency will likely emerge at about the same time that the US dollar begins to lose its value to the inflation needed to fund the government’s insatiable appetite for debt.

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Quick Hits

Payroll Tax Deferral

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/11/business/trump-payroll-tax-cut.html

Mumbai Traffic Lights

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/05/india/mumbai-traffic-lights-tests-scli-intl/index.html

Foolishness of the Week

Joe Exotic

https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/amazon-picks-up-show-starring-nicolas-cage-as-joe-exotic-the-tiger-king/

Topic of the Week: Cryptocurrency

Roger Ver

https://www.rogerver.com

Bitcoin.com

https://www.bitcoin.com/

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Episode 187: A (Non-)Comedy of Errors

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Andrew Heaton joins us to discuss comedy, politics, and that we can’t seem to laugh at ourselves anymore because our politics have become our religion.

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Episode 186: Experiencing Higher Education

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Our response to COVID has imposed changes across the whole economy. One of the industries that is likely to bear the lion’s share of those changes is higher education. COVID policies are laying bare the fact that both students and administrators have come to regard college less as a place to obtain an education than as a place to obtain a four-year “experience.”

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Quick Hits

Virtual Graduation

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/25/asia/india-university-virtual-reality-graduation-scli-intl/index.html

Flying Cars

https://dnyuz.com/2020/08/29/humans-take-a-step-closer-to-flying-cars/

Foolishness of the Week

Drones and Drugs

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36013/mexican-drug-cartel-now-assassinating-its-enemies-with-improvised-explosive-toting-drones

Topic of the Week

How Not to Be Terrible at College

https://fee.org/shows/audio/words-numbers/how-not-to-be-terrible-at-college#player

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Episode 185: The Depressing Results of Great Depression Policies

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Steve Horwitz is back with us this week to discuss the Great Depression. The story that’s commonly handed down in high school history courses doesn’t match what economists and historians have come to understand about it. The government’s response was less an exercise in macroeconomic policy than it was an exercise in social engineering. The lessons of what didn’t work and why are important to us as we struggle with the COVID economy.

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Quick Hits

How Not to Be Terrible at College

https://fee.org/shows/audio/words-numbers/how-not-to-be-terrible-at-college#player

Liquid Democracy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_democracy

Post Office

https://facts.usps.com/top-facts/

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/513241-house-passes-25b-bill-to-boost-postal-service

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2013/jul/24/american-postal-workers-union/postal-service-claim-not-fully-target/

Foolishness of the Week

Germany’s Universal Income

https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-begins-universal-basic-income-trial-three-years-2020-8

Topic of the Week: The Great Depression

Steve Horwitz on the Great Depression

https://youtu.be/EWyzWKnkwUg

George Selgin on the Great Depression

https://www.cato.org/blog/new-deal-recovery-part-7-fdr-gold

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Episode 184: Reevaluating Regulations

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Todd Zywicki, Professor of Law at GMU and head of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s Task Force on Consumer Financial Law joins us to discuss the pros and cons of consumer protection and financial regulation.

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Quick Hits

Covid Caseshttps://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Cases.aspx

Nathan Benefield on Covid Cases

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/closer-look-coronavirus-numbers-pa-nathan-benefield/

Hospital Utilization Data

https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/covid19/report-patient-impact.html#anchor_1594393649

The Long Arm of the California Tax Office

https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/california-dems-wealth-tax-follows-people-who-move-out-of-the-state/

Foolishness of the Week

Wisconsin Requires Face Masks at Home

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/511483-wisconsin-state-agency-requires-employees-to-wear-masks-while

Topic of the Week

Todd Zywicki

https://www.law.gmu.edu/faculty/directory/fulltime/zywicki_todd

https://www.amazon.com/Consumer-Financial-Management-Association-Synthesis/dp/0195169921

Unkoch My Campus

http://www.unkochmycampus.org/cfpb

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Episode 183: Economics’ Roots

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0000

For two millenia, economics was a field of philosophy. Starting in the late 1800s, economists began to employ mathematical modeling in their thinking. The requirements of mathematical modeling have led modern economists to begin by assuming that humans behave in certain ways. This week, Steve Horwitz joins us to discuss Austrian economics, which is a school of thought that goes back to economics’ philosophical roots by beginning with questions, rather than assumptions, about how humans behave.

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Quick Hits

Shampoo Assistants

https://nypost.com/2020/08/08/ny-dems-push-for-law-mandating-training-for-shampoo-assistants/

Democratic Campaign

https://theweek.com/speedreads/929999/biden-campaign-reportedly-making-ruthless-cuts-convention-speaking-list

Foolishness of the Week

Bernie’s Latest Wealth Tax

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/18/upshot/warren-wealth-tax.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/06/sanders-billionaire-tax-bill-would-cost-bezos-musk-zuckerberg.html

Topic of the Week

Steve Horwitz

http://www.sghorwitz.com/

Austrian Economicshttps://www.amazon.com/Austrian-Economics-Introduction-Libertarianism-Org-Guides/dp/1948647958/ref=sr_1_1

Theory and Practice in the Austrian School

https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Practice-Austrian-School-Unbound-ebook/dp/B00CF0GXZO

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Episode 182: Crossing the Police Line

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0000

In past episodes, we’ve discussed problems with policing including qualified immunity and the militarization of police. In this episode, we revisit the topic from the perspective of a former police officer.

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Quick Hits

Fitch

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/united-states-outlook-revised-to-negative-from-stable-by-fitch/ar-BB17qy05

Foolishness of the Week

Capitalism

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/07/07/seattle_city_councilwoman_we_will_not_stop_until_we_overthrow_capitalism_replace_it_with_socialism.html

Topic of the Week

Ian Adams

https://scholars.org/scholar/ian-adams

Data on Police Shootings

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/four-years-in-a-row-police-nationwide-fatally-shoot-nearly-1000-people/2019/02/07/0cb3b098-020f-11e9-9122-82e98f91ee6f_story.html

Police Shootings, Racism, and Statistical Paradox

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/11/opinion/statistical-paradox-police-killings/

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Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 181: The Not So Secret Police

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0000

The Constitution leaves policing up to the states. There is no provision for a national police force. Yet, numerous federal policing bodies have emerged and now the federal government is employing them in Portland in a manner that is a disturbing reminder of other governments’ secret police forces.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Balloon-Based 4G

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/balloons-bring-internet-to-20000-square-miles-of-kenya/

Google Employees Working at Home until 2021

https://nypost.com/2020/07/27/google-will-let-employees-work-from-home-until-july-2021/

Foolishness of the Week

Washington Football Team

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/23/washington-redskins-new-team-name-washington-football-team/

Topic of the Week: Federal police action

Clark Neily on Twitter

https://twitter.com/ConLawWarrior

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

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Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 180: It’s a Conspiracy, Man!

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Conspiracy theories arise in part from our penchant for seeking patterns in random events and in part from our need to feel in control - to be able to explain the inexplicable. Some conspiracy theories are amusing, some will fool even skeptics, and some are dangerous.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Minimum Wage

https://reports.nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/OOR_BOOK_2020.pdf

https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2018/pdf/home.pdf

Goya

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-goya-beans/

Foolishness of the Week

Masks and Rights

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/may/1/forced-face-masking-civil-rights-offense/

Topic of the Week: Conspiracy Theories

Elders of Zion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion

The Clinton Hit List

https://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2016/08/10/the-list-of-clinton-associates-whove-died-mysteriously-check-it-out/

Flat Earthers

https://flatearthfacts.com/flat-earth-model/proof-the-earth-is-flat/

Petroleum Company

https://ask.metafilter.com/322588/Conspiracy-Theory-Petroleum-Company-Edition-Innovative-Technology

Reptilian Overlords

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptilian_conspiracy_theory

Stonehenge

http://www.theunexplainedvault.com/stonehenge-ancient-alien-theory/ancient-aliens/

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

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Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 179: Political Party Crashers

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0000

The Founders established the three branches of government to provide checks on one another. But parties have come to supplant these institutions as the focus of loyalty for politicians. In this episode, we explore what the rise of parties means for our system of checks and balances.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Economic Update

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/EMRATIO

https://www.macrotrends.net/1377/u6-unemployment-rate

COVID Party

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/i-thought-this-was-a-hoax-patient-in-their-30s-dies-after-attending-covid-party

Foolishness of the Week

Upward-Thrusting Buildings

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/jul/06/upward-thrusting-buildings-ejaculating-cities-sexist-leslie-kern-phallic-feminist-city-toxic-masculinity

Topic of the Week: Parties and Institutions

Washington’s Farewell Address

https://www.history.com/news/george-washington-farewell-address-warnings

Federalist 51

https://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/primary-source-documents/the-federalist-papers/federalist-papers-no-51/

Books

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-M-S-McDonald/e/B006G5XJK6

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 178: Facts, Freedom & the Founding, Part 2

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Rob McDonald returns for the second of a two-part series in which we discuss the Founding and his new book, The American Revolution.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Misunderstanding Research

https://www.thecollegefix.com/scholar-forced-to-resign-over-study-that-found-police-shootings-not-biased-against-blacks/

https://www.pnas.org/content/116/32/15877

Faithless Electors

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rules-faithless-electors-can-t-go-rogue-electoral-n1231394

Foolishness of the Week

Kanye West

https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/07/06/kanye-west-used-his-presidential-announcement-as-a-lure-to-sell-merchandise-online-this-afternoon

Topic of the Week

Rob McDonald

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/the-american-revolution-professor-robert-mcdonalds-new-core-document-collection/

Books

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-M-S-McDonald/e/B006G5XJK6

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 177: Facts, Freedom & the Founding, Part 1

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Rob McDonald joins us this Fourth of July week for the first of a two-part series in which we discuss the Founding and his new book, The American Revolution.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

30 Hour Work Week?

https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2020/06/01/adam-grant-on-how-jobs-bosses-and-firms-may-improve-after-the-crisis

Woodrow Wilson

https://www.bloombergquint.com/politics/princeton-axing-woodrow-wilson-s-name-from-public-policy-school

Foolishness of the Week

L’Oreal

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/504865-loreal-will-remove-words-whitening-fair-and-lightening-from

Phil Magness on Civil War Monuments

https://www.aier.org/article/what-the-data-say-about-civil-war-monuments/

Topic of the Week

Rob McDonald

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/the-american-revolution-professor-robert-mcdonalds-new-core-document-collection/

Books

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-M-S-McDonald/e/B006G5XJK6

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 176: The Supreme Court’s Qualified Mishap

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Clark Neily joins us to discuss policing, the origin and effect of qualified immunity, and what the courts have said about whether police have a duty to protect citizens.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Lottery Winners

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/arizona-couple-win-dollar410-million-mega-millions-jackpot-thanks-to-family-birthdays-lucky-penny/ar-BB15J25k

Invite Someone to Dinner to Berate You

https://reason.com/2020/02/04/white-women-saira-rao-dinner-regina-jackson-liberal/

Police Ordered to Turn off Body Cameras

https://reason.com/2020/06/19/san-francisco-police-were-ordered-to-turn-off-body-cameras-in-raid-on-journalists-home/

Foolishness of the Week

Minnesota Mayor Finds “Chief” Offensive

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/duluth-minnesota-mayor-remove-chief-microaggresion

https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/06/19/minnesota-city-to-vote-on-removing-chief-from-job-titles-calling-it-a-microaggression/?utm_source=rss

The Word, “Chief”

https://www.etymonline.com/word/chief

Topic of the week

Qualified Immunity

https://reason.com/2020/05/29/the-supreme-court-has-a-chance-to-end-qualified-immunity-and-prevent-cases-like-george-floyds/

A Confederacy of Dunces

https://www.amazon.com/Confederacy-Dunces-John-Kennedy-Toole-ebook/dp/B008UX2UIO

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 175: Listener Special #6

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we answer listener questions that we didn’t have time to cover in the previous listener special episode.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Deepfake

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robtoews/2020/05/25/deepfakes-are-going-to-wreak-havoc-on-society-we-are-not-prepared/#3748f25d7494

https://www.instagram.com/p/BypkGIvFfGZ/

Oscars

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/movies/oscars-diversity-rule.html

Foolishness of the Week

VA Hospital

https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/62-year-old-patient-missing-since-may-found-dead-va-hospitals-stairwell/EBWXDSM3IJBCLNGXOHLUYPAVYY/

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 174: Day of the Debt

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Deficit Day - the hypothetical day on which the federal government’s tax revenues for the year run out - lands on June 21. Not only is that the earliest Deficit Day has fallen since World War II, the date will get revised to even earlier in the calendar if the government undertakes more stimulus spending.

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Episode 173: Understanding the Perfect Storm

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0000

The riots sweeping the country are the result of a perfect storm. It’s about racism, but more. It’s about police accountability, but more. It’s about too many people being out of work, but more. The first step to solving our problems is understanding that they are often more complicated than they appear.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

SpaceX

https://www.spacex.com/

Food Prices

https://apnews.com/54f1efe0afa71b0a939fda91cf917366

Foolishness of the Week

Minneapolis Mayor

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minneapolis-jacob-frey-white-supremacists-out-of-state-instigators-george-floyd-protests

Topic of the Week: Riots and Police Response

https://streamable.com/u2jzoo

https://v.redd.it/jjclrdzp8x151

https://v.redd.it/zepg0b43ly151

https://v.redd.it/v8x8isj0xz151

https://v.redd.it/mztm15kh00251 https://gfycat.com/misguidedrecklesscod

https://v.redd.it/bluggpblrz151

https://v.redd.it/m82yxl4qh0251

https://v.redd.it/ngxvkoro60251

https://mobile.twitter.com/Sarah_Mojarad/status/1266633046591078400?s=09

https://v.redd.it/o3v8ps7rat151

https://v.redd.it/yce9bpk8mo151

https://mobile.twitter.com/JordanUhl/status/1266193926316228609

https://i.redd.it/4ix8f3j6dy151.jpg

https://v.redd.it/wlx0gyoe21251

https://i.redd.it/ns0uj557x0251.jpg

https://mobile.twitter.com/KevinRKrause/status/1266898396339675137

https://mobile.twitter.com/KillerMartinis/status/1266618525600399361?s=19

https://mobile.twitter.com/mollyhf/status/1266911382613692422

https://mobile.twitter.com/GAFollowers/status/1266919104574865410?s=19

https://mobile.twitter.com/whitney_hu/status/1266540710188195843?s=20

https://twitter.com/JaredGoyette/status/1266961243476299778

https://twitter.com/johncusack/status/1266953514242228229

https://youtu.be/9wgkGLmphLE

https://twitter.com/KRobPhoto/status/1266796191469252610

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/30/politics/joyce-beatty-ohio-pepper-sprayed-columbus-protest/index.html

https://v.redd.it/tal1ncha4o151

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/video-shows-milk-poured-over-face-of-child-pepper-sprayed-in-seattle-protest

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/05/30/watch-video-captures-moment-police-horse-tramples-woman-during-houston-rally/

https://twitter.com/ava/status/1266797973834395648?s=20

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-minneapolis-police-protest-update/reuters-cameraman-hit-by-rubber-bullets-as-police-disperse-protesters-idUSKBN237050

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

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Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 172: Listener Special #5

Wed, 27 May 2020 14:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we answer listener questions.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Doordash

https://themargins.substack.com/p/doordash-and-pizza-arbitrage

Joe Biden

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/amazon-joe-biden-taxes

Foolishness of the Week

Biden Aims at Charter Schools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgVbi0oD8uM

Topic of the Week

Your Questions!

Join the Conversation

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Let Us Know What You Think

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Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

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https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 171: Are Social Distancing Violations the New Stop and Frisk?

Wed, 20 May 2020 14:00:00 -0000

In New York City, stop and frisk was controversial because it was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. As implemented, police would stop and frisk people without showing probable cause that the people were committing, or might be committing, a crime. The courts subsequently required that police demonstrate probable cause. But social distancing laws appear to be poised to take the place of stop and frisk, creating the opportunity for police to violate people’s Fourth Amendment rights.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Microsoft Wrong about Open Source

https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/18/21262103/microsoft-open-source-linux-history-wrong-statement

Elon Musk

https://www.chron.com/news/article/As-it-prepares-to-fly-humans-Elon-Musk-s-SpaceX-15275155.php]

Foolishness of the Week

Don’t Swim in New York

https://www.the-sun.com/news/847367/bill-de-blasio-anyone-swim-nyc-beach-taken-right-out/

Bonus Material Links

LA Mayor Says LA Won’t Reopen

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/05/13/coronavirus-covid-los-angeles-la-county-mayor-health-reopen-vaccine/

Another Source

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/12/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html

Topic of the Week

Judicial Scrutiny

https://reason.com/2020/05/06/supreme-court-justices-in-texas-and-pennsylvania-emphasize-that-covid-19-lockdowns-require-judicial-scrutiny/

A Confederacy of Dunces

https://www.amazon.com/Confederacy-Dunces-John-Kennedy-Toole-ebook/dp/B008UX2UIO

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

Clark Neily on Twitter

https://twitter.com/ConLawWarrior

https://www.amazon.com/Terms-Engagement-Enforce-Constitutions-Government/dp/1594036969

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Episode 170: John Stossel Joins Words and Numbers Pt. 2

Wed, 13 May 2020 14:00:00 -0000

This week is part two of Stossel in the Classroom meets Words & Numbers. We continue the conversation with John Stossel about economics, politics, and society.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick Hits

Peer to Peer Charging

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339350758_P2C2_Peer-to-Peer_Car_Charging

Baseball!

https://apnews.com/6195fbe572aa83a0616053e9133a8551

Foolishness of the Week

Lorena Gonzalez

https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2020/05/10/san-diegos-lorena-gonzalez-slams-elon-musk-over-tesla-threat-to-leave-california/

Topic of the Week

Stossel in the Classroom

https://stosselintheclassroom.org/

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 169: John Stossel Joins Words and Numbers Pt. 1

Wed, 06 May 2020 14:00:00 -0000

John Stossel joins us this week to talk about economics, politics, and society. This is part one of two, so be sure to tune in next week for more exciting discussions!

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Naomi’s Potato

https://twitter.com/khaleesi_101/status/1255817022551863296/photo/1

Glass in the Soviet Union

https://www-jstor-org.authenticate.library.duq.edu/stable/4202738?seq=7#metadata_info_tab_contents

South Korean Baseball

https://www.thewrap.com/espn-finds-a-sport-will-air-south-korean-baseball-games/

Foolishness of the Week

Students Sue Colleges for Their Money Back

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/angry-undergrads-are-suing-colleges-for-billions-in-refunds/ar-BB13t6wd

Topic of the Week

Stossel in the Classroom

https://stosselintheclassroom.org/

Join the Conversation

Words & Numbers Backstage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

Let Us Know What You Think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 168: Not Your Great-Grandfather's Depression

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0000

A depression differs from a recession in both the severity of the downturn and the duration. Recessions typically last months; the Great Depression lasted a decade. Importantly, the Great Depression started as an economic phenomenon, but the current “Great Suppression” started as a policy phenomenon. State governments deliberately shut down an otherwise vibrant economy. As we prepare to restart our economic engine, we consider things the government did right and did wrong in attempting to restart the economy during the Great Depression.

Live with Stossel May 1st, 2020 @12 pm ET

http://sitc.org/live

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

Disincentives of Unemployment Benefits

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/21/838879361/bitter-taste-for-coffee-shop-owner-as-new-600-jobless-benefit-closed-her-busines

Forgivable Loan Backfire

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/22/she-got-a-paycheck-protection-loan-her-employees-hate-her-for-it.html

Smokers Less Likely to Get COVID?

https://news.yahoo.com/smokers-four-times-less-likely-151203823.html

Foolishness of the Week

Parents are Authoritarians

https://nypost.com/2020/04/23/harvard-professor-wants-to-ban-authoritarian-homeschooling/

Topic of the Week

Harold L. Cole

https://economics.sas.upenn.edu/people/harold-l-cole

History of the Great Depression

https://fee.org/media/37305/deppod.pdf

The Path to Growth Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hd_j9OX43g

Join the Conversation

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Let us know what you think

mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com

Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 167: Viewing the World Through Panic-Tinted Glasses

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0000

In times of crisis, humans develop a dangerous, asymmetric view of events. We readily see the damage the crisis causes, but we don’t readily see the potential damage that proposed solutions can cause. And when information is uncertain, we tend to believe the worst about the crisis while tending to believe the best about proposed solutions. There is mounting evidence that this is playing out right now with the decision to shut down the economy in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now!

http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com

Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick Hits

How We Deal with Lockdowns

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/coronavirus-police-maryland-town-urge-residents-wear-pants/5140750002/

Ghosts

https://www.indy100.com/article/indonesia-ghosts-terrifying-coronavirus-lockdown-stay-home-9462511

Australia Trend

https://www.sadanduseless.com/bin-isolation-outing/

Italian Toast

https://www.facebook.com/MagnificentItaly/videos/178130129869702

Llama Rentals

https://futurism.com/the-byte/rent-goats-llamas-zoom-meetings

Pet Skype Calls

https://www.themarysue.com/the-new-york-times-is-wrong-about-pets-on-video-conferences/

CO2 Supplies Diminishing

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-ethanol-beer/beer-may-lose-its-fizz-as-co2-supplies-go-flat-during-pandemic-idUSKBN2200G3

Foolishness of the Week

Covid Scam

https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/do-not-click-the-link-police-warn-of-scam-covid-19-text-messages

Topic of the Week

Flu Index

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

United State Corona Cases

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html

Santa Clara County Case Study

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.14.20062463v1

Boston’s Homeless Testing

https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/04/14/coronavirus-boston-homeless-testing

Corona’s Reach

https://spectator.us/covid-antibody-test-german-town-shows-15-percent-infection-rate/

Quarantined Cruise Ship

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1099517/japan-coronavirus-patients-diamond-princess/

Economic Outcome

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/politics/coronavirus-economy-recession-depression.html

Intervention Cost Breakdowns

http://econ.ucsb.edu/~tedb/Courses/UCSBpf/readings/interventions.pdf

Cardiovascular Disease Spending

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3495132/

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Episode 166: The Economics of Optimism

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Vernon Smith, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in economics joins us on this episode to talk about the economic impact of the coronavirus and why, though we will have to push through some pain, we can be optimistic about the future.

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Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick Hits

Sweden’s Approach to Coronavirus

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/10/europe/sweden-lockdown-turmp-intl/index.html

Non-essentials

https://www.businessinsider.com/costco-walmart-target-stop-selling-non-essential-items-select-states-2020-4

Michigan Governor

https://dailycaller.com/2020/04/11/gretchen-whitmer-gardening-seeds-non-essential/

Foolishness of the Week

Pope Francis – On Universal Wage

https://www.businessinsider.com/pope-francis-it-might-be-time-to-consider-universal-basic-wage-2020-4

On “Nature’s Response”

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/491734-pope-says-coronavirus-outbreak-may-be-one-of-natures-responses-to

Topic of the Week

Vernon Smith – USA Today & WSJ

https://www.chapman.edu/our-faculty/vernon-smith

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/03/23/coronavirus-economy-lives-suspense-not-wall-street-crash-column/2898448001/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-economy-will-survive-the-coronavirus-11586103392 Join the conversation

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Episode 165: Constitutional Crisis

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0000

In response to the virus, state and city governments are exercising powers that they wouldn’t have in normal times. State and local governments are ordering businesses to close, restricting people’s right to travel, and talking about legally suspending rent and debt payments. This week, Clark Neily joins us to discuss the black, white, and gray constitutional areas of governmental powers in times of crisis.

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Quick Hits

Math Teacher

https://twitter.com/DakSt8Football/status/1243687140799766532/photo/1

Venezuelan Warship

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52151951

Earliest Recorded Use of the F-Word

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8189047/Worlds-earliest-record-F-word-discovered-manuscript-written-bored-Scottish-student.html

Foolishness of the Week The Social Distancing Police

https://www.forsythnews.com/news/government/cumming-officials-sign-social-distancing-order-will-swear-150-residents-special-policemen/

Topic of the Week Clark Neily

https://www.cato.org/people/clark-neily

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Episode 164: The Future of Public Schooling

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0000

In the debate over the future of public schooling in the U.S., charter schools may show the way forward. Similar to public schools, charter schools are open to all students and are funded by and answerable to state and local governments. Like private schools, charter schools are free to experiment with curricula and teaching styles, unencumbered by state and local government meddling. Pinnacle Classical Academy, in Shelby, NC, is one example of educational experimentation made possible by charter schools.

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Quick Hits

Coronavirus and Subsidiarity

https://reason.com/2020/03/25/despite-coronavirus-sweden-refuses-to-shutter-businesses-and-limit-gatherings/

Sweden’s Response

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/world/europe/sweden-coronavirus.html

Baby Chickens

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/style/chicken-eggs-coronavirus.html

Foolishness of the Week

Virginia Locked down for More Than 2 Months

https://www.richmond.com/special-report/coronavirus/update-northam-issues-statewide-stay-at-home-order-effective-through/article_67dbe141-da92-504b-b74d-e7c9ed8a118c.html

Bonus Foolishness: Mayor de Blasio

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/30/bill-de-blasio-churches-caught-holding-services-du/

Topic of the Week

Pinnacle Classical Academy

https://www.pinnacleclassicalacademy.com/

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 163: Interview with Lincoln Chafee

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 14:00:00 -0000

Lincoln Chafee is possibly the only politician in US history who has served as mayor, governor, and US Senator and been elected as a Republican, a Democrat, and an Independent. Now Gov. Chafee is running to be the Libertarian Party’s candidate for President of the United States. Gov. Chafee brings the broadest of perspectives on American politics to this week’s Words & Numbers.

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Quick Hits

People Being Nice to Each Other

https://lithub.com/big-hearted-strangers-turn-little-free-libraries-into-little-free-pantries/

IHOP to Go

https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/westmoreland-restaurant-helping-out-churches-organizations-impacted-by-fish-fry-cancellations/

Best Buy’s Employee Solution

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akwq8a/best-buy-employees-work-voluntary-coronavirus-paid-two-weeks T-Mobile & Sprint Providing Unlimited Data https://www.tomsguide.com/news/t-mobile-and-sprint-providing-unlimited-data-to-all-customers-for-coronavirus-relief

Conference Calls by Zoom

https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/03/14/zoom-is-helping-schools-closing-due-coronavirus-fo.aspx

U-Haul for College Students

https://www.uhaul.com/Articles/About/20625/College-Students-U-Haul-Offers-30-Days-Free-Self-Storage-amid-Coronavirus-Outbreak/

Employees over Rent

https://www.kait8.com/2020/03/18/property-owner-tells-restaurants-pay-employees-instead-rent/

Americans Stranded Abroad

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/thousands-of-americans-stranded-abroad-as-money-patience-run-out/ar-BB11vJu2

Disaster Relief Guides and Resources

https://medium.com/@kittystryker/collective-care-is-our-best-weapon-against-covid-19-851e29568656

Foolishness of the Week

Trillion-Dollar Coins

https://www.businesstelegraph.co.uk/minting-basic-income-us-lawmaker-asks-treasury-to-issue-two-1-trillion-coins-with-no-debt/

Topic of the Week

Lincoln Chafee

https://www.lincolnchafee.com/

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Episode 162: The Law of Demanding More Supplies

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 14:00:00 -0000

The laws of economics aren’t social conventions that we can choose to follow or ignore as it suits us. When demand for a product outstrips supply, the price of the product rises. Calling it, “price gouging,” and outlawing doesn’t make the price increase go away. It simply hides it in other forms. When it comes to price gouging laws, we only think we are choosing between a high price and a low price. We are actually choosing between a high price and a shortage.

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Quick Hits

Dayton University Pepper Sprays Its Students https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200311/police-fire-pepper-balls-at-disorderly-crowd-near-university-of-dayton-after-coronavirus-dorm-closing-announcement

People Calling 911 for Toilet Paper

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/do-not-call-911-just-because-you-ran-out-of-toilet-paper-oregon-police-say

Foolishness of the Week

Student Suspended for Selling Hand Sanitizer

https://nypost.com/2020/03/12/uk-teen-suspended-from-school-for-charging-students-for-hand-sanitizer/

Topic of the Week

Craigslist Gas Black-Market

https://money.cnn.com/2012/11/05/news/economy/craigslist-gas-sandy/index.html

Fire Man Arrested for Selling Gas Post Hurricane Sandy

https://www.nj.com/essex/2014/12/jury_selection_to_begin_for_east_orange_firefighter_accused_of_selling_gas_after_hurricane_sandy_fue.html

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 161: Why Is It So Hard to Sue the Police?

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 14:00:00 -0000

When a person harms another, the harmed party can go to the courts to seek redress. But the Supreme Court sets police and prosecutors above the law. If someone who works in these professions harms you, you will likely be prohibited from suing the person. This week on Words & Numbers, Clark Neily joins us to discuss the ramifications of immunity protections.

Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Get your copy of Cooperation and Coercion now!

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Quick Hits

Price Gouging

https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/tech-news-briefing/amazon-works-to-remove-price-gouging/C761B7C8-0535-40E7-B039-3203306C789B

Racism and Sexism

https://reason.com/2020/03/06/sexism-didnt-kill-the-warren-campaign-the-warren-campaign-killed-the-warren-campaign/

Foolishness of the Week

Lenin Statue

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/first-lenin-statue-western-germany-erected-gelsenkirchen

Topic of the Week

Terms of Engagement

https://www.amazon.com/Terms-Engagement-Enforce-Constitutions-Government/dp/1594036969

Clark Neily on Twitter

https://twitter.com/ConLawWarrior

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 160: Crude Reactions

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 15:00:00 -0000

Ten years ago, an explosion on the oil rig Deepwater Horizon killed almost a dozen people and resulted in the worst oil spill in US history. This week, economist and environmental and regulatory expert Peter Van Doren joins us to discuss the incentives in play that contributed to the tragedy.

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Quick Hits

California’s Universal Basic Income

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB2712

Wal-Mart as a Health Care Provider

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-25/walmart-takes-on-cvs-amazon-with-low-price-health-care-clinics

Foolishness of the Week

Gender Neutral Stores

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article240601601.html

Topic of the Week

Deepwater Horizon

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/us/26spill.html

Peter Van Doren

https://www.cato.org/people/peter-vandoren

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 159: Missing the Marx

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 15:00:00 -0000

Karl Marx’s thoughts on socialism are popular among politicians and humanities professors, but not so much among business people and economics professors. In this episode, Phil Magness, economic historian and author of The Best of Karl Marx, joins Words & Numbers to talk about how Marx’s teachings were on the way out but got resurrected by political leaders and academics.

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Quick hits

Jeff Bezos Giving $10 Billion

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/jeff-bezos-giving-away-10-billion-in-grants-for-fighting-climate-change/

Coronavirus Threatens Chinese Economy

https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/millions-of-chinese-firms-face-collapse-if-banks-don-t-act-fast

Foolishness of the week

Flat Earth Experiment

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/23/mad-mike-hughes-killed-homemade-rocket-crash-california/4849772002/

Topic of the week

The Best of Karl Marx

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZY9TGTX?ref=dbs_p2d_P_R_popup_yes_pony_T1

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Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

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https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 158: Incivility

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 15:00:00 -0000

We’ve all experienced incivility on the Internet. But today’s incivility is more than people being rude to each other online. Political leaders have become less civil toward each other, and political parties have become more extremist. Middle America, meanwhile, is becoming less represented as people on the two political extremes listen less to and scream more at each other.

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Quick hits

Dinosaur statue

https://www.the-sun.com/news/375426/dad-accidentally-orders-19ft-carnotaur-statue-for-his-dinosaur-mad-son-that-was-dropped-into-garden-by-crane/

Car dealers encourage loan defaults

https://www.wsj.com/articles/dealerships-give-car-buyers-some-advice-just-stop-paying-your-loan-11581762601

Foolishness of the week

Florida man refuses dialysis

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/15/trump-cardboard-cutout-dialysis-treatment/

Topic of the week

The hounding of Jordan Peterson

https://spectator.us/jordan-peterson-addiction-death-online-hate/

U.S. media polarization

https://www.journalism.org/2020/01/24/u-s-media-polarization-and-the-2020-election-a-nation-divided/

Democrats have become more liberal

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/01/17/liberals-make-up-largest-share-of-democratic-voters/

Why has America become so divided

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen/201809/why-has-america-become-so-divided

What are the solutions to political polarization

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_are_the_solutions_to_political_polarization

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Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

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https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 157: Black Markets

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 15:00:00 -0000

Many people imagine that, when the government bans something, the banned thing goes away. In fact, what banning does is to remove government protections against violence, theft, and fraud. Justification for banning things that harm no one other than, perhaps, the person who wants those things hinges on inequality - that some of us should have the right to tell others of us how those others should live their own lives.

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Quick hits

Technological cure for macular degeneration https://scienceblog.com/513957/first-in-the-u-s-wireless-retinal-device-for-advanced-age-related-macular-degeneration/

Americans go to libraries more than to movies

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/americans-went-library-more-often-movies-2019-180974091/

Foolishness of the week

Trump and Pelosi’s Incivility

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/05/pelosis-page-ripping-was-fitting-end-impeachment/

Topic of the week

United Nations World Drug Report

https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2019/en/index.html

Marijuana doomsday didn’t come

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2017-12-19/marijuana-legalization-doomsday-didnt-come-to-colorado

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Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

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https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 156: The Government’s Rosy Outlook

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:00:00 -0000

The Congressional Budget Office is tasked with forecasting the federal budget. Over the past twenty years, the CBO has tended to over-estimate future tax revenues and under-estimate future government spending. The result is that CBO paints an unrealistically rosy picture of the government’s financial future. If we take CBO’s forecasts and compensate for their historically rosy biases, we find that, where the CBO predicts trillion-dollar deficits forever, the likely reality is actually worse.

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Quick hits

Europe votes for standardized phone chargers

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xgqwbd/europe-just-voted-in-favor-of-making-iphone-and-android-use-the-same-charger

Pledge

https://www.wgal.com/article/student-sues-lebanon-school-district-over-alleged-punishment-for-refusing-to-stand-for-pledge-of-allegiance/30732086

WV Board of Education v. Barnette

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_State_Board_of_Education_v._Barnette

Foolishness of the week

Punxsutawney Phil and PETA

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/peta-calls-for-punxsutawney-phil-to-retire-be-replaced-with-ai-robot-for-groundhog-day

Topic of the week

Latest CBO report

https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2019-08/55551-CBO-outlook-update_0.pdf https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/budget-deficit-hit-1-trillion-year-cbo-200128193731479.html

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 155: David Schmidtz on Equality and Justice

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 15:00:00 -0000

When most people say, “equality,” they mean income equality. Economists draw a finer distinction between income equality and wealth equality. Political scientists draw an even finer distinction between economic equality and equality under the law. Philosophers distinguish even more finely, looking at equality of opportunity and equality of outcome, and examining how equality itself is one of several elements that comprise justice.

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Quick hits

Half of the world is now middle class https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/09/27/a-global-tipping-point-half-the-world-is-now-middle-class-or-wealthier/ 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/auschwitz-holocaust-muslim-jewish-pray-a9299941.html

Foolishness of the week

A “just” Connecticut

http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/looney-news/3045-looney-200122#sthash.xHba9oNB.n5oMRw3V.dpbs

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/24/conn-democrats-propose-new-state-police-department/

Topic of the week

David Schmidtz

https://freedomcenter.arizona.edu/david-schmidtz

Freedom Center podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/vc/podcast/freedom-center-today/id1452115977 New Yorker: The Equality Conundrum

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/13/the-equality-conundrum

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Episode 154: Cracks in the Ivory Tower

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 15:00:00 -0000

The rising cost of tuition is merely a symptom of a disease. The disease, which is much more complex, involves misplaced incentives from administrators to faculty to students to parents. Phil Magnus joins Words & Numbers this week to talk about his recent book, Cracks in the Ivory Tower.

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Quick hits

Trial by combat

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2020/01/13/iowa-courts-david-ostrom-requests-trial-combat-swords-settle-dispute/4456079002/

The FBI wants access to your phone

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/two-iphones-or-privacy-billions-why-apple-vs-fbi-matters-n1118001

Foolishness of the week

You may have to answer to police in Kentucky

https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article239389143.html

Topic of the week

Cracks in the Ivory Tower

https://www.amazon.com/Cracks-Ivory-Tower-Higher-Education/dp/0190846283

Review of Cracks in the Ivory Tower

https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/cracks-ivory-tower

Phil Magness

https://twitter.com/PhilWMagness

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2020/01/13/iowa-courts-david-ostrom-requests-trial-combat-swords-settle-dispute/4456079002/

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/08/new-york-lawyer-demands-trial-by-combat-because-game-of-thrones-is-real

https://abovethelaw.com/2016/03/judge-admits-trial-by-combat-is-available-in-new-york-then-declines-to-order-it/

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/09/17/trial-by-combat/

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Episode 153: Prohibition and Constitutional Constraints

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 15:00:00 -0000

The 18th Amendment was ratified a century ago, beginning the United States’ fourteen-year experiment with prohibition. An Amendment was needed because the Constitution did not give the federal government the power to ban alcohol. Yet, today, the federal government bans recreational drugs and puts medicinal drugs under the control of the FDA. But, the Constitution also doesn’t give the government the power to regulate drugs. Either the 18th Amendment wasn’t necessary a century ago, or federal drug controls are unconstitutional today.

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Quick hits

The optimal GPA

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/study-says-there-is-optimal-failure-for-learning-more-efficiently/

Too many 4.0s

https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-graduated-cum-laude-so-did-everyone-else-1530523801

Weed in Atlanta

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/apd-disbands-drug-unit-fight-real-crime/

Foolishness of the week

Bernie Sanders worked for his money

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/aaronfreedman/bernie-sanders-is-rich-but-hes-a-worker

Topic of the week

Legal status of marijuana by state

https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-state

Bootleggers and Baptists

https://www.amazon.com/Bootleggers-Baptists-Economic-Persuasion-Regulatory/dp/1939709369

18th Amendment

https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xviii

21st Amendment

https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xxi

Wickard v. Filburn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn

You used to be able to buy heroin at Sears

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/sears-roebuck-bayer-heroin/580441/

What can Colorado teach us about legalizing weed?

https://fee.org/articles/four-years-on-what-can-colorado-teach-us-about-legalizing-weed/

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Episode 152: Government Schools and the Freedom to Choose

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 15:00:00 -0000

“School choice” is much more than parents being able to choose which schools their children will attend. It is also teachers being free to design and teach their own curricula. It is principals being free to promote good teachers and to fire poor teachers. The problems we have with public education in this country have their roots in a lack of choice for all parties involved in the educational process. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

Self-interest versus selfish

https://simpleflying.com/delta-passengers-life-saved-when-passengers-gave-up-seats-for-liver-transplant/

Water limits in California

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/correct-information-california-water-efficiency-222625943.html

Foolishness of the week

NYC parking meters

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/01/02/parking-meters-nyc-credit-cards/

Topic of the week

Corey DeAngelis

https://reason.org/author/corey-deangelis/

Corey DeAngelis on Twitter

https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 151: New Year Resolutions

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 15:00:00 -0000

It’s the New Year, a time when people like to make resolutions. In this episode, James and Ant look at surveys on what Americans pick for their New Year resolutions, how many fall off their wagons, and the role of resolutions, kept or not, in giving us hope for the future. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

How much do CEOs make relative to workers?

https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2018/02/12/ceo-tenure-rates/

https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1190369125291503621

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/top-executives.htm

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/average-salary-information-for-us-workers-2060808

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2014/04/03/americas-highest-paid-marketing-executives/#5490bbc68f55

Food from air

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/protein-from-air?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

Foolishness of the week

Nerds, geeks, and hate crime

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/17/nerd-geek-insults-should-classed-hate-crimes-academic-claims/

Topic of the week

https://www.statista.com/statistics/378105/new-years-resolution/

https://www.statista.com/chart/16500/top-us-new-years-resolutions/

https://www.statista.com/chart/20309/us-new-years-resolutions-2020/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinconklin/2018/12/18/new-years-resolutions-are-for-loserstake-these-4-steps-instead/#4113884b5e2c

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 150: A Culture of Envy

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 15:00:00 -0000

People tend to talk about income inequality as if it were necessarily a bad thing. In so doing, they often confuse inequality and poverty and, in the process, run the risk of justifying what is really envy. This week, James and Ant discuss the fact that poverty is a bad thing, whether inequality could be a bad thing, and that politicians use voters’ envy to expand the government’s power. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

HELPER

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/rand-paul-to-offer-bill-allowing-families-to-use-retirement-savings-for-student-loans-2019-12-04

How much Americans have in 401k plans, by age

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/23/how-much-money-americans-have-in-their-401ks-at-every-age.html

401k returns

https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/401ks/articles/what-is-the-average-401-k-return

Student loan interest rates

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/loans/student-loans/student-loan-interest-rates/

Bernie’s now a millionaire

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3006320/critic-millionaires-and-billionaires-bernie-sanders

Foolishness of the week

A national smoking age

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/20/health/tobacco-age-21-trump-spending-bill-bn/index.html

https://disrn.com/news/congress-votes-to-raise-age-to-buy-tobacco-to-21

Topic of the week

US poverty rate

https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-united-states

Facts about income mobility

https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/some-amazing-findings-on-income-mobility-in-the-us-including-this-the-image-of-a-static-1-and-99-percent-is-false/

Inequality after taxes and transfers

https://voxeu.org/article/income-redistribution-through-taxes-and-transfers

Inheriting wealth

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rainerzitelmann/2019/06/24/amazing-facts-that-prove-inheritance-is-mostly-overrated-as-a-reason-for-wealth/#39759c11eca3

Intergenerational income

https://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/uploadedfiles/pcs_assets/2012/pursuingamericandreampdf.pdf

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Episode 149: Predictions and Reality of Net Neutrality

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 15:00:00 -0000

A year ago, FCC repealed net neutrality - the law that required internet service providers to treat all data passing through their servers the same. Proponents of net neutrality said that the repeal would yield higher prices and worse service. In this week's episode James and Ant ask what actually happened. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

Billion dollar property tax error https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/business/ups-drugs-tucson-arizona.html

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin

https://www.blueorigin.com/

Richard Branson’s first space passenger

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/22/richard-bransons-virgin-galactic-sends-first-test-passenger-on-spaceflight.html

Amazon’s satellite constellation

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/amazons-project-kuiper-oneweb-raise-curtain-higher-satellite-plans/

Foolishness of the week

UK to require that food labelling tell consumers how much exercise they must do to burn off calories

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50711652

Topic of the week

Download speeds

https://www.speedtest.net/reports/united-states/

https://www.bandwidthplace.com/pennsylvania/

https://www.bandwidthplace.com/ohio/

https://www.bandwidthplace.com/georgia/

https://www.bandwidthplace.com/california/

https://www.bandwidthplace.com/new-york/

Price of residential internet service

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WPU374102

Warnings people gave about repealing net neutrality

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/net-neutrality-what-is-it-repeal-latest-meaning-define-trump-internet-rules-why-explained-a8563616.html

https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2019/02/18/net_neutrality_is_gone_did_you_even_notice_111056.html

https://issuesinsights.com/2019/06/10/one-year-later-the-internet-thrives-without-net-neutrality/

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 148: The Cost of Living

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 15:00:00 -0000

Large countries, like the United States, span multiple time zones and have multiple climates. They also have multiple economies, each with different price levels. Prices in New York City are very different from prices in Boise Idaho - typically higher. But wages in New York City are higher also, but then so too are taxes, and so too is the likelihood of being employed. In this episode, James and Ant talk about differences in the costs of living across US cities.

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Quick hits

UPS drug runners https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/business/ups-drugs-tucson-arizona.html

Average person can tolerate family members for four hours

https://www.studyfinds.org/breaking-point-average-person-cant-last-four-hours-with-their-family-over-the-holidays/

Foolishness of the week

Washington College cancels anti-rascist play

https://reason.com/2019/12/03/washington-college-the-foreigner-censorship-students-kkk-racism/

Regional price parity index

https://www.bea.gov/news/2019/real-personal-income-states-and-metropolitan-areas-2017

Topic of the week

Differences in the costs of living across the country

https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-living-san-francisco-compared-to-other-cities

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 147: Patently Absurd

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 13:56:40 -0000

One of the few enumerated powers that the Founders granted to the federal government was the power to issue patents.

Patents are a compromise between two conflicting goals. On the one hand, we want to avoid the creation of government-protected monopolies because monopolies stifle innovation. On the other, we want entrepreneurs to have an incentive to innovate. And one way to incentivize entrepreneurs is to grant monopoly protection for their inventions.

Patent law is an attempt to balance these two conflicting goals, but the balance presents trade offs. Weaker patent laws mean cheaper goods today but a lesser variety of goods tomorrow; stronger patent laws mean more expensive goods today but a greater variety of goods tomorrow.

Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick hits

Why did the South Bronx burn? https://www.latinousa.org/2019/02/06/decadeoffire/

A history of NYC rent control https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100610/BLOGS01/306109998/a-history-lesson-on-rent-regulation-in-the-1970s

Property tax https://fox4kc.com/2019/11/28/kansas-city-woman-angry-about-her-property-taxes-paying-with-nickels/amp/

Merchants taking dollars https://theconversation.com/if-cash-is-king-how-can-stores-refuse-to-take-your-dollars-63516

https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/businesses-taking-benjamins-baby/story

Foolishness of the Week

Michael Bloomberg and “those people” https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/05/24/bloomberg_regressive_taxes_on_the_poor_a_good_thing.html

Topic of the Week

The Constitution and Patents https://www.ipwatchdog.com/2017/11/14/constitutional-underpinnings-patent-law/id=90190/

Join the Conversation

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Episode 146: A Time to Give Thanks

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 12:52:13 -0000

Sometimes, the things we take for granted are the things we should be most thankful for. Football games on your television, climate control in your automobiles, and fully-stocked neighborhood grocery stores are among the many things we may not think about until they aren’t there. What do the data indicate about our modern standard of living? Who is responsible for the advancements in medicine and technology that have improved so many lives? Which historical scourges are functionally nonexistent today? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan in giving thanks to the many improvements in life on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers

Quick hits

Government grocery store

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/22/baldwin-florida-food-desert-city-owned-grocery-store/

Conservatism stresses students

https://www.thecollegefix.com/intellectual-conservatism-group-denied-may-cause-stress-to-the-student-body/

Foolishness of the week

Abolish the electoral college

https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/11/20/joe-kennedy-iii-wants-to-abolish-the-electoral-college/

Topic of the week: Thanksgiving

A Series of Miracles

https://www.faithandfreedom.com/a-series-of-miracles/

State Car Registration by Year

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/mv200.pdf

Office of Highway Policy Information

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2015/mv1.cfm

Household's Owners Equity

https://fred.stlo uisfed.org/series/OEHRENWBSHNO

Mortality in the US

https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2016/1/25/mortality-in-the-united-states-past-present-and-future

Mortality & Causes of Death

https://www.ncdemography.org/2014/06/16/mortality-and-cause-of-death-1900-v-2010/

Join the conversation

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Let us know what you think

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Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 145: Morality and Economics

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 11:00:00 -0000

James and Antony record before a live audience at Truman State University, asking the question, “Is Capitalism moral?” Their answer wends its way through the definition of morality, whether morality requires a religious basis, whether markets beget or reflect morality, whether self-interest is immoral or a motivator that can be harnessed to encourage people to want to help each other.

Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

Chicago library drops fines

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/chicago-first-to-ditch-overdue-library-fees/

Ohio allows wrong answers https://www.newsweek.com/ohio-student-religious-liberties-act-1472008

Foolishness of the week

Billionaires’ tears

https://shop.elizabethwarren.com/products/billionaire-tears-mug

Topic of the week: The morality of capitalism

Paul Ryan’s Catholicism and the poor

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444375104577592892933747400

Ethics and the economy

https://www.jstor.org/stable/20753439?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Join the conversation

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Let us know what you think

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Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 144: How Does Direct Access Primary Care Work?

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 11:00:00 -0000

The US health care system is rife with many variables affecting the prices of and access to medical care. iHealth is a health care provider that does not take health insurance and is transparent about its prices. Is there a regulatory framework that allows for such a business to be successful? Would this model work for the rest of the country? What barriers are in place that prevent other physicians from doing business like iHealth? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and their special guest Dr. Timothy Wong, the founder of iHealth, as they parse out the complexities behind the economics and politics of the health care industry.

Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

Texas voters ban the state income tax

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2019/11/06/early-texas-voters-leaning-toward-supporting-ban-on-state-income-tax/

State-Local Tax Burden Rankings FY 2012

https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/

9 States With No Income Tax

https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/taxes/T054-S001-states-without-income-tax/index.html

Texas Voters Ban Income Tax Again

https://reason.com/2019/11/06/texas-voters-ban-state-income-taxes-again/

The trade gap

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/trump-vowed-to-shrink-the-trade-gap-it-keeps-growing/ar-AAJTqg9

Foolishness of the week

Michael Bloomberg running for President

https://apnews.com/461efe170a174c4fb9446951c164537e

Jeff Sessions running for the Senate

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jeff-sessions-trump-first-ad-alabama-trump

Topic of the week: A new model for delivering primary health care

iHealth Clinic

https://ihealth.clinic/

Direct Access Primary Care

https://directaccessprimarycare.com/

A flat-fee approach to paying for health care

https://www.post-gazette.com/business/healthcare-business/2019/08/26/Doctor-Timothy-Wong-insurance-flat-fee-primary-care/stories/201908250045

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Let us know what you think

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Antony Davies on Twitter

https://twitter.com/antonydavies

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 143: The Difference Between Socialism and Transferism

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 11:00:00 -0000

Using a historical definition of the term, socialism designated a political system where the government owns the means of production. However, for many people, the word has evolved into something different. Do today’s young people believe in government ownership of property or redistribution of positive results? What has changed the traditional sense of socialism? Has the Supreme Court weighed in on any social programs? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they ponder these questions and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

Enzymes eat plastic

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/factory-uses-enzymes-to-recycle-all-plastics-at-once-backed-by-major-companies/

Anti-inflamatory drugs and depression

https://www.healio.com/primary-care/psychiatry/news/online/%7B649c6090-c2d2-4b42-800d-9f63fabf862c%7D/anti-inflammatory-drugs-improve-depression

Foolishness of the week

Senate rejects Rand Paul’s proposal to cut spending by 2 percent

https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/467817-senate-rejects-paul-effort-to-cut-spending

Topic of the week: Transferism

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 142: Are There Limits to Free Speech?

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 10:00:00 -0000

Many attention-grabbing headlines talk about laws restricting speech. It seems some legislators don’t know the constitutionality of these proposed laws. What are the ramifications of passing laws such as these? Are these laws justified under some legal doctrines? What’s the rationale behind these propositions? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they dig into these proposed laws and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

California blackouts

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/23/pge-rebuked-over-imposing-blackouts-in-california-to-reduce-fire-risk.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/29/business/california-fire-insurance.html

Portland is surprised that a retail tax causes retail prices to rise

https://www.americanexperiment.org/2019/10/portland-voters-put-a-1-tax-on-large-retailers-complain-when-retailers-pass-it-on-to-them/

Foolishness of the week

Woke math

https://reason.com/2019/10/22/seattle-math-oppressive-cultural-woke/?fbclid=IwAR2ZEAmWBlm0KnxvWblTthoNsuPG39Qx-eNMp_dn1GdmdKztww_QZMB1YFU

https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/socialstudies/pubdocs/Math%20SDS%20ES%20Framework.pdf

Topic of the week: First Amendment https://www.americanexperiment.org/2019/10/portland-voters-put-a-1-tax-on-large-retailers-complain-when-retailers-pass-it-on-to-them/

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-uconn-rally-racist-video-20191021-fmpaw34gzzcqtipztwv45tieca-story.html

https://reason.com/2019/10/23/the-connecticut-hate-crimes-law-used-to-charge-two-idiot-college-students-would-ban-family-guy-too/

https://www.boston.com/news/policy/2019/10/22/proposed-massachusetts-law-would-ban-b-word

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Episode 141: Who Are the Real Presidential Contenders?

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 14:00:00 -0000

It’s debate season, and speculation about who will be the next president has already begun. Looming over the current president are constant calls for impeachment and reports on alleged wrongdoings which may diminish his chances for reelection. So, who are the best candidates and their running mates? Is impeachment a criminal or a political procedure? What kind of candidate are many Americans looking for? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they offer their assessment of the next presidential election and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Quick hits:

Difference between a signatory and a party

http://www.insidejustice.com/intl/2010/03/17/signatory_party_treaty/

Major cities that have peaked their carbon emissions

https://www.c40.org/press_releases/30-of-the-world-s-largest-most-influential-cities-have-peaked-greenhouse-gas-emissions

Mad Dog Mattis and the Debt

https://www.politics-prose.com/video/call-sign-chaos-jim-mattis

Foolishness of the week:

San Francisco's Office of Emerging Technology

https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-to-establish-office-of-emerging-technology/?fbclid=IwAR2Txda5zSvC_YEblel4JVpZ8hm1hgDOKVbXHmGK4_syDb0Vm__ThwJrzcQ

Topic of the week: Politically Smart Moves: Giuliana’s associates arrested

https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-foreign-born-men-who-helped-giuliani-on-ukraine-arrested-on-campaign-finance-charges-11570714188

Bi-partisan presidential tickets

https://www.bustle.com/articles/160298-do-presidents-vice-presidents-have-to-be-from-the-same-party-a-bipartisan-attempt-isnt

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Episode 140: What Can We Learn from Joker?

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Sean Malone, the creator of the Out of Frame video series and Director of Media at FEE, gives us his unique perspective on the film Joker. Do art and cinema have the power to hold a mirror up to society? Is that what makes people uncomfortable about Joker and movies like it? How do other cultures respond to graphic novels and films about superheroes? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Sean Malone as they avoid spoilers and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Quick hits

Pikes Peak Library District

https://ppld.org/

Shepard Smith leaving Fox

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/breaking-shepard-smith-leaving-fox-news/

Foolishness of the week

White House sends talking points to Democrats

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/465457-white-house-accidentally-sends-ukraine-talking-points-to-democrats-again

Topic of the week: Joker Sean Malone

https://fee.org/people/sean-malone/

Out of Frame

https://fee.org/shows/video/out-of-frame/

The Joker, Nihilism, and One Iranian Boy

https://youtu.be/rYLwLSlfnlU

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Episode 139: Happy Deficit Day!

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 14:00:00 -0000

This year, October 3, 2019, is Deficit Day, the day the federal government’s income runs out. For a long time, the government has been spending more money than it collects in taxes. What effect will this have on the average American citizen? How much does the government pay in loan interest alone? Hasn’t the federal government had surpluses? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they crunch the numbers and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Gang leaders

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/former-bloods-and-crips-leaders-make-peace-to-stop-gang-violence/

Hate symbols

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/us/adl-new-hate-symbols/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1-5FFWB_7gYooaWLZgmyXo9w9DgeN9IrAc_yLxchsjqReEIwoOzzqcvRA

Foolishness of the week

Stock markets and impeachment

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/trump-warns-again-that-the-stock-market-would-crash-if-he-is-impeached.html

Topic of the week: Deficit Day 2019

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/federal-debt-deficit-reserve-president-donald-trump-20190924.html

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Episode 138: Vaping, Firearms, and the Leading Causes of Death in the US

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 14:00:00 -0000

As the saying goes, nothing can be certain except death and taxes. Thousands of people die every year from a remarkably wide variety of causes. What are the top five causes of death in the US? Are you more likely to be killed by a knife than a gun? What do diet and exercise have to do with death? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they cover death by rare diseases, vaping, firearms and more in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Speculators

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/upshot/Bernie-Sanders-housing-plan.html

https://news.streetroots.org/2019/09/13/wall-street-speculators-and-loss-affordable-housing

San Francisco library eliminates overdue fines

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13866475/san-francisco-public-library-eliminates-overdue-fines

Foolishness of the week

Confessing one’s climate sins

https://pagesix.com/2019/09/22/radioheads-thom-yorke-admits-hes-a-climate-change-hypocrite/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/specials/climate-confessions-share-solutions-climate-change-n1054791

Topic of the week: What will kill you

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/19/health/vaping-lung-injury-new-cases-530-bn/index.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/eastern-equine-encephalitis-several-dead-from-rare-disease-spread-by-mosquitoes-2019-09-21/

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congresswoman-mocked-for-saying-ar-15-is-as-heavy-as-10-moving-boxes-fires-50-caliber-bullets

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2017/crime-in-the-u.s.-2017/topic-pages/tables/table-20

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Episode 137: Tank Man

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 14:00:00 -0000

In this episode, James and Ant interview Robert Anthony Peters, producer and director of Tank Man, the story of the everyday person who stood down the Chinese army during the Tiananmen Massacre. In 1989, the Chinese people staged a series of protests in Tiananmen Square calling for democratic reforms. When the authorities had had enough, they sent in troops and tanks to break up the protests, killing and wounding thousands. One man, whose name and fate remains unknown, stood in front of the tanks and refused to let them pass.

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Quick hits

Repurchase agreements

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-repo-market-what-it-is-and-why-everyone-is-talking-about-it-again-11568743438

Americans are getting heavier

https://www.vox.com/2015/6/15/8784389/america-weight-gain

Foolishness of the week

Sanders wants to forgive medical debt

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/us/politics/bernie-medical-debt-healthcare.html

Topic of the week: Tank Man

Robert Anthony Peters

www.tankmanthemovie.com

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Episode 136: To Find Solutions, Follow the Incentives

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Tuition increases seem to indicate that colleges might have an incentive to admit students who may not succeed. Meanwhile, many professors are being required to add clear student outcomes to their syllabi. However, this still leaves many students hanging. Loans are difficult to pay back, and many other problems crop up in schools. How can we adjust incentives to help public universities perform better? Should some schools use their endowments to issue loans? What innovations could be implemented to improve education? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they search for better solutions to the problems many students experience on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Mesh network is robust because it’s decentralized

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2019/09/02/hong-kong-protestors-using-mesh-messaging-app-china-cant-block-usage-up-3685

Noah’s Arks

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1177909/space-news-igor-ashurbeyli-asgardia-russia-space-nation-nasa-moon-spt

Foolishness of the week

Second hand vaping

https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-youth-secondhand-vaping-smoke-tt-20190828-5immkhhkrrecbjub7ik6un4lni-story.html

Topic of the week: Follow Incentives to Solutions

https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/2019/tr2019.pdf

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Episode 135: The Reality of Legal Immigration

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Immigration policy in the United States is fraught with obstacles. Visas, green cards, and work permits all have complicated stipulations that must be followed. What does the process of legal immigration entail? What are the costs, monetary or otherwise? Is there an incentive to immigrate illegally? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss the astonishing personal experiences of two special guests on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Workers are fleeing big cities

https://www.wsj.com/articles/workers-are-fleeing-big-cities-for-small-onesand-taking-their-jobs-with-them-11567848600

Foolishness of the week

Oregon wants to ban self-checkouts

https://reason.com/2019/09/06/union-backed-ballot-initiative-would-limit-grocery-stores-to-2-self-checkout-machines/

Topic of the week: Pitfalls of Legal Immigration

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Episode 134: Benevolence Backfires: The Cobra Effect

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Many proposed solutions to society’s problems produce unintended consequences. Some laws passed in good faith, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, have adverse effects on the very people they intend to help. How many laws like this are there? What do people do about them? How do businesses deal with such laws? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they dive into the unforeseeable results of mixing good intentions with public policy and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Being the victim and the perpetrator in the same case

https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/maryland-sk-court-case-teen-sexting-child-pornography.html

Turning sign language into speech

https://www.blackbusiness.com/2019/05/roy-allela-black-engineer-invents-gloves-turn-sign-language-audible-speech.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1eM20XHy03gUnCjvwy5XjkAt69auKNhszwtYQqUJhZVrd3y1NO6tjV_II

Foolishness of the week

Mayor de Blasio wants to abolish gifted classes

https://reason.com/2019/08/28/de-blasio-advisory-group-wants-to-abolish-gifted-classes-in-nyc-public-schools/?fbclid=IwAR1NhDE1augEPuYkpFcn1yIFmCgMq0OFHM3VU4lsKWsGUgL6BggK2MhK87c

Harrison Bergeron

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Bergeron

Topic of the week: Unintended Consequences

A380 is too quiet

https://www.wired.com/2008/12/a380-is-so-quie/

The Cobra Effect

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-cobra-effect-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/

Payday lending

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-political-assault-on-paydays-1464909417

Americans with Disabilities Act

https://www.nber.org/papers/w6670

Bernie Sanders’ green electrical grid

https://berniesanders.com/issues/the-green-new-deal/

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Episode 133: What’s Up With the National Debates?

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 14:00:00 -0000

If you haven’t seen either of the previous Democratic primary debates, here’s a summary: Twenty candidates debate free health care and slavery reparations, among other things. Instead of talking about eliminating the federal debt, the candidates talk about adding to it. Additionally, the top candidates don’t get to debate the issues fully. All this raises a few questions: Who’s in charge of choosing the broadcast networks? The moderators? The questions asked? What effect do these choices have on the quality of the debates? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss the primary debates and more in this special episode of Words & Numbers featuring bonus material.

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Quick hits

Monopoly socialism https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/23/us/monopoly-socialism-board-game-trnd/index.html

NASA plans mission to a gold asteroid

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1169605/Asteroid-news-NASA-scientists-16-psyche-asteroids-mining-gold-platinum

Foolishness of the week

Minneapolis bans drive thrus

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/08/09/minneapolis-bans-new-drivethrus

Topic of the week: Democratic debates

Reporter bias ratings

https://reporterbias.com/

DNC is a private corporation

https://ivn.us/posts/50-ways-the-democratic-and-republican-parties-are-the-same

Candidates

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/08/2020-candidates-president-guide/582598/

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html

Polling numbers

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/democratic_nomination_polls/

Ford-Carter debate

https://youtu.be/BuaPct7gH1w?t=152

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Episode 132: Words & Numbers Listener Special #4

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Which historical figures do you respect? Which economic concepts should be taught to children? How do you trust statistics? James Harrigan and Antony Davies take questions from the crowd on topics ranging from incentives to trade-offs to research data to US treasury bills and more in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Birth rates dropping

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7312075/Birth-rate-England-Wales-hits-80-YEAR-low.html

Noam Chomsky

https://truthout.org/articles/noam-chomsky-life-expectancy-in-the-us-is-declining-for-a-reason

Foolishness of the week

Robot racism

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/01/tech/robot-racism-scn-trnd/index.html

Topic of the week: Listener questions

Milton Friedman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwaLys3Zak

F.A. Hayek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnMd40dqBlQ

FRED: Federal Reserve data

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/

Bureau of Labor Statistics

https://www.bls.gov/

Pew Research

https://www.pewresearch.org/

Gallup

https://www.gallup.com/home.aspx

United Nations Development Programme

http://hdr.undp.org/en/data

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Episode 131: Can Incentives Save the World?

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 14:00:00 -0000

When it comes to wildlife conservation and other environmental concerns, the ideas of free markets and private property are frequently laughed off as silly by the planet’s most strident defenders. However, the incentives—the motivations to behave in a certain way—that come along with private property are strong. After all, we never worry about cows going extinct. But can these insights on property and incentives be extended to other aspects of our lives and our world? Special guest Howard Baetjer, author of Free Our Markets: A Citizen’s Guide to Essential Economics, joins Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they explore this and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Pickle ball

https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2019/07/26/pickleball-prison-cook-county

Air conditioned shirts

https://www.winknews.com/2019/08/01/sony-to-sell-air-conditioner-shirts-to-keep-you-cool-as-soon-as-next-year/

Foolishness of the week

Rudeness in the grocery stores

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/os-ne-2nd-walmart-urinator-20190802-uogo4be7mbhivezdystbc2rnvm-story.html

Topic of the week: Howard Baetjer and Economic Stories

Howard Baetjer

http://wp.towson.edu/baetjer/

Free Our Markets: A Citizen’s Guide to Essential Economics

https://www.amazon.com/Free-Our-Markets-Essential-Economics/dp/098442542X

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Episode 130: Unschooling and Encouraging Self-Directed Children

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 14:00:00 -0000

For many children, compulsory education and authority figures tend to inadvertently turn off their sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. Additionally, assigned districts can limit school choice for many parents and mandatory curricula can put unnecessary stress on educators. Are there solutions to these problems within the current framework? Is there any evidence to support changing the way we approach schooling to benefit children, parents, and teachers? Where did all these mandates originate? Join Antony Davies, James Harrigan, and special guest Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled, as they discuss the public school system and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits:

Beach umbrellas

https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/menendez-urges-aggressive-action-protect-beachgoers-dangers-flying-beach-umbrellas/

https://www.nsc.org/in-the-newsroom/nsc-statement-on-new-cdc-data-showing-a-rise-in-accidental-death

Candidates reticent to mention Obama

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/democrats-want-have-it-both-ways-barack-obama/595270/

Foolishness of the week:

Soy sauce

https://www.9news.com.au/national/soy-sauce-could-be-banned-under-alcohol-sales-restrictions-in-the-northern-territory/71ef616f-778a-4c24-bf95-a63e2627b00f

Topic of the week: Unschooling:

Kerry McDonald

https://fee.org/people/kerry-mcdonald/

Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641600632/

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Episode 129: When Do We Reach Adulthood?

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 14:00:00 -0000

As we reach pivotal milestones, such as the legal driving age, we’re met with serious questions: Who decided I’m not old enough to vote? Why can I drive but not enter a bar? When do I have to buy health insurance? Am I ready for all this? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they weigh the pros and cons of transitioning from a minor to an adult live from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Brim’s Snack Foods https://www.apr.org/post/life-so-delicious

Facts about small businesses https://sbecouncil.org/about-us/facts-and-data/

$20 an hour minimum wage https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/454212-rashida-tlaib-minimum-wage-should-be-20-an-hour-not-15

Foolishness of the week

Montgomery county, Maryland wants to require landlords to provide air conditioning

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/as-temperatures-rise-montgomery-asks-should-landlords-have-to-provide-ac-to-tenants/2019/07/16/4b5c7406-a7dc-11e9-86dd-d7f0e60391e9_story.html

Topic of the week: When does a person become an adult?

Ages of majority across the states

https://hrpo.wustl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/5-Determining-Legal-Age-to-Consent.pdf

Bill calls for raising the smoking age to 21

https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/senate-majority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-introduces-bill-raise-federal-legal-smoking-age-21

Legal drinking ages across countries

https://drinkingage.procon.org/minimum-legal-drinking-age-in-190-countries/

Legal marriage ages across states

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/table_marriage

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Episode 128: Are Corporations People?

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Citizens United, a conservative non-profit corporation, was once caught in the crosshairs of campaign finance law. The company violated the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act by broadcasting a political film within 30 days of a primary election. The Supreme Court split 5-4 on the issue. Did the court side with the free speech of a corporation? What happens when there are two different visions of the First Amendment? Are corporations people? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Trevor Burrus as they recount the courtroom drama of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

The bystander effect

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31157529

The world is becoming a better place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP59tz2WreY

Advances toward a cancer cure

https://www.studyfinds.org/strategic-medicine-researchers-develop-trojan-horse-drug-that-tricks-then-kills-cancer-cells/

Foolishness of the week

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/health/beef-environment-resources-report/index.html

Topic of the week: Political Speech and the Citizens United Decision

Trevor Burrus

https://www.cato.org/people/trevor-burrus

Trevor Burrus on Twitter

https://twitter.com/tcburrus

McCain-Feingold, Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

https://ballotpedia.org/Bipartisan_Campaign_Reform_Act

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

https://ballotpedia.org/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission

https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/michael-moore-trumpland-might-have-been-illegal-citizens-united-its-all

Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce

https://ballotpedia.org/Austin_v._Michigan_Chamber_of_Commerce

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Episode 127: What Is a Wealth of Data Worth?

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 14:00:00 -0000

As people like, share, and upload on social media platforms, data is generated by users and gathered by tech companies. It’s a bit unclear, however, how companies handle user data. Is selling or storing user data a problem? Does the Fourth Amendment protect internet privacy? Should the government get involved?Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies—live from the University of Arizona!—as they discuss End User License Agreements, copyright law, data breaches, and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

President Trump may not block critics from his Twitter feed

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-twitter-first-amendment.html

CBO estimates of the effect of a minimum wage hike

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/cbo-estimates-effects-of-house-democrats-15-minimum-wage-plan.html

Foolishness of the week

Google recorded then leaked conversations that Google Assistant overheard

https://mashable.com/article/google-assistant-recordings-leaked/

Topic of the week: Privacy

Expectation of privacy https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/expectation_of_privacy

Katz v. United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katz_v._United_States

Olmstead v. United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmstead_v._United_States

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Episode 126: Who Owns Outer Space?

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 14:00:00 -0000

When it comes to the final frontier, we must inevitably outline the government’s role in interplanetary colonization. Perhaps during the next century, there will be deliberation between cosmic pioneers, space entrepreneurs, and elected officials. Who owns the resources on asteroids and other celestial bodies? What might a galactic congress look like? And what’s maritime law got to do with it? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they mine that asteroid and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Show Notes:

$10 quintillion asteroid

https://www.foxnews.com/science/nasa-headed-towards-giant-golden-asteroid-that-could-make-everyone-on-earth-a-billionaire

Rep. Amash quits the Republican party

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-justin-amash-announces-quitting-republican-party-op/story

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/04/us/politics/justin-amash-trump.html

Foolishness of the week

Buttigieg calls for national service programs

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/03/us/politics/buttigieg-national-service.html

How to pronounce Buttigieg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT36PvjxbRA

Topic of the week: Who owns space?

Heinlein: The Man Who Sold the Moon

https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Sold-Moon/dp/0671578634

General Mining Act of 1872

https://legcounsel.house.gov/Comps/Act%20Of%20May%2010,%201872-(Mining%20Law%20Of%201872).pdf

Law of the Sea

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_the_sea

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Episode 125: Celebrating American Independence

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 14:00:00 -0000

This week’s guest, Robert McDonald, author of Confounding Father talks about the quintessential American philosopher: Thomas Jefferson. During the birth of America, innumerable obstacles stood in its way. What followed was the triumph of the first Americans, from a revolutionary war to purchasing Louisiana and everything in between. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan for a cheerful, optimistic ode to the spirit of America on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon

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Quick hits

Disney heir calls for wealth tax

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/28/736993245/disney-heiress-calls-for-wealth-tax-we-have-to-draw-a-line

San Francisco bans vaping

https://fee.org/articles/san-francisco-becomes-first-us-city-to-ban-sale-of-e-cigarettes-a-healthier-alternative-to-smoking/

Foolishness of the week

Democratic debates and yoga games

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/450540-marianne-williamson-sends-out-healthy-alternative-to-debate

Topic of the week: Robert McDonald on Thomas Jefferson

Confounding Father

https://tinyurl.com/y39dpz5g

Thomas Jefferson’s Lives: Biographers and the Battle for History

https://tinyurl.com/yxtgkhng

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Episode 124: Arguing Outcomes Instead of Principles Puts the Cart Before the Horse

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 14:00:00 -0000

There appears to be a large problem in America with outcome-based thinking, particularly with regards to hot-button political issues. We skip straight to the ending we want and argue for it until we’re blue in the face, and everyone who doesn’t want the same must be evil, stupid, or both. But what if we started the conversation in a different place? What if we started it at the principles that lead to the desired outcome? Would the conversation change? James Harrigan and Antony Davies dig into the subject during their second live recording from FEEcon 2019 on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

From janitor to Executive Vice-President

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/27/a-janitor-invented-flamin-hot-cheetos-and-became-a-pepsico-exec.html

Lost wallets experiment

https://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-people-are-honest-lost-wallets-experiment-20190620-story.html

Foolishness of the week

Manufacturing czar

https://triblive.com/opinion/donald-boudreaux-save-us-from-a-manufacturing-czar/

Topic of the week: Principle and Outcome

Federal receipts are 18% of GDP

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2016-12-01/myths-and-facts-about-the-us-federal-debt

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Episode 123: What Does Equality Even Mean?

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:00:00 -0000

The word “equality” is a tricky one. It means different things to different people in different contexts. Do we mean “income equality”? “Wealth equality”? “Equality before the law”? And how does that sync up with “fairness”? Why are so many fine with professional athletes and movie stars making hundreds of millions of dollars but not CEOs? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they delve into the subject live from FEEcon 2019 on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits:

Tulsi Gabbard

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/congresswoman-used-toffee-to-unite-republicans-and-democrats/

People spending more on the Internet than at restaurants

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-15/americans-now-spend-more-at-internet-stores-than-restaurants

Foolishness of the week:

O.J. Simpson “has a little getting even to do”

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/06/oj-simpson-twitter-has-a-little-getting-even-to-do

Topic of the week: Inequality:

The problem of inequality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCjWG8RqH4w

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Episode 122: Changing the Rules for Social Security

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 14:00:00 -0000

As the saying goes, if you want less of something, tax it. Recently, a House bill was proposed that would raise the taxable income cap for Social Security to about $400,000. Although there seem to be many reasons to cheer, would this create unintended consequences? What could be done instead? Is privatization the way to go? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies this week as they suggest an elegant solution to a sticky situation on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

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Quick hits

Ladybugs:

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2019-06-06/cloud-of-ladybugs-in-california-so-large-it-appears-on-weather-radar

Influencer can’t sell 26 shirts:

https://www.indy100.com/article/instagram-influencer-arii-t-shirt-sales-followers-fail-twitter-response-8936836

Foolishness of the week

Over-the-counter birth control:

https://www.livescience.com/24940-birth-control-pill-over-the-counter.html

Topic of the week: Social Security

The SECURE Act:

https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/how-secure-act-could-impact-retirement-savings/

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Episode 121: Are Hot Button Issues Actually Important?

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 14:00:00 -0000

If life is an inalienable right, does that take the death penalty off the table? Is there really a need for social safety nets? Taxation, the Articles of Confederation, the Postal Service, and more come together this week as James Harrigan and Antony Davies explore their ambivalence (it doesn’t mean what you might think it does) on many controversial topics on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes:

Arthur Laffer awarded Medal of Freedom

The top half of income earners pay 97% of the federal taxes

Spelling Bee winners

Foolishness of the week

UBI could solve childhood obesity

Topic of the week: Ambivalence

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Antony Davies on Twitter

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Episode 120: What Is Impeachment and How Does It Work?

Wed, 29 May 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Only twice has the U.S. House of Representatives impeached a president, and never has the Senate voted to remove an impeached president from office. People tend to think of impeachment as a judicial tool that should be used rarely and only when a president has broken the law in some egregious way. But impeachment was designed as part of the checks-and-balances. It is a political tool. On this week’s episode of Words & Numbers, join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss what impeachment is and how the political process might work better if impeachment were used more often.

Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes:

Artificial intelligence learns to spot cancer

Employment changes over the past century

Sanders says that teacher salaries should start at $60,000

Foolishness of the week

MSNBC asks political candidate how MSNBC can do better for him

Topic of the week: Impeachment

How does impeachment work?

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Episode 119: Words & Numbers Listener Special #3

Wed, 22 May 2019 14:00:00 -0000

If the federal government disappeared, would there still be a United States? Does every country fall on a spectrum between two extremes, capitalism and communism? Are there any good reasons to restrict voting rights? This week, James Harrigan and Antony Davies answer questions about the subjective theory of value, debts to society, guns vs. butter, and plenty more in this week’s jam-packed episode of Words & Numbers.

Come to FEEcon 2019!

Foolishness of the week

Pennsylvania Mayors

Pew Poll on Views About Gun Regulation

Topic of the week: Listener questions

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Episode 118: Household Debt: The Good, the Bad, and the Politicized

Wed, 15 May 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Americans, as individuals, carry a lot of debt. But don’t panic! Not all debt is created equal, and not all debt is necessarily a bad thing. Some debt—like mortgages, vehicles, even some college degrees—can be good debt. There are also bad kinds of debt, too. But the thing about individual debt is that it’s the individual's responsibility and really only the business of the borrower and the lender. Once the government gets involved, though, things can get messy. Just how messy and in what ways? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they sort through the bills in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes:

Amazon hiring robots

$6 trillion war

Foolishness of the week:

Limiting credit card interest rates

Topic of the week: Good debt and bad debt:

Household debt

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Episode 117: What’s Your Fair Share?

Wed, 08 May 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Lately, headlines seem to focus on big companies that pay no corporate taxes. However, most of those big companies are still paying payroll taxes. So, have these big companies actually paid their fair share? Americans have their own tax burdens as well. How do we measure a fair tax for all incomes? How do people define what “fair” means? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they cover progressive/regressive taxes, sales taxes, sin taxes, and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Come to FEEcon 2019!

Show Notes:

New York may ban glass and steel buildings

Scientists discover how to convert blood to Type O

Foolishness of the week:

Treasury: US may have to stop borrowing

Topic of the week: Taxes

Amazon 1

Amazon 2

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Thought Experiment: Should the government tax buyers or sellers?

Consider the following three scenarios. In all three scenarios, a seller sets a price and a buyer decides, based on the price, how many units to buy. The number of units the seller sells varies depending on the price the seller charges:

Units sold = 100 - Price per unit

For simplicity (and no meaningful reduction in realism) suppose that it costs the seller $40 for each unit the seller sells. In the first scenario there is no tax. This is a baseline against which we can compare the scenarios in which there is a tax. In the second scenario, the government imposes a $6 per unit tax on the seller. For each unit the seller sells, the seller must pay (in addition to the $40 cost of selling the unit) $6 to the government. In the third scenario, the government imposes a $6 per unit tax on the buyer. For each unit the buyer sells, the buyer must pay the seller’s price to the seller plus an additional $6 to the government.

In each scenario, you can see the price that maximizes the seller’s profit. This is the price the seller will charge in that scenario. You can check the work by choosing a different price. You’ll see that any price other than the one shown results in less profit. At the end of each scenario, you see the final result: how much the buyer pays per unit and how much the seller receives per unit. Compare those results across the three scenarios to see something remarkable.

Scenario 1: No Sales Tax

Profit is maximum when the seller charges $70 per unit.

Units sold = 100 - 70 = 30

Sales = $70 x 30 units = $2,100

Cost of goods sold = $40 x 30 units = $1,200

Profit = $2,100 - $1,200 = $900

→ Buyer pays $70 per unit

→ Seller receives $70 per unit

Tax the Seller $6 per Unit Sold

Profit is maximum when the seller charges $73 per unit.

Units sold = 100 - 73 = 27

Sales = $73 x 27 = $1,971

Cost of goods sold = $40 x 27 + $6 x 27 = $1,242

Profit = $1,971 - $1,242 = $729

→ Buyer pays $73 per unit

→ Seller receives $73 per unit less $6 per unit tax = $67 per unit

→ Compared to No Tax, buyer pays $3 per unit more and seller receives $3 per unit less

Tax the Buyer $6 per Unit Purchased

Profit is maximum when the seller charges $67 per unit.

Units sold = 100 - 67 = 27

Sales = $67 x 27 = $1,809

Cost of goods sold = $40 x 27 = $1,080

Profit = $1,809 - $1,080 = $729

→ Buyer pays $73 per unit ($67 per unit plus $6 per unit tax)

→ Seller receives $67 per unit

→ Compared to No Tax, buyer pays $3 per unit more and seller receives $3 per unit less

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter whether the government taxes the buyer or the seller, they end up sharing the tax burden in the same way. The government decides from whom the tax is collected. The market determines who actually pays the tax.

No Tax

Tax the Seller

Tax the Buyer

Sale price

$70

$73

$67

Price seller receives (net of tax)

$70

$73 - $6 = $67

$67

Price buyer pays (including tax)

$70

$73

$67 + $6 = $73

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Episode 116: What Happens When We Make College “Free”?

Wed, 01 May 2019 14:00:00 -0000

There’s no such thing as a free lunch or, in this case, a free college education, despite the promises of certain presidential candidates. The federal government already guarantees student loans. But what would happen if we just forgave all that student debt? What would it take, politically speaking, and what would it cost? And what’s the value of a college education these days, anyway? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they tackle the topic on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Win tickets to FEEcon 2019!

Quick hits

Chalk on tires violates Fourth Amendment

Phone surveillance

Foolishness of the week

Williams College is afraid of free speech

Tuition at Williams College

Tuition at University of Massachusetts

Topic of the week: Free stuff is too good to be true

Free college too good to be true

Constitutional concerns about a wealth tax

Wealth tax

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Episode 115: The Campus Witch Trials

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Many college students seem baffled or even outraged by opinions that differ from their own. We hear phrases like safe spaces, trigger warnings, and virtue signaling. What’s going on? Has the same psychology that caused religious persecutions returned? Has it infected the majority of students and faculty across the country, or just a vocal few? Guest Donald Boudreaux joins hosts James Harrigan and Antony Davies to sift through the loudest arguments coming from our nation’s universities in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Win tickets to FEEcon 2019!

Show Notes:

Nuclear fusion

Artificial intelligence

Cancer cure

Longevity gene

Cure for bubble boy disease

Brian Lamb retiring

Foolishness of the week:

San Francisco: Poop in the streets

Washington DC: Homelessness

Seattle is dying

Topic of the week: Silencing Dissent

Donald Boudreaux

Donald Boudreaux on Brett Kavanaugh and GMU

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Episode 114: Is It Ok to Pay People for Their Blood Plasma?

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 13:57:29 -0000

Getting paid for your blood—do you have any concerns? Many people are opposed to donors receiving compensation for ethical reasons. Should people only donate blood for altruistic reasons? Should we worry about exploitation? How much of America’s total exports are blood products? Join Antony Davies, James Harrigan, and their guest Peter Jaworski, co-author of the book Markets Without Limits, as they discuss the morality underlying the supply and demand of blood plasma around the world.

Win tickets to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes:

Deficit up 15% in 2019

Deficit up 17% in 2018

Tourism and Chernobyl

Foolishness of the week:

Illinois to raise smoking age to 21

Florida town makes it illegal to grow vegetables

State of Florida overrules Florida town

Topic of the week: Blood plasma sales:

Peter Jaworski

Letter to Senate of Canada regarding the ban on blood plasma sales

Canada needs blood plasma

We should pay for blood plasma donations

Bans on blood plasma sales 1

Bans on blood plasma sales 2

Don’t end NAFTA, Canada needs your bodily fluids

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Episode 113: The Origins of the Social Contract, Part 2

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 14:10:49 -0000

Wage gap myths, middle class success, and hate crime statistics are examined this week in order to dispel the calls for a new social contract. In a society where the majority makes the rules, how do minorities prosper? Is it because of a social contract, is it the result of people being rational, or is it just people being nice to each other? Listen to the conclusion of this two-part special as James Harrigan and Antony Davies use data to trace the prosperity of minority groups in America on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.

Win tickets to FEEcon 2019!

Show Notes:

13 year old buys his mother a car

Cancer vaccine

Foolishness of the week

Illinois to raise smoking age to 21

Florida town makes it illegal to grow vegetables

State of Florida overrules Florida town

Topic of the week: Social Contract Nonsense (Part 2)

Households by race and income (1967-2017)

Income by gender (1960-2017)

Hate crime statistics

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Episode 112: The Origins of the Social Contract, Part 1

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Have you ever signed a contract without reading the terms and conditions? According to Elizabeth Warren, part of the “social contract” is to pay your fair share. But wait, what is the “social contract” that politicians and talking heads keep bringing up? Is it the consent of the governed? Is it written down? Did anyone actually agree to it? Enjoy the first part of a two-part special as Antony Davies and James Harrigan dig up the historical origins of the social contract.

Quick hits

Tversky & Kahneman, Rational Choice and the Framing of Decisions

Robots in grocery stores

FEEcon VIP Giveaway

https://info.fee.org/wordsandnumbers

Foolishness of the week

Special Olympics 1

Special Olympics 2

Topic of the week: Social Contract Nonsense (Part 1)

Locke’s Social Contract

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Episode 111: Game of Votes: Electoral vs. Popular

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 14:00:00 -0000

538 Electors. 270 votes. Winner-takes-all! Well, at least for now. Colorado recently became the twelfth state to join an effort to award the presidency to the candidate who wins the most individual votes. But should the popular vote replace the Electoral College? Originally intended as a safeguard for the separation of powers, has this election method failed Americans? Population vs. Geography. Urban vs. Rural. Democrats vs. Republicans; it’s a conversation that usually gets people all lathered up on both sides of the issue. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they inform us about the reasoning behind the Electoral College and how it works.

Show Notes:

Adidas making sneakers out of waste plastic

China stops taking the world’s trash

No place for US recyclables

Nuclear energy better than renewables

Foolishness of the week

Police shoot teachers

Topic of the week

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Episode 110: Is Facebook a Monopoly?

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:00:00 -0000

The dominating online presence of Facebook, Google, and Amazon has often been called monopolistic. Government-enforced monopolies, such as Western Union and Ma Bell, have fallen before, but is Big Tech anything like those old companies? Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has even started a petition calling for the breakup of big tech companies, which may include Apple among others. How would the digital world look if she succeeds? Should politicians get to decide whether Facebook meets the same fate as MySpace or should the consumer? Join us this week as James Harrigan and Antony Davies thwart the misconceptions about monopolies and discuss the fates of tech products like Netscape and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

Show Notes:

Buying your way into college

New York City wants to ban “unfair” firings

Foolishness of the week

Missouri wants to require residents to own AR-15s

Topic of the week

Elizabeth Warren wants to break up Facebook

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Episode 109: Are You In the Global 1%?

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Live from Scottsdale, Arizona! James Harrigan and Antony Davies contend that the median income in the US puts Americans in the top 1 percent in the world. What does that mean? Only that these people can afford stuff that, roughly a century ago, had been considered luxuries: air conditioning, running hot and cold water, ovens, refrigerators, stainless steel, and even sweet potatoes. The standard of living for even minimum wage earners today has remarkably improved in spite of burdensome regulations, but can this trend continue? Join us this week as our hosts suss out the reasons for the improvements in worldwide wealth and search for the “Goldilocks Zone” of government intervention.

Show Notes:

Measles outbreak at Midway airport

Gap, JC Penny, Foot Locker closures

Montgomery Ward

Foolishness of the week

Sanders: Government can’t go too far

Topic of the week

Where did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez get her sweet potatoes?

World median income

Are you a 1-percenter?

Donald Boudreaux on insider trading

What would our GDP be if we had less unnecessary regulation?

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Episode 108: Where Are They Now? The Disappearance of Mutual Aid Societies.

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 15:00:00 -0000

This week’s guest, David Beito, professor of History at the University of Alabama, discusses the functions, benefits, and undoing of mutual aid societies. These private safety nets, like tontine funds and Masons, once widely provided services such as health and unemployment insurances, hospitals, housing for the elderly, and care for orphans. So what happened? Did beneficiaries dry up these funds? Did scandals, state bans, and the Great Depression lead to the disappearance of benefit societies? Are they still around? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and professor Beito as they answer these questions and more on Words & Numbers.

Show Notes:

Male-only draft unconstitutional

Humanity’s backup plan

Foolishness of the week

AOC says people shouldn’t reproduce

Topic of the week

Mutual aid societies

Tontine insurance

David Beito

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Episode 107: Modern Monetary Theory The Government as Referee, Player, and Scorekeeper

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 15:00:00 -0000

This week, economist and theorist Warren Mosler joins James and Antony to explain the details of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). With 40 years of experience in finance and monetary operations, Mosler is a leading expert on MMT, is a co-founder of AVM—a brokerage, trading, and administrative services firm—and lectures on monetary economics around the world. He covers the important ramifications stemming from the adoption of MMT and how coercive shifts of resources benefit public infrastructure, and responds to criticisms of MMT. With supporters in Washington such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, MMT is quickly gaining a strong following, and Warren, James, and Antony discuss the important points on this winding theory and more.

Show Notes:

People killed in armed conflicts

People killed by mosquitoes

Genetically modified mosquitoes

Foolishness of the week

TSA smuggling ring

Topic of the week

Modern Monetary Theory

Warren Mosler

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Episode 106: Can Anti-Discrimination Laws Get Us Closer to a Meritocracy?

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:00:00 -0000

Discrimination happens every single day. Every human, in some way, makes a judgment about other humans and uses that judgment to discriminate, whether that be who they date, who they do business with, and, yes, who they hire and fire. Most discrimination is fine—necessary, even. But sometimes it crosses a line. Where is that line? How does it affect people’s careers? When is litigation the right option? Antony Davies and James Harrigan with special guest Vince White as they discuss this and more on Words & Numbers.

Show Notes:

Online dating is changing society

Amazon paid no federal taxes

Foolishness of the week

Amazon took its ball and went home

Topic of the week

Federal employment discrimination laws

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Episode 105: The “Problem” with Billionaires

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 15:00:00 -0000

The Outrage Engine that is social media and op-eds has set its sights on a new target: billionaires. Apparently, being a billionaire is a bad, bad thing. Billionaires should sit down, shut up, and meekly wait until we confiscate their wealth. For certain people of certain political beliefs, this sounds like a great idea. Because, after all, nobody needs that much money. But is it really that simple? Can we really just steal billionaires’ money and nothing bad happens? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they breakdown this and more on Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Redditors are kind to a person in need

Hawaii tries to ban smoking 1

Hawaii tries to ban smoking 2

Foolishness of the week

Green New Deal Resolution

Topic of the week

Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax plan

How an income tax on the rich expanded to be a tax on everyone

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Episode 104: “You Just Hate the Poor!” and Other Minimum Wage Misunderstandings

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 16:00:00 -0000

Fun fact: the profit margin for most businesses is about 8 percent. When you’re talking about categories like restaurants and retail stores, that margin drops to around 2 percent. Yet, some people still seem to believe that all companies are perfectly capable of simply absorbing dramatic increases in their operating costs—namely, labor—with no changes in behavior by these companies. Artificially inflating labor costs, as in the form of minimum wage increases, will not lead to decreased hours, lay-offs, deferred hiring, decreases in benefits, or increased prices for consumers because… reasons. And if you voice disagreement with any of these beliefs, then you must just hate the poor or other ad hominem claims. But who really “hates” the poor based on actual policy outcomes, the #FightFor15 crowd or those who oppose minimum wage hikes? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they dig into this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

AOC ruffles feathers

Lyft offers free rides to shelters

Foolishness of the week

Seeing racism where it’s not

Topic of the week: “You Just Hate the Poor!” and Other Minimum Wage Misunderstandings

Analysis of Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania

Census data on household incomes

Bureau of Labor Statistics data on minimum wage workers

A $15 minimum wage hurts workers

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Episode 103: What Does “Necessary and Proper” Actually Mean?

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:00:00 -0000

Though the United States, as a constitutional republic, is considered to be a “limited government,” it often doesn’t feel that way. Washington keeps churning out law after law regarding what the state may do and what the individual may not. The fault for this is often laid at the feet of the Founders for including the “Necessary and Proper Clause” in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. But is that blame just? Or have politicians through the years simply used it as an excuse to do what they wanted, regardless of what the Constitution says? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they talk about this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Judge convicts volunteers

Nancy Pelosi on inequality

Foolishness of the week

Wealth tax

Senators’ oath of office

Topic of the week: Diversity Officers and Administrative Bloat in Higher Education

How much of government shuts down?

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Episode 102: “Diversity” Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:00:00 -0000

The word “diversity” has become a sticky one. In the last fifteen years, a genuine “diversity industry” has sprung up, particularly at colleges and universities in the United States. Higher education institutions across the country have entire departments with dozens of full-time, highly-paid staff members dedicated to the concept. But to what effect? And exactly what kinds of “diversity” are we talking about? Special guest (and regular FEE contributing author) Mark J. Perry joins Antony Davies and James Harrigan to drill down into this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Oregon first state to require home visits of all families with newborns

Oregon looks to impose statewide rent control

Article II, Section 3

Nancy Pelosi

Foolishness of the week

Ginia Bellefante

$33 minimum wage

City Harvest self-sufficiency calculator

Topic of the week: Diversity Officers and Administrative Bloat in Higher Education

Mark Perry

The impact of diversity officers on diversity

University of Michigan spends $11 million on diversity

Fraction of 18-24 year olds enrolled in college (by race and gender)

Carpe Diem blog

Mark Perry on Twitter

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Episode 101: Fear Fuels Faulty Reasoning Regarding Rifles

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 16:00:00 -0000

Americans are pretty concerned about violent crime—particularly crimes committed with guns, “assault weapons” most specifically. This concern, statistically speaking, is fairly irrational. You are far more likely to be killed by being beaten or stabbed than you are to be killed by any kind of rifle, “assault” or otherwise. So why are so many people so tied up in knots about it? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Corona brewing replaces plastic six-pack rings

Illegal immigrants and Social Security numbers

The economic case for immigration

W&N episode #51: America relies on immigrants

Foolishness of the week

Being morally right vs being factually correct

Criticism vs harassment

Topic of the week: Reality and Perception of Crime

Pew report on violent crime data

FBI crime data

Bureau of Justice Statistics crime data

Gallup polls on perception of crime trends

Defensive uses of guns

Firearm homicide and suicide rates by city

2% of US counties account for 50% of US homicides

Feinstein introduces assault weapons ban

Assault weapons ban of 1994

Article I, Section 8

10th Amendment

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Episode 100: The Good Old Days Weren’t All That Good

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 16:30:00 -0000

People like to talk about the “good old days” where everything used to be so much better than it is today. Everybody feels nostalgic on occasion, and it’s perfectly normal to misremember the past, but were the good old days really all that great? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they compare then and now on the 100th episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick Hits:Cat parasite Elizabeth Warren

Foolishness of the Week: NY Times crossword

Topic of the week: Comparing Life Today to Life 100 Years Ago

See the accompanying chart for data and data sources.

Join the Conversation:Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Antony Davies on Minds.com James R. Harrigan on Minds.com Words & Numbers Backstage

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Episode 99: Buying Kidneys with an Ethics Professor

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:29:10 -0000

Happy 2019, everyone!

On our first episode of Words & Numbers in the new year, professor James Stacey Taylor joins Antony and James this week to discuss the ethical implications of creating markets for human organs.

According to Prof. Taylor, nearly 18 people a day die from a shortage of kidney donors. Economists have argued for decades that these kinds of markets could save lives by creating better incentives for people to donate their organs to people in dire need, but critics say that it would encourage poorer people to put their health at risk for money.

Who's right?

Quick Hits:

University of Missouri says tall men asking short women on dates is policy violation University of Missouri and Title IX (court transcript)No one wants to buy Sears

Foolishness of the Week:

Union dues eat worker’s entire paycheck

Topic of the week: Organ Markets

James Stacey Taylor People in need of kidney donors

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Episode 98: Trump, Adams, and Sedition

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0000

Within less than a decade of ratification of the Bill of Rights, President John Adams signed the Sedition Act, which blatantly violated the First Amendment’s protections of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Since that time, the Supreme Court has repeatedly taken a firm stand in defense of the First Amendment against government encroachment. Yet, within the past couple of years, we’ve heard Congressional Democrats and now a Republican President call for restrictions of both the press and speech that is critical of the government. The freedom to criticize government is the last tool available to peaceful people who seek change. A government that prohibits critical speech, leaves its people with no option but to take up arms. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Corona brewing replaces plastic six-pack rings

Iowa high schools require gun safety courses

Foolishness of the week

TSA switching to floppy eared dogs

Topic of the week: The Alien and Sedition Acts

Congressional party results

The enemy of the people

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Episode 97: Americans Are Remarkably Charitable

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 16:14:14 -0000

Americans have the distinct reputation of being incredibly selfish. All things considered, it’s not exactly unearned. That said, every year, Americans also quietly give a rather astonishingly large amount of money to charities, particularly during the holiday season. Over $400 billion, in fact, 75 percent of which was for those less fortunate. And that’s simply the cash and goods. Beyond that, 60 million Americans each donated an average of 120 hours of their time to charities. This is, incidentally, more than the federal government spends on all of its welfare programs combined. What does this actually mean? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Penguins fan gets a kidney

South African politician calls on people to kill whites

Foolishness of the Week

Nurse denied life insurance

Topic of the Week: Giving

Giving Tuesday

Statistics of US generosity

Arthur Brooks: Who Really Cares?

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Episode 96: What Is Money, Anyway?

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0000

Money is one of those things that is so ubiquitous, so completely taken for granted, that we rarely stop to think about what it actually is. The colored bits of paper that we call dollars don’t have any particular worth on their own, yet we use them as though they do. John Locke, in 1689 when he wrote his Second Treatise of Government, touched on it, hinting at the three qualities money possesses. But what are those three things? What happens when one or more of those three attributes is abandoned? And how does the government fit into all of this? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they examine this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Payless Shoes’s social experiment

Japan 1

Japan 2

Foolishness of the Week

Instructions for making toast

Topic of the Week: What is money?

Money

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Episode 95: Why No One Can “Steal” a Job

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0000

We hear a lot about jobs, these days. We have monthly government jobs reports. Our politicians talk about job creation. Some people fear others will “take our jobs!” But what is a job? Is it the prize of some sort of economic vending machine where you have a few inputs, press a few buttons, and out comes a shiny new job? Is it an empty space at a company that needs to be filled? Or is it something else altogether? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they talk about this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Fed signals that interest rates won’t rise much further

North Carolina voter fraud

Foolishness of the Week

Oakland University

Hockey pucks

Michigan state gun law

Topic of the Week: Jobs

Employment statistics

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Episode 94: Facebook Is Awful, but What’s the Alternative?

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0000

It’s no secret that social media is in a bit of a shambles. The big players like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are purging accounts, censoring content, and mining data. Many users are very unhappy with them. But what alternatives do we have? Maybe more than you think. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies along with Minds.com founder Bill Ottman as they talk about social media alternatives and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Small business Saturday

Dimming the sun

We’re all related

Foolishness of the Week

Florida gun buyback

Topic of the Week: An Alternative to Facebook

Minds.com

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Episode 93: Focus on the Principles, Not the Outcomes

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0000

There was once a time when politicians were civil to each other. Neighbors and friends who disagreed politically remained neighborly and friendly to each other. Opponents were graceful in defeat and generous in victory. But somewhere along the line, we lost that. These days, it seems that all there is is vitriol and hate. That is what happens when an electorate focuses solely on the outcomes that they want instead of the principles they believe in. What are these principles and why do they matter? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Eye drops to correct vision

Foolishness of the Week

Rejecting the measles vaccine

Topic of the Week: Principles

Why libertarians start at first principles

The roots of political polarization

Ford-Carter presidential debate

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Episode 92: America Is Not a Democracy

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 15:48:40 -0000

In the wake of the midterm elections, there’s been a lot of talk about democracy and how it works. Many—largely on the left—are confused and angry because, despite garnering the higher number of votes, Democrats failed to take a majority of seats in the Senate. This demonstrates a basic misunderstanding about American government, the electoral process, and how they work. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they break it down for us on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Pittsburgh shooting

Smoking rate hits a low

Foolishness of the Week:

Man claims he is age-fluid

Topic of the Week: Democracy:

The View blames Senate win on gerrymandering

The problem of factions

Democrats got more votes but Republicans won

Arrow Impossibility Theorem

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Episode 91: It’s Not the Government’s Job to Provide Goods and Services

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 17:09:44 -0000

“It’s the most important election in history.” That’s the rhetoric you see plastered across the news and social media. Perhaps, people view this election as such because they believe it to be the government’s job to provide things for them. This is apparent on both sides of the aisle. Democrats want free health care and education. Republicans want a border wall and tariffs on imported goods. But, is it the government’s job to provide services that Democrats want? Is the government a tool of protection for American businesses that Republicans view it as? Join hosts Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan as they discuss the proper role of government and more on this episode of Words & Numbers.

Show Notes:

Foolishness of the week.

CBO reports $782 billion deficit for fiscal year ending 9/30/2018

Why does the deficit not match the increase in the debt?

Topic of the week: The midterm elections.

Is this the most important election ever?

This isn’t the most important election ever!

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Episode 90: What’s So Creative about Destruction?

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 15:00:00 -0000

Economists use the term “creative destruction” a fair amount, but what does it actually mean? It generally refers to a company going out of business, or sometimes whole sectors of the economy vanishing as disruptive technologies and strategies come into play. It is very easy to see the “destruction” part of creative destruction. We see the empty storefronts and people out of work because the businesses they worked for couldn’t afford to pay them anymore. We point fingers and lament the loss of these former favorites. So where does the “creation” part of all this come in? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they take a close look at this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Scientists develop a strain of saline-tolerant rice

Discrimination at Harvard

Foolishness of the Week

New York socialist wonders why people are moving to Florida

Topic of the Week: Creative destruction

Good and Bad Destruction: Buggy Whips and Broken Windows

Ten jobs that no longer exist

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Episode 89: A Raging Dumpster Fire of Injustice

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 14:18:57 -0000

Canada recently legalized the possession and use of marijuana and proposed legislation to pardon those previously convicted of such “crimes.” So, it’s as good a time as any to take a look at how such things are handled in the United States. While, yes, in the majority of states, there is some provision for certain kinds of legal use of marijuana—including full legalization in a few—the fact remains that the plant itself remains completely illegal at the federal level. In aggregate, across the United States, the clearance rate—that is, of criminal cases being considered solved—for violent crimes is less than 50 percent and less than 20 percent for property crimes. In 2016, there were more arrests for marijuana possession across the country than for all violent crimes combined. And that’s just one single aspect of the American criminal “justice” system. Clark Neily of the Cato Institute, a noted criminal justice scholar, joins James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they take an unvarnished look at the state of criminal justice in the United States on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Gloves let users feel virtual objects

Trump orders cabinet to cut spending 5%

Foolishness of the Week

Nebraska’s honesty in advertising

Topic of the Week: Clark Neily on the imbalance of power in our judicial system

Clark Neily

Canada legalizes marijuana and moves to pardon possession

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Episode 88: When Is This Year’s “Deficit Day”?

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 15:00:00 -0000

Imagine, if you will, that the United States federal government somehow received all of the money it normally would for the entire year on January 1st. The day it would have spent it all and started deficit spending (that is, spending money it simply doesn’t have) could be dubbed “Deficit Day.” This year, 2018, that day falls on October 19th. From this day until the end of the year, the US Federal Government is spending money it doesn’t have to the tune of about $11 billion per day. So what does that mean for the government? What does that mean for the people? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they dive into this and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers

Show Notes:

Trump administration stifles free speech

Foolishness of the Week

Government regulating pizza toppings

Topic of the Week: Deficit Day

Congressional Budget Office projections

Federal receipts and outlays over time

Interest rate on the federal debt

Student loan debt statistics

Flemming v. Nestor (1960): You do not have an earned right to Social Security benefits

Helvering v. Davis (1937): Social Security taxes are part of the general revenue

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Episode 87: Why Do We Even Have Trade Agreements, Anyway?

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 15:00:00 -0000

When it comes to free trade agreements, ideally they should be very short. Four words would suffice: “Trade will be free.” But politicians being what they are, what we (that is to say, Mexico, Canada, and the United States) actually have to replace NAFTA is a 1,800-page tome called the USMCA. Hundreds of pages of caveats doesn’t sound very much like free trade. That said, this trade agreement, like all trade agreements, rests on the the myth that it is countries that trade with each other. Countries are aggregates; they can’t actually do anything. It is individuals who trade with each other. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they weigh in on trade agreements and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Authorities may shoot down private drones

Amazon reacts to the $15 wage

Foolishness of the Week

Jazz hands

Topic of the Week: Trade

Trade data

Infographic of trade data

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Episode 86: Words and Numbers Listener Special #2

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 15:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we’re answering listener questions. What’s going on with this scary, dystopian Chinese social credit system? What government agency would you get rid of? What happens when religious leaders (allowed to freely exercise their faith as enshrined in the First Amendment) don’t allow their followers the right of free speech (also enshrined in the First Amendment)? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they answer these listener questions and more on this week’s second Listener Special episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Foolishness of the Week

Texas legislator wants to require political speech

Pennsylvania legislator wants to ban political speech

Topic of the week: Listener questions

Modern monetary theory

Episode 85: Are We Living Madison’s Nightmare?

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:00:00 -0000

Worries about mob rule have been around longer than our Constitution. Indeed, James Madison wrote about the problems of “factions” in what we’ve come to call the Federalist Papers. We like to think that our three branches of government with their checks and balances are impervious to the evils of faction. But today we may be living Madison’s nightmare. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes

Controlling aging

Jeff Bezos donates $2 billion

What it feels like to be Jeff Bezos

Foolishness of the Week

Outlawing sitting and lying down

Topic of the Week: Political factions and mob rule

Madison’s warning about mob rule

Federalist 10

Federal debt as a fraction of GDP (1790 to 2050)

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Episode 84: Price-Gouging Bans Don’t Make Things Cheaper, They Make Them More Scarce

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 15:00:00 -0000

Imposing “price gouging” bans after a natural disaster doesn’t actually help anybody. On paper, it looks ideal. Shoppers who don’t have funds and didn’t prepare for the storm can still afford to buy everything, even if it’s completely last-minute and a bit of a race to the finish line. But the reality is that price-gouging laws don’t make things better, nor do they make things fairer. In the face of a category 1 hurricane like Florence, they just create more scarcity and destroy incentives to keep the supply chain moving. In the end, it doesn’t matter how low the price of your wares are if you can’t actually buy it. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they delve into this topic and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Dominos’ CEO earned $8.6 million in 2016

Dominos will fix the roads

Foolishness of the week

Get a Dominos tattoo and get free pizza

Topic of the week: Price gouging

Cafeteria economists

Uber and surge pricing

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Episode 83: How the Meanings of "Liberal" and "Conservative" Have Changed

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 20:46:55 -0000

Conservative and liberal: probably the two most commonly used words to describe a person’s political affiliations. And, of course, we all know that Republicans are all conservatives and Democrats are all liberals, and this is the way it’s always been. Right? Well, no, not really. The way that we’ve come to understand these terms currently has drifted pretty far afield of the way these words have been used previously. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they get super-semantic about political labels and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

California bill requiring women on boards of directors

California law easing restrictions on legally changing one’s gender

Elon Musk smokes pot on the air

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Episode 82: Capitalism Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 15:14:53 -0000

The word “capitalism” has become incredibly loaded over the years. And since the term was actually popularized by Karl Marx to be the foil for his own ideology, that’s fairly understandable. It brings to mind all of the very worst aspects embodied by the elite, greedy, rent-seeking Gordon Geckos of the world, hoarding their capital resources like dragons on a pile of gold and profiting from the hard work of laborers while doing nothing productive themselves. This characterization, while incredibly common, is simply incorrect. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss the actual meaning of capitalism and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

MIT study of commute times

Marchetti’s constant

Commute times in the 50 states

California requires companies to place women on boards

Foolishness of the Week:

Laura Ingraham wants Facebook to be a public utility

Topic of the Week: Capitalism:

Capitalism

Prices as signals

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Episode 81: Despite Its Rebranding, Socialism Is Still Horrific

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 15:33:50 -0000

We’re experiencing the rise of a new kind of socialist. The original definition of socialism—state ownership of the means of production—is beginning to fall by the wayside. What self-proclaimed socialists are asking for now is for the state to control the means of production. While this might seem like a pedantic distinction, it’s an important one. But the rebranding of socialism by democratic socialists like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez still fails to take into account the most important aspect of sound economics: human behavior. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they drill down into the pitfalls of socialism and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Half the world will be middle-class by 2020

World poverty rates

Madsen Pirie

High schooler faces prison for shooting zombies

Foolishness of the week

NASCAR driver loses sponsorship for father’s remarks

Topic of the week: Socialism

Socialism

Theory of pervasive shortages under socialism

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Episode 80: You Can’t Make College Free

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 13:00:00 -0000

Everybody vaguely familiar with basic economic concepts knows that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. It’s a great phrase and speaks to the principles of both opportunity cost and scarcity. That said, a “free lunch” refers to more than your afternoon repast. Everything costs something. And if you end up paying zero dollars for it, that only means it was paid for by someone else. This holds true for college tuition. It may cost a student zero dollars, and that student will certainly benefit from not having to pay for higher education herself, but what’s really been done is shifting the cost from the student—who is actually using the service—to the taxpayers—who certainly aren’t. So while there’s certainly a big problem with student debt in America, the solution isn’t “free” tuition. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they get deep in the weeds about college tuition and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

11 year old hacker changes election results

California law would prohibit restaurants from listing soft drinks on menus

Foolishness of the Week

Cops taser 87 year-old woman

Topic of the Week: Public policy and financing higher education

Tuition discounting

Financing college through equity instead of debt

Student loan data

Join the Conversation

Antony Davies on Twitter

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

Words & Numbers Backstage

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Episode 79: How Not to Be Terrible at College

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 13:00:00 -0000

James and Ant have a lot of experience with both high school and college students. Most of the time, they’re extremely impressed with the high school students that they encounter. But something seems to be happening in the summer between high school graduation and beginning their first semester of college. Something… not ideal. And to a point, it’s perfectly natural. Young people are interested in exploring their newfound freedom, and that includes the amount of attention that they pay to their studies. Because of this, a great many otherwise intelligent students find themselves struggling with college. So, if you do decide to attend a college or university, how can you keep this from happening? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as the explore this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Number of bachelor’s degrees conferred by field of study

Antony Davies on Twitter

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

Join the conversation at Words & Numbers Backstage

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Episode 78: Is a College Degree Worth the Cost?

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 13:00:00 -0000

As the back-to-school season gets into full swing, hundreds of thousands of young people are heading back to class at their chosen college or university. On average, the simple dollar cost of tuition and fees for a four-year degree is about a quarter of a million dollars. A large majority of students will have to take on some kind student loan debt to cover these costs. But we've been told our whole lives that in order to have a good job and successful career, a college degree is both necessary and an automatic golden ticket, so it has to be worth it. Right? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they drill down into the value of a college degree and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Tuition and fees at 4-year institutions over time

30 million jobs in the US pay $55,000 per year and don’t require a college degree

High paying jobs sit empty while students go to college

Median income by education, 2017 (table 5)

Median income by education, 1997 (table 4)

Unemployment rate by education, 2017

Unemployment rate by education, 1997

Fraction of 15-24 year olds enrolled in college over time

Average pay by college major

FEE high school seminars

Social Media:

Antony Davies on Twitter

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

Join the conversation at Words & Numbers Backstage

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Episode 77: 'There Ought to Be a Law’: What that Phrase Actually Means

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 13:51:05 -0000

People tend to have a strange blind spot when it comes to government. We—or a lot of us, at least—tend to assume the best of intentions from our government. Our fellow civilians garner suspicion, but our elected officials are somehow magically benevolent and altruistic. When governments misbehave and act violently, we tend to think about these actions in terms of warfare. And yes, in the 20th century alone, wars have killed around 106 million people. That's a lot and not to be discounted. But in the same timeframe, governments have killed at least that many—and probably more like twice that number—within the confines of their own borders. We forget that a government is a monopoly on the use of force, and every time we ask our government to do something, even something as innocuous as putting up parking meters, what we're really asking them to do is to bring their force—their violence—to bear on our behalf. It's a sobering thought. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they dive deep into this subject and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Venezuela’s 1,000,000% inflation

Seattle’s street cars too big for their tracks

Foolishness of the week

Bank of America loses customers’ safe deposit boxes

Topic of the week: How many people do governments kill?

Soviet Union kills 20 million of its own citizens

China kills 65 million of its own citizens

Cambodia kills 1.5 to 3 million of its own citizens

20th century democide

Less than 500,000 people murdered worldwide annually by non-governments

US incarceration rates 1960-2012

Incarceration rates across countries

7 million Americans either in prison, on probation or parole

How We Thrive documentary

Antony Davies on Twitter

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

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Episode 76: Real Numbers Behind Public’s Biggest Concerns

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 13:00:00 -0000

Gallup recently asked 1,000 people about what the most important issue we’re dealing with is in the United States. You might think that the majority answered drugs and gun control, but you’d be wrong. Instead, the survey found that drugs only received 1% of votes as being the biggest issue, and a whopping 2% for gun rights, with those numbers only going as high as 4% since January. The only time those numbers changed was in March, when the media massively promoted the gun rights debate, culminating into the already-forgotten March for Our Lives movement. As much as we criticize the media, these numbers show how much they manufacture sensationalism. Join us this week as we discuss open-ended polls and the influence of media on people’s issues with James Harrigan and Antony Davies.

Show Notes:

Diamonds worth $31 septillion

Jeff Bezos worth $150 billion

Doctors give patients seconds

Foolishness of the week

Congressman calls for ban on cryptocurrency

Topic of the week: What’s the largest problem facing the country?

Gallup poll

School shootings not as common as the media portrays

Gun violence waning

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Episode 75: If You Want Prosperity for All, Try Economic Freedom

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 15:26:44 -0000

There are many people in this world who like to make the argument, "Correlation is not causation." And this oft-used expression is true. Correlation is not, in fact, causation. Just because two things tend to happen at about the same time does not necessarily mean that they have anything to do with each other at all. That said, lack of correlation does mean lack of causation. So what does that mean for economic freedom and "good" social outcomes? Join James and Antony as they unpack what economic freedom indices indicate and more on this episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Employment rate almost full recovered from 2008 crash

TSA gets immunity

Foolishness of the week

Starbucks’ straws

Topic of the week: Economic Freedom

Equality, Liberty, and Prosperity

Fraser: Economic Freedom of the World

Fraser: Economic Freedom of North America

Heritage/WSJ: Index of Economic Freedom

Cato: Freedom in the 50 States

Antony on Twitter

James on Twitter

Words & Numbers - Backstage

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Episode 74: Should the Supreme Court Matter So Much?

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 13:00:00 -0000

Why are we debating the Supreme Court nominees as much as we are? Unbelievably, written requirements of the Supreme Court are non-existent. Where the Constitution lists age and experience requirements for both presidential and congressional candidates, only a tiny paragraph describes what the third branch of government should look like. All of those standards and regulations you think are law? None have been put in writing anywhere. In fact, judicial review, one of the most important parts of a Supreme Court Justice’s job, only started in 1803, established following the ruling of Marbury v. Madison. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan this week as they discuss the surprising standards set for Supreme Court Justice candidates.

Show Notes:

North Korea executes a General for giving food to soldiers’ families

The United States fines people for giving food to the poor

Black men are succeeding in America

Foolishness of the week

Americans ask the FAA to regulate seat size

Topic of the week: The Supreme Court

Sotomayor on the idea of a living constitution

Scalia on the idea of a living constitution Congressional job approval

Agreement rates among Supreme Court Justices

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Episode 73: How Politics Distorts Our Perceptions

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 13:00:00 -0000

What do you know about the political party you disagree with the most? Who do you think makes the group up? Is it a bunch of “libtard snowflakes” who are all union-backed? Or is it a bunch of offensive alt-right wackos with too much money to know what to do with it? Either way, those perceptions are both completely off-base—caricatural, even—and dangerous. A study, titled, “The Parties in our Heads: Misperceptions About Party Composition and Their Consequences” discusses exactly how Democrats and Republicans perceive both themselves and each other, and shows exactly how inaccurate those perceptions are. From exaggerated numbers of union-affiliated democrats to impossible statistics of Republicans who make more than $250,000 per year, join us as we discuss the dangers of political misrepresentation and more in this week’s episode of Words and Numbers with James Harrigan and Antony Davies.

Show Notes:

Harley Davidson moving overseas

Largest U.S. nail manufacturer on brink of extinction

FDA approves marijuana-based drug

Foolishness of the week

US is the 10th most dangerous country for women

John Cleese and the BBC

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Topic of the week

Each party is wrong about the other

The Parties in Our Heads: Misperceptions about Party Composition and Their Consequences

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Episode 72: An Insider’s Indictment of the “Justice” System

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 13:00:00 -0000

The criminal justice system presents a lot of issues, the least of which is discrimination. . . despite what the public may think. Over decades, prosecutors have slowly taken power and responsibility away from the jury and into their own hands, destroying the premise of “presumed innocent until proven guilty.” Statutory immunity, legal discretion and the opaqueness of the criminal justice system are all much bigger problems than discrimination, which is, in fact, a much less negative term than we generally think. But why are these things such big issues? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan this week with special guest, criminal justice attorney Catherine Barnard as they explore some of the biggest issues with today’s justice system.

Show Notes:

Cure for diabetes

Republican proposal to balance the budget by cutting entitlements

Proposed 2019 Federal budget

Foolishness of the week

Sarah Huckabee Sanders kicked out of restaurant

Topic of the week: Equality under the law

Catherine Bernard

James and Ant on Twitter

@JamesRHarrigan

@AntonyDavies

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Episode 71: Ignore the Naysayers, Life Is Amazing

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 13:57:27 -0000

Which would you rather be, a member of the working class in America today or an 18th-century French monarch? The answer to that is almost certainly the former. A lot has changed in the last 200 years. Heck, a lot has changed in the last 20 years, for that matter, and with a few notable exceptions, those changes have been for the better. In the year 1800, 95 percent of the world lived in extreme poverty. Today, it's less than 10 percent, despite there being more than 6 billion more people living today. We carry in our pockets a supercomputer that allows us access to the sum total of human knowledge that we use to look at cat GIFs. Life is pretty amazing. So why do so few people believe that's the case? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Iraq is getting safer

Empty seats at the world cup

Foolishness of the week

Netflix’ 5-second rule

Topic of the week: The world is getting better every day

Louis CK, everything is amazing and nobody is happy

Cafe Hayek: Most Americans are richer than Rockefeller

Pew survey on perceptions of gun violence

Media and cognitive biases

Living conditions in the United States

U.S. Firearm deaths 2012-2016

U.S. Firearm deaths 1975-1994 (chart 5.1)

U.S. non-fatal firearm violence 1993-2011

Military and civilian deaths due to armed conflicts since 1945

Child labor rates 1950-present

Global income inequality 1800-present

Gender inequality 1995-2015

World poverty 1820-2015

Animation showing longevity and income by country 1800-present

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Episode 70: The Federal Government is Bankrupt

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 15:00:20 -0000

It's a well-established fact that Social Security and Medicare are in serious trouble and have been for a while. The newest projections released last week have Social Security being insolvent in the year 2034 and Medicare in 2026. A fair amount of this trouble can be laid at the feet of the federal government and its seemingly insatiable habit of spending money it doesn't have. It's gotten to the point that there isn't really anywhere else in the world that has the amount of money the US government needs to borrow. It seemed so easy to just take that money from the Social Security and Medicare trusts at the time, but with federal spending now higher than it's ever been (regardless of whether you adjust for inflation or simply count it as a percentage of GDP), it seems very unlikely that that money will—or even can—ever be paid back. So, what's a government to do? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they talk about this and more on this week's special live-from-FEEcon episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes

Anthony Bourdain

Charles Krauthammer

Country Time comes to the rescue of children’s lemonade stands

Lemonade stand shut down 1

Lemonade stand shut down 2

Lemonade stand shut down 3

Foolishness of the week

Bernie Sanders believes socialist ideas are winning

Topic of the week: Federal bankruptcy

Historical CBO projections

Debt myths debunked

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Episode 69: Government Job Reports Can Be Misleading

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 13:00:00 -0000

The jobs report for the month of May has recently been released, and Republicans—particularly President Trump—have been very busy congratulating themselves about the rosy unemployment rate. In fairness, unemployment is currently the lowest it's been since the turn of the millennium, which is nothing to turn one's nose up at. But there's more to a healthy economy than a low unemployment rate. So, what does the May jobs report actually say? And what do those numbers really imply? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they unpack the May jobs report and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Dog buys food with leaves

Bare-knuckle boxing

Foolishness of the week

Bernie Sanders says Disney needs a moral defense

Topic of the week

Unemployment numbers

On twitter

@AntonyDavies

@JamesRHarrigan

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Episode 68: As Long As People Are Free, There Will Be Inequality

Wed, 30 May 2018 13:44:06 -0000

If there's something that progressives agree on, it's that inequality exists and that it's a problem. But what do we mean when we say "inequality"? Is it that some people have more "stuff" (money, goods, access to services) than others? Is it that some people are more skilled, more talented, better looking, or just plain luckier than others? In a relatively free society with fairly consistent equality of opportunity, the result is inevitably going to be inequality of outcome. And this is not necessarily a bad thing. Why is a certain amount of inequality a good thing? Should we care about numerical inequality indicators such as the Gini index? Should we take legislative action to "level the playing field"? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

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Episode 67: Words and Numbers Listener Special

Wed, 23 May 2018 14:37:40 -0000

This week on Words and Numbers, it's all about you, the listener. Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they answer questions from listeners posed in the Words and Numbers: Backstage Facebook group. Don't miss out on the next opportunity to have your questions answered on air! Join the Words and Numbers: Backstage Facebook group, where the conversation continues.

Show Notes:

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Episode 66: If Your Heart Is in the Right Place, You Better Get Your Facts Straight

Wed, 16 May 2018 14:21:29 -0000

Adam Smith is widely regarded as the "father of economics," but what isn't as widely known is that he never considered himself an economist. He thought of himself as a philosopher. And, indeed, in the tradition of the Scottish Enlightenment, he was one. In the Scottish Enlightenment, study was largely divided into two categories: natural science and moral science. Natural science largely explains itself, but moral science was an attempt to ground ethics and morality in as much scientific reality and fact-based reasoning as possible, and it's from that branch of study that the subject of economics bloomed. If you want to make moral statements, if your heart is in the right place, then you need to have your facts straight. And while, over time, we've seen a more and more tightly defined division of labor and specialization, particularly in academia, perhaps it's time to get back to a more holistic form of study when it comes to economics and ethics. Join Antony Davies, James Harrigan, and special guest David Schmidtz as they discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

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Episode 65: Which Is More Important, Political Freedom or Economic Freedom?

Wed, 09 May 2018 13:00:00 -0000

We are individuals, but we're also members of society. Economics generally deals with individual action whereas politics deals with the behavior of society as a whole. Economics, as a discipline, seeks to understand, explain, and sometimes predict human behavior. Politics, on the other hand, seeks to control the behavior of society at large. When we talk about freedom, what kind of freedom are we talking about? Is it the ability to decide which goods and services we purchase and from whom without restriction? Is it being able to choose who represents our interests in government and which laws they create? And which is more important? Or is either of them? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they take a deep dive into what, exactly, economics and politics actually are and what freedom in those spheres might actually mean on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes:

Brain implant improves memory

Oliver North named president of the NRA

Foolishness of the Week

The Pope doesn’t understand economics The Pope and Libertarianism

Topic of the week: What is economics?

Economics informs the decision to marry

How people choose when they know that they don’t know what to pick

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Episode 64: Why We Don't Have Principled Politicians?

Wed, 02 May 2018 13:30:00 -0000

Recently, Senator Chuck Schumer introduced a bill that would decriminalize marijuana on the federal level. He stated that the legality of marijuana should be a matter left up to individual states. This ringing endorsement of federalism might carry a little more weight if Senator Schumer hadn't spent a large part of his political career trying to micromanage Americans' behavior at the national level. Hillary Clinton is widely considered to be a staunch supporter of the LGBT community; however, she was publicly opposed to marriage equality until 2013. These are just two of the innumerable examples of politicians changing their stances on policy issues in the face of evolving public opinion. This is not a new phenomenon or exclusive to a single political party. Not only is it common for politicians to modify their positions of political principles to match changing public opinion, you'd be hard-pressed to find one who doesn't. We are dealing with political followership, not political leadership. So, what does that get us? Antony Davies and James Harrigan talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Show Notes

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Episode 63: Can Comedy Change the World?

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 13:30:00 -0000

In today's strange climate of political correctness, free speech exists in a weird place. Safe spaces, First Amendment zones, the attitude of victimization, and accusations that "your fav is problematic" abound. And yet, important things, challenging things, dangerous things still need to be said and are being said. One critical "loophole" for dodging the would-be censors to get these ideas out into the world is comedy. Comedians live in a peculiar kind of in-between that allows for a certain audacity in messaging that doesn't quite exist for, say, politicians or activists. Special guest Lou Perez from We The Internet joins James and Antony to talk about messaging, humor, and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

More registered voters than citizens

https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/08/election-fraud-registered-voters-outnumber-eligible-voters-462-counties/

UK bans straws

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-chogm-plastic/britain-to-ban-sale-of-plastic-straws-in-bid-to-fight-waste-idUSKBN1HP338

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/16/scientists-accidentally-create-mutant-enzyme-that-eats-plastic-bottles

Toastabag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2KxiFL8XsA

Foolishness of the week New Yorker complains about Chik-fil-A

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-gastronomy/chick-fil-as-creepy-infiltration-of-new-york-city

Topic of the week: Free Speech with Lou Perez

http://www.louperez.net/

https://twitter.com/LOUontheSUBWAY

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Episode 62: Progressive Taxation Makes Everyone Worse Off

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 13:30:00 -0000

Every year, the American people spend about $30 billion on accountants and software to file their taxes. That's on top of taxes themselves. Approximately 26 percent of the average American's income is collected, in some form or another, in taxes. This includes all forms of taxation, such as state and local taxes, as well as federal. If we look at just federal taxation, that still comes to a very respectable 16 to 18 percent (on average) of GDP. But how does that all break down when it comes to federal taxation? Are the poor really getting bent over the taxation barrel every April? Are the rich not really paying their "fair share"? And how did we even get to this point? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss this and more on this week's Tax Day edition of Words and Numbers.

The top 1% earn 20% of all income but pay almost 40% of all federal taxes.

https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/114th-congress-2015-2016/reports/51361-householdincomefedtaxesonecol.pdf

Country comparison of tax revenue from all levels of government per GDP

US = 26%; Denmark = 45%; Ireland = 22%.

This ignores borrowing. If government taxed enough to balance budget, US would be at 31%, putting it on par with Canada.

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-do-us-taxes-compare-internationally

Overview of federal taxes

https://files.taxfoundation.org/20170201091804/TaxFoundation-FF540.pdf

60% of US households receive more money back from the federal government than they pay

https://taxfoundation.org/60-percent-households-now-receive-more-transfer-income-they-pay-taxes/

How taxes and transfers trap the poor

https://mises.org/library/dead-zone-implicit-marginal-tax-rate

The income tax was originally a tax on the rich.

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-10-05/income-tax-history-is-a-warning-about-our-future-under-clintons-estate-tax

Number of pages in the Standard Federal Tax Reporter

https://taxfoundation.org/how-many-words-are-tax-code/

Fun tax facts

https://www.factretriever.com/taxes-facts

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Episode 61: Why Our High Schools Can’t Keep Up with Our Universities?

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 14:15:13 -0000

Much has been said about the high cost of higher education in America. And it is, indeed, quite expensive and getting more so at an alarming rate. For all that, though, at least we can say that America gets what it pays for in that we have the best higher education system in the world. In fact, it's one of our biggest exports, totaling more than $35 billion—fully 5 percent of America's export market—as of 2015. The same cannot be said for our primary and secondary education systems, with the US consistently ranking at around the middle of the pack among developed nations in standardized test scores. The thing of it is, the average annual cost per student in an American public high school is about the same as the average annual cost per student in an American public university. With the price of educating young people being generally the same for public high schools and public universities, why is there such a huge discrepancy in the outcomes for the students? Is there any way to remedy this situation? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Administrative bloat in health care and higher education

http://hereandnow.legacy.wbur.org/2011/11/02/university-cost-bloated

https://www.athenahealth.com/insight/expert-forum-rise-and-rise-healthcare-administrator

Homeland Security monitoring journalists

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/04/07/homeland-security-database-would-track-journalists-media-influencers-report.html

Foolishness of the week

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/381946-michelle-obama-my-husband-was-the-good-parent-compared-to-trump

Topic of the week: Public schools

Cost per public school student is around $13,000.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66

http://www.governing.com/gov-data/education-data/state-education-spending-per-pupil-data.html

Standardized test scores about the same for most and least expensive public schools

https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=AL&sfj=NP&st=AB&year=2013R3

Net tuition and fees at private 4-year colleges is $15,000.

https://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/average-net-price-over-time-full-time-students-private-nonprofit-four-year-institutions

Performance evidence for school vouchers

https://www.cato.org/blog/evidence-school-choice-works

Comparison of US school students to students in other countries

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/15/u-s-students-internationally-math-science/

Higher education is a major US export

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/01/31/sealing-the-border-could-block-one-of-americas-crucial-exports-education/

Value of a high school diploma

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2012/08/28/public-high-schools-are-not-doing-their-jobs

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Episode 60: Social Security Is Doomed. Now What?

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:35:21 -0000

There's no way to sugar-coat it. Social Security is going to fail. There are, of course, ways to possibly extend its life for a few years, or even decades, but ultimately, like all Ponzi schemes, it will collapse. By the federal government's and the Social Security Board of Trustees' own admissions, the Social Security program will be paying out more than it takes in in just 4 years. At current rates (and assuming the federal government fully pays back the more than $5 trillion it "borrowed" from Social Security's accounts), the program will be completely out of money in about 17 years. What does this situation mean for current working Americans? Is there any way to solve this problem? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Splitting up Amazon

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/29/former-walmart-us-ceo-congress-consider-splitting-up-amazon.html

National pencil day

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-pencil-day-march-30/

Foolishness of the week: Cancer warnings on coffee

https://fee.org/articles/why-californias-lawsuit-industry-wants-you-to-think-coffee-causes-cancer/?utm_source=FEE+Email+Subscriber+List&utm_campaign=ca27aafa08-MC_FEE_DAILY_2018_04_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_84cc8d089b-ca27aafa08-107137661

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/general-info/cancer-warning-labels-based-on-californias-proposition-65.html

https://www.refinery29.com/2018/04/195249/coffee-cancer-warning-label-california-starbucks-dunkin-donuts-reaction?bucketed=true

https://nypost.com/2018/03/30/de-blasio-eyes-vacancy-tax-for-greedy-landlords-seeking-top-dollar/?utm_source=facebook_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons

Topic of the week: Social Security

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/social-security-administration-spending-tops-1-trillion-first-time

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/trust-funds-summary.html

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v75n1/v75n1p1.html

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v70n3/v70n3p111.html

https://www.ssa.gov/history/nestor.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/us/how-privatized-social-security-works-in-galveston.html

https://www.state-journal.com/2018/01/25/you-asked-can-kentucky-teachers-retirement-system-participants-receive-social-security/

https://www.teacherpensions.org/blog/why-aren%E2%80%99t-all-teachers-covered-social-security

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/matt-bevin-kentucky-lawmakers-pass-pension-overhaul-despite-teacher-ire/

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Episode 59: Is Moderation the Next Big Thing in American Politics?

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:30:00 -0000

Pundits are declaring that America is a nation divided. In fairness, this is a true statement, but it's not a new phenomenon. America has been a nation divided since at least the election of 1800. That said, the division is not a dichotomous one. Recent data show that a large and growing number of Americans self-identify as neither Republican nor Democrat, but as Independent. It would appear that a large number of Americans are growing increasingly tired of the ever-more extreme stances of the two major parties, instead favoring more moderate approaches to governance. An excellent microcosmic example of this is the recent special election in Pennsylvania Congressional District 18, a district that in the 2016 presidential election voted in favor of Donald Trump by 20 percentage points. Despite its deeply red tendencies and both the President and Vice President campaigning in support of the Republican congressional candidate, PA18 narrowly elected a Democrat to represent it. A Democrat, it should be noted, who publicly distanced himself from major Democratic leaders and campaigned on issues more typically associated with right-wing politicians. What does this mean for American politics going forward? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

The singular “they”

http://theweek.com/articles/758082/why-need-accept-singular?utm_source=links&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=facebook

https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/06/06/he-or-she-versus-they/

South Korea encourages people not to work so much https://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/south-korea-start-turning-computers-12237489 Foolishness of the Week: YouTube bans all gun related content https://thenextweb.com/google/2018/03/21/youtube-banning-gun-videos-now-theyre-reappearing-pornhub/

https://reason.com/blog/2018/03/23/youtube-says-it-will-be-shutting-down-gu

Topic of the week: Moderation

http://www.insidesources.com/move-toward-moderation/

http://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx

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Episode 58: Federal Spending Is Out of Control

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 13:45:41 -0000

The American federal government has a serious spending problem. The federal debt, the sum total of all the money the government has borrowed, has hit $21 trillion, with a cool $1 trillion of that coming from Trump's first year in office. That is, undeniably, a lot of money, and media outlets all over the country are crowing about it being the first time a single-year deficit has been so high, but it simply isn't so. Even by fairly kind calculations, it's happened at least three times before—once under George W. Bush and at least twice under Barack Obama. Regardless, the federal debt is soaring, and eventually, that debt is going to come due. And when it does, what does that mean for Americans individually and on the whole? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 57: Death for Dealing... Really?

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 13:30:00 -0000

Rumors have been circulating recently that the Trump Administration is considering including drug dealing among those crimes that can be subject to capital punishment. That's just a nice way of saying "the death penalty." In an effort to signal to his supporters that he's "tough on crime" and serious about the opioid crisis, President Trump has indicated his positive view of the death penalty for drug offenses in countries like Singapore and the Philipines. But what is the current status of the death penalty in the United States today? How has the Supreme Court ruled on the death penalty in the past? And isn't this a legislative issue, anyway? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Altruistic business https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/new-jersey-businessman-drops-fees-for-shivering-neighbors/

Falling space junk http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5486985/Lower-Michigan-crash-site-falling-Chinese-space-station.html https://www.npr.org/2011/09/21/140641362/where-falling-satellite-lands-is-anyones-guess

Foolishness of the week

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/scientology-appears-poised-launch-tv-network-1093640

Topic of the week: Capital punishment

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-and-graphics/countries-that-still-have-the-death-penalty/ https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/19/us/death-penalty-fast-facts/index.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/world/asia/philippines-drug-war.html http://news.gallup.com/poll/1606/death-penalty.aspx http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/09/29/support-for-death-penalty-lowest-in-more-than-four-decades/ https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/death-penalty-international-perspective

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Episode 56: Tariffs Hurt Everyone, So Why Have Them?

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 14:59:17 -0000

Last week, President Trump announced his intention to place tariffs on steel and aluminum. Unfortunately for the president—and everyone else, should these tariffs be imposed—more than a century of economic data make it very clear that tariffs are a net negative for the economy. But what are tariffs, anyway? Why are they so awful? And, if they are, why does any country impose them? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick Hits

United replaces bonuses with lotteries

https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2018/03/02/united-airlines-replaces-bonuses-with-lottery.html

China bans things

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/01/asia/china-letter-ban-trnd/index.html

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5701287/china-xi-jinping-president-winnie-the-pooh-banned/

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-reincarnation-law-20160307-story.html

Foolishness of the Week

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-ci-children-soda-bill-20180213-story.html

Topic of the Week: Trade and Tariffs

http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2018/03/that-was-then-this-is-now-13.html

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/23/news/economy/trump-tariff-power/index.html

http://www.walkerd.people.cofc.edu/Readings/Trade/iowacarcrop.pdf

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=61826

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_trading_partners_of_the_United_States

https://japantoday.com/category/business/toyota-us-tariffs-will-'substantially'-increase-car-prices

http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2018/03/that-was-then-this-is-now-13.html

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Episode 55: Why Don't We Insure Guns Like We Insure Cars

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 14:30:00 -0000

After the horrific school shooting in Parkland, FL, on February 14th, the "debate" about gun control has reignited in the US. Pundits on both sides of the issue are over-generalizing, taking assumptions to the extreme, and generally talking past each other. But one thing that remains constant is persistent cry for "common sense" gun regulations. What constitutes "common sense" varies from person to person, but they all involve the restriction or outright ban on certain types or styles of firearms. If the War on Drugs taught us anything, it's that prohibition doesn't work, but at the same time, any number of school shootings is too many. So if bans aren't a good option, what might be? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 54: Is College Really for All?

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 14:30:00 -0000

In the last two and a half generations, the number of students who go on to attend college, as a percentage of the population, has tripled. In 1959, about 20 percent of high school students went on to college. Since relatively few people were earning degrees, having one all but guaranteed getting a good, high-paying job. As a result, parents, high schools, and colleges began encouraging more and more high school students to go to college. Today, about 60 percent of high school students go on to college. But has the big push to get kids into college done anything to improve outcomes? Is the average $250,000 investment in a four-year degree at all worth it? If not, what alternatives exist? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 53: Has Uber Become Part of the System It Fought Against?

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:30:00 -0000

Regulatory capture is a problem in this country. It happens pretty easily. Politicians can't be experts in everything, so they turn to actual experts for help with regulating various industries. The experts tend to be those who have already enjoy some measure of success in their field. The regulatory suggestions that these experts give politicians tend to make life easier for the already-established experts and harder for those competing with them. This kind of thing happens all too often and leads to gross regulatory overreach, such as Uber working to ban private ownership of self-driving cars. How do we prevent this or, at the very least, strike it down after the fact? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Robert McNamara from the Institute for Justice as they discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

http://triblive.com/news/education/career/13275149-74/carlow-university-launches-micro-masters-program https://micromasters.mit.edu/ https://www.edx.org/micromasters

Foolishness of the week

http://reason.com/blog/2018/02/08/jeff-sessions-advice-to-pain-patients-ta

Topic of the week: Occupational licensing and regulatory capture

http://ij.org/staff/robert-mcnamara/ https://cei.org/blog/uber-wants-make-it-illegal-operate-your-own-self-driving-car-cities https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2720&context=articles

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Episode 52: Why Does Government Keep Expanding?

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 14:30:00 -0000

The fact that the United States' yearly deficit spending is set to soon top $1 trillion — an amount that is itself larger than most governments' entire operating budget — might be an indicator that the federal government has gotten too large. No matter which party is in power, the federal government and its attendant spending never really ceases to grow. We're taught in school a rose-colored tale of selfless public servants righteously chosen by solemn, considering voters to go to Washington to diligently represent their constituency's best interests. But is it true? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Federal deficit to top $1 trillion

http://reason.com/archives/2018/01/04/trillion-dollar-deficit-deja-vu

The DNC is broke

http://theweek.com/speedreads/752743/dnc-reportedly-dead-broke-rnc-nearly-40-million

Foolishness of the Week

http://reason.com/blog/2018/02/02/inside-the-insane-battle-over-arizonas-d

Topic of the week: The Security State and the Therapeutic State

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/budget/fy2018/hist03z2.xls

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/POP

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Episode 51: America Relies on Immigrants

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 14:30:00 -0000

Immigration is, as happens fairly routinely, an important topic in the national conversation these days. It's generally well-accepted that the United States is "a nation of immigrants," and yet there remains a stubborn skepticism about new immigrants. These concerns generally branch into two broad categories: economic concerns and social concerns. Economically, citizens seem to think that immigrants are "taking our jobs" or "a drain on the system." Socially, citizens are of the belief that immigrants are "undermining American culture." But are any of these concerns warranted? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick Hits:

Denver hires homeless people

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/denver-hired-homeless-people-perform-day-labor-city-100-landed-regular-jobs/

Koch donating $400 million to candidates

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/27/politics/koch-republican-election-candidates-donate/index.html

https://nrf.com/resources/consumer-research-and-data/holiday-spending/halloween-headquarters

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/04/fourth-of-july-spending-by-the-numbers.html

https://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topindivs.php

Foolishness of the week

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/24/580228837/a-dozen-camels-disqualified-from-saudi-beauty-pageant-over-botox-injections

Topic of the week

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/Annual-Number-of-US-Legal-Permanent-Residents

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/27/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/

http://www.pewhispanic.org/2016/11/03/size-of-u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-workforce-stable-after-the-great-recession/

http://www.businessinsider.com/major-us-companies-founded-by-immigrants-2017-2

http://startupsusa.org/fortune500/#appendix

http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/19/news/economy/undocumented-immigrant-taxes/index.html

https://itep.org/wp-content/uploads/immigration2016.pdf

https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/advocacy/United_States.pdf

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/09/undocumented-immigrants-and-taxes/499604/

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/despite-the-rancor-there-is-much-that-unites-americans-20171116.html

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Episode 50: Intentions Don't Matter — Outcomes Do

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 14:30:00 -0000

Socialism is, whether we like it or not, in the national dialogue. And there are numerous people who claim to be socialists who, nevertheless, have a hard time defining what socialism actually is. Socialism, in it's purest form, indeed, has never been tried. But, by the same token, neither has undiluted capitalism. To understand which works better, we have to think about means and ends. Almost all of us want the same ends, but we disagree sharply as to the appropriate means. So how do we find the most efficient, most humane means? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Sweden could launch its own cryptocurrency http://www.businessinsider.com/sweden-cryptocurrency-e-krona-riksbank-2018-1

People believe that companies may five times more profit than they actually do http://www.aei.org/publication/the-public-thinks-the-average-company-makes-a-36-profit-margin-which-is-about-5x-too-high-part-ii/?utm_content=bufferaa12b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer https://taxfoundation.org/state-gasoline-tax-rates-2017/ http://gasprices.aaa.com/ http://fortune.com/2017/06/07/fortune-500-companies-profit-apple-berkshire-hathaway/

Topic of the Week: Socialism

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2017-03-08/celebrate-american-womens-economic-freedom-on-international-womens-day

www.wsj.com/articles/antony-davies-and-james-r-harrigan-for-gender-equality-you-cant-beat-capitalism-1425684094

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-09-19/we-need-to-find-the-right-mix-of-government-and-markets

http://www.antolin-davies.com/research/elp.pdf

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Episode 49: The Constitution Is Useless if We Don't Follow It

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 14:30:00 -0000

Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent the country into a tizzy not long ago when he declared that the federal government would start cracking down on state-legal marijuana. This is problematic, but it's a symptom of a larger problem. Article I, Section 8, of the US Constitution lists the things that the federal government may concern itself with. Marijuana — indeed, any drug — is not on that list. In fact, a great many things that the federal government concerns itself with are not on that list. So how did we get to the point of having federal laws and regulations about marijuana and a number of other things? We had to have a Constitutional amendment to ban alcohol, so why doesn't the government need one to ban marijuana? James Harrigan and Antony Davies discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Sarah Silverman https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/sarah-silverman-befriends-troll-insulted-pays-medical-treatment/

CT considers raising its excise tax on cigarettes. Again. http://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-lafaive-ct-cigarette-tax-smuggling-0109-20180108-story.html

What will mass-market driverless cars look like? https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-12/gm-drops-the-steering-wheel-and-gives-the-robot-driver-control

Foolishness of the Week

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/business/economy/irs-debt-collection.html

Topic of the Week: Federalism and Constitutional Amendments

Federalism and marijuana http://reason.com/archives/2018/01/10/federalists-cant-support-a-cannabis-crac

Article One, Section 8 of the US Constitution https://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A1Sec8.html

Wickard v. Filburn https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/317us111

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn

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Episode 48: When Do-Gooders Do Bad

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 17:04:31 -0000

Despite its passage some time ago, recent attention has been brought to the impending implementation of a Washington, D.C., regulation that will require all professional childcare workers to have a college degree. This has raised a great hue and cry as it will ban a number of existing childcare workers from their chosen profession as well as having the effect of dramatically increasing the cost of childcare in the District — which is, incidentally, already incredibly high when compared to the rest of the country. Unintended consequences happen all the time in everyday life, but when legislators and regulators act, the consequences are on a much larger scale. Unintended consequences abound in pretty much every aspect of regulated life to various degrees. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick Hits

Man cited for sheltering the homeless (David Wilson)

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/elgin-greg-schiller-slumber-parties-homeless-cold-467714563.html

Philip Morris getting out of the cigarette business?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/01/03/philip-morris-marlboro-wants-give-up-cigarettes-go-smoke-free/1001442001/

Foolishness of the Week

President Trump, apparently not interested in Steve Bannon’s criticism, seeks to block the release “Sloppy Steve’s” book.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-book-20180104-story.html

https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-rage-tweets-about-wolff-and-sloppy-steve-bannon-phony-book-is-full-of-lies/

Topic of the Week: Unintended Consequences

Gun buyback

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ae0c/469a9f5d95dd2fc8112bcdadb614183aa520.pdf

Seat belt laws

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/260352

Payday lending

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203806504577183240533438580

Fishing quotas

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12098697

CEO pay

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116062249630690247

Three strikes law

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0887403405277001

Bounty on cobras

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-cobra-effect-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/

Mexico city air pollution

http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/ldavis/Davis%20JPE%202008.pdf

California fuel economy mandates

https://web.stanford.edu/~goulder/Papers/Published%20Papers/Unintended%20Consequences%20(Pavley%20Paper)%20-%20JEEM%20March%202012.pdf

Americans with Disabilities Act

https://economics.mit.edu/files/273

Electrician licensing requirements

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01044518

Red-light cameras

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/03/AR2005100301844.html

Cash for clunkers

http://www.nber.org/papers/w16351

Venezuela

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/venezuelas-paradox-people-are-hungry-but-farmers-cant-feed-them/2017/05/21/ce460726-3987-11e7-a59b-26e0451a96fd_story.html?utm_term=.32c5dd1398b0

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Episode 47: Should We Abolish Government Regulation?

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 15:58:24 -0000

What do you do on any given day that is not somehow regulated by government in some way? There really isn't much. In point of fact, there are well over one hundred thousand pages of federal regulations alone, to say nothing of state and local regulations. We have government-mandated guidelines for everything from space exploration to how your dog can behave in a city park. While many people concede that there is an acceptable minimum level of government regulation, and others maintain that there is no such thing as an unregulated market, even in the absence of government guidance, it's clear that as things currently stand, we are a highly overregulated nation. So if there is, indeed, a legitimate purpose for regulation, what is it? What are we trying to accomplish with these regulations? Who benefits? And how far is too far? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick Hits

Police killed in the line of duty

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/12/28/number-officers-killed-2017-hits-nearly-50-year-low/984477001/

26 year-old gives birth to 24 year-old

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/record-baby-26-year-old-gives-birth-daughter-frozen-24-years-ago/

Alcohol

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/12/28/how-many-alcoholic-drinks-too-many-per-week/822604001/

Venezuelan cryptocurrency

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/29/venezuela-oil-backed-cryptocurrency-to-launch-in-days.html

Foolishness of the Week http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/pew-trump-media-three-times-more-negative-than-for-obama-just-5-percent-positive/article/2644448 This Week’s Topic

Magnitude of regulation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkNPjC0gVSo

What regulations did Trump eliminate?

https://cei.org/blog/so-what-regulations-did-trump-eliminate

Regulation of social media http://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/354006-regulate-social-media-just-like-other-media

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/21/its-time-to-crack-down-on-facebook-and-twitter-commentary.html

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/twitter-egyptian-journalist-ban.php

Regulating florists because dirt might be infected

https://goldwaterinstitute.org/article/protection-racket-occupational-licensing-laws-and/

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Episode 46: Actually, Things Are Kind of Amazing

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 14:30:00 -0000

It seems, these days, that you can't turn on the TV or log on to social media without someone griping about how awful things are. They complain about everything, from taxes to avocados to bills to cell signal strength. But the truth of things is a lot rosier than popular media would lead you to believe. Global illiteracy rates are below 14 percent. Global rates of extreme poverty are below 10 percent. Despite there being more people currently alive on the planet than ever before, there are also more calories per capita than ever before. This is not to say that there aren't improvements to be made or that there aren't bad things happening, but perhaps bearing these facts in mind might improve our outlook on life. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they talk about thankfulness and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Walmart employs 1% of Americans

http://www.businessinsider.com/largest-employers-each-us-state-2017-6

http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-employees-pay

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/business/walmart-workers-pay-advances.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/12/nearly-every-american-spent-money-at-wal-mart-last-year.html

High school reports 100% college placement rate

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/12/17/570255742/teachers-around-the-country-react-to-investigation-into-ballou-high-school

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/11/28/564054556/what-really-happened-at-the-school-where-every-senior-got-into-college

Data

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/09/how-americans-compare-with-the-global-middle-class/

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEHOINUSA672N

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/cell-phones-demography-nielsen-data-breaks-mobile-phone/story?id=11468925

https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/products/gear/entertainment/2005-04-10-brick-cell-phone_x.htm

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/A939RX0Q048SBEA

http://graphics.wsj.com/what-percent/

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Episode 45: What Can Colorado Teach Us About Legalizing Weed?

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 14:30:00 -0000

There has been quite the groundswell in recent years in the efforts to legalize marijuana. In fact, a majority of US states have at least some sort of access to legal weed, despite its still being criminalized at the federal level. But the state of Colorado led the nation when it legalized marijuana for all purposes, even recreational ones, in January of 2014. The anti-marijuana advocates warned that such an action would lead to increased drug use — especially among teens — higher crimes rates, and a whole spate of other undesirable consequences. Nevertheless, the plant prevailed. It's still early days, but we do have almost four years of data about the effects of legalizing marijuana to look at. Were the anti-marijuana crusaders correct? Are teen drug use and violent crime rampant? Are visitors shunning Colorado? Was it all a huge mistake? Antony Davies and James Harrigan discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick Hits Unemployment rate is at its lowest level?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2017/12/08/why-you-cant-rely-on-the-unemployment-rate-as-primary-economic-indicator/

Sweet Briar college no longer discounting tuition

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/beloved-womens-college-slashes-tuition-prices-30/

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/college-costs/college-costs-faqs

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/05/16/discount-rates-rise-yet-again-private-colleges-and-universities

Venezuela’s diaspora is growing: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/14/flood-venezuelans-fleeing-their-depressed-country/941463001/

US better educated now than at any time in its history: http://triblive.com/news/education/classroom/13077368-74/us-more-educated-than-ever-before-census-bureau-says

Foolishness of the week Bulletproof glass is an indignity

http://reason.com/blog/2017/12/15/philly-votes-to-regulate-bulletproof-gla

Marijuana and Crime

Adolescent pot use is falling in Colorado

http://reason.com/blog/2017/12/12/contradicting-prohibitionists-survey-say/amp?__twitter_impression=true

The war on marijuana has failed

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/11974018-74/marijuana-colorado-drug

Colorado’s pot full of benefits

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/6487136-74/marijuana-state-war

Commercial pot in Colorado

http://gazette.com/editorial-the-sad-anniversary-of-big-commercial-pot-in-colorado/article/1614900

Milton Friedman on drug criminalization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLsCC0LZxkY

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on marijuana policy http://www.newsweek.com/will-jeff-sessions-war-marijuana-next-week-744089

Teen marijuana use is down since legalization https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/11/following-marijuana-legalization-teen-drug-use-is-down-in-colorado

Data

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cbi/colorado-crime-statistics-ucr

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cbi/crime-colorado1

http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/colorado-population/

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2016/crime-in-the-u.s.-2016/tables/table-1

https://www.denverite.com/chronic-homelessness-ten-year-high-metro-denver-heres-citys-38546/

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/PW_ISVP_PDO_Heroin-in-Colorado-2017.pdf

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Episode 44: Americans' Generosity Can Help the Poor Better Than Government

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 14:30:00 -0000

Christmas is right around the corner, and people everywhere are in the holiday spirit. In addition to giving gifts to loved ones, Americans are also giving to their preferred charities. Indeed, about a third of all charitable donations occur during the month of December. And Americans are, in general, incredibly generous. Recent estimates have the total dollar amount of charitable giving, both cash and labor, at about $600 billion. That's more than almost all other countries take in via taxation. Most of this money comes from those "selfish" rich people you read so much about, and all but about 5 percent of it comes from individuals. Businesses, for all their fanfare and PR campaigns, give very little in comparison. Of course, not all of this giving goes to what might be called poverty relief, but about 82 percent of it does, about $500 billion, as of 2016. And all of this giving is completely separate from what the government takes through taxation and redistributes through what is loosely defined as "welfare spending." So how does all of this private charity compare to what the government is doing? What does the future for government welfare look like? Is the market capable of taking on the role of the "first line" of help for those who need it? Antony Davies and James Harrigan discuss on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Episode Data and Articles:

Voluntary Giving

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/11522510-74/christmas-war-holiday

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/charitable-giving-generosity-government-poverty-20171204.html

Welfare

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/01/12/no-we-dont-spend-1-trillion-on-welfare-each-year/?utm_term=.e907f7625b56

https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/year_spending_2017USbn_17bs6n_2030#usgs302

Data

https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-2017-total-charitable-donations-rise-to-new-high-of-390-05-billion/

https://www.philanthropy.com/article/Giving-Tuesday-Haul-Is-an/238534

https://www.nptrust.org/philanthropic-resources/charitable-giving-statistics/

https://www.independentsector.org/resource/the-value-of-volunteer-time/

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2056.html

https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=42

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Episode 43: The CBO Is Almost, but Not Quite, Useless

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 14:30:00 -0000

Economist Paul Krugman is well-known for his pro-Democrat stances. Recently, he's claimed that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has said that if the Individual Mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, is repealed, 22 million Americans will "lose" their health insurance. What he doesn't say is that the vast majority of those 22 million people are simply opting out. They are _choosing_ not to have health insurance. But here's the problem with CBO forecasts: they're usually wrong. And they're wrong in almost the exact same way. Why are the CBO forecasts so bad? Why do they consistently get it wrong in such a consistent way? And what does this mean for our economy? James Harrigan and Antony Davies discuss this and more in this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Emirates’ new 777

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericrosen/2017/11/13/new-emirates-first-class-suites-on-777-300er-revealed-at-the-dubai-air-show/#13ce46a256b8

Curing disease by rewriting our DNA

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/first-scientists-try-edit-faulty-dna-inside-patients-body-cure-genetic-disease/

iHeart Radio:https://www.wsj.com/articles/iheart-creditors-reject-another-offer-from-company-as-they-push-for-chapter-11-1512090362

Jeff Sessions on marijuana:http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/11/sessions-hints-at-a-coming-crackdown-on-recreational-weed.html

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/29/politics/sessions-opioid-news-conference-marijuana/index.html

http://reason.com/blog/2017/10/26/sessions-continues-to-push-gateway-drug

Foolishness of the weekhttps://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/us/politics/republican-tax-bill-moves-closer-to-senate-passage.html

The CBO

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2017/07/22/cbo-three-fourths-of-coverage-difference-between-obamacare-gop-bills-driven-by-individual-mandate/#327a3b9e3627

https://twitter.com/AntonyDavies

Join the Words and Numbers Backstage FB group, where the conversation continueshttps://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

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Episode 42: Is America a Police State?

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 14:33:32 -0000

Recently, in a small town Pennsylvania, an insurance agent for Nationwide Insurance noticed a certain plant growing in a garden on the property he was inspecting. This insurance agent identified the plant as marijuana and notified the police about this nefarious behavior. An elderly couple lived at that property, and while the husband was out at the time, the wife was dragged from her home, in her underwear, while police proceeded to ransack the home for four hours. They found nothing illegal. And that marijuana plant that started this whole debacle? Actually a hibiscus. This is only one of countless examples of this exact sort of "raid first, ask questions later" mentality that police forces in this country have adopted. But it's only natural that this sort of bad behavior has evolved because of the huge problem of overcriminalization. And when the difference between "criminal" and "lawbreaker" is more than just splitting semantic hairs, something needs to be done. Special guest Clark Neily of the Cato Institute joins James Harrigan and Antony Davies to talk about this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 41: The Super-Rich Don't Understand Taxation

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 14:30:00 -0000

It never seems to fail that whenever any kind of change to the tax code is proposed in Washington, billionaires and millionaires come clambering out of the woodwork to tell Congress not to cut their taxes. This current round of tax reform is no exception. Recently, more than 400 of the super-rich signed a letter asking exactly that, claiming that both the national debt and wealth inequality are at all-time highs. But are these claims true? Is taxation the only way to financially support the government? Even if the government raised taxes on the rich instead of cutting them, would it make one whit of difference to the national debt? James Harrigan and Antony Davies discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 40: How Fair is Fair Trade?

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:30:00 -0000

The World Fair Trade Organization has declared this week to be World Fair Trade Week. "Fair trade" is quite the buzzword in commerce these days and is generally associated agricultural products. Chief among those is coffee. The popularity of fair trade coffee is undeniable. But what even is "fair trade" and what does it entail? How "fair" is it? Or is it just a marketing gimmick? James Harrigan and Antony Davies get into the nitty-gritty of this and more in this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 39: Is American Unity an Illusion

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 14:00:00 -0000

If the government of France was to suddenly and magically cease to exist, France itself would definitely still go on. If the government of the United States was to suddenly and magically cease to exist, would the United States itself still go on? The answer isn't entirely clear. In a recent interview, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas stated that he doesn't know what binds us, Americans, together anymore. The subject of American unity is a touchy one. With so much political divisiveness in our country, is it at all possible to come together over even one defining characteristic? Do we still have a cohesive national identity? James Harrigan and Antony Davies talk about this and more in this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 38: You Can't Vote Math Out of Office

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:05:40 -0000

This year, Deficit Day - that is, the day the federal government runs out of money for the year and starts spending money it doesn't have - fell on October 24. This is about average for the last 30 or so years. And yet, somehow, this year's deficit spending is on track to be the largest it's ever been. How does that work? And what's the difference between mandatory and discretionary spending? Is the rate of expansion of government spending sustainable? James Harrigan and Antony Davies discuss this and more on this week's episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 37: Has the Gun Violence Crisis Been Overblown?

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 14:51:58 -0000

It’s important to approach the subject of guns and gun control with a cool and rational mind. It’s easy to make snap judgments in the heat of the moment that feel good but might not have any bearing on reality. Now that we’ve gained a little distance from the horrific shooting in Las Vegas, what do the data say about gun deaths and gun violence in America? Is it really as bad as it seems? James Harrigan and Antony Davies break down the statistics for us in this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 36: The Problem with Healthcare Is Government

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 14:02:06 -0000

Healthcare is a hot topic right now after a couple of failed attempts to repeal Obamacare and an executive order that rolled back some of the restrictions on selling insurance. There’s no doubt that health care and health insurance are both expensive and getting more expensive all the time. But how did it get this way? And how can we fix it? Antony Davies and James Harrigan discuss the how and the why of the cost of healthcare in this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 35: Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:04:41 -0000

State representatives who support anti-gun legislation arrested for running guns. Pro-life representatives encouraging their mistresses to get abortions. Anti-gay senators outed for propositioning other men. The list of people in power getting caught up in their own hypocrisy is long, but they’re not the only ones. We the people are guilty of it as well. The evidence is overwhelming. The bad behavior we were so vocal about before suddenly becomes okay as soon as our preferred party is in power. Why is that?

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Episode 34: Inequality Is Rising, but Poverty Is Falling

Wed, 04 Oct 2017 13:34:16 -0000

Recently released data from the Federal Reserve indicate an increase in income inequality and wealth inequality in the country. People often assume this means that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. In the US, it generally means that both the rich and poor are getting richer, but the rich are getting richer faster. Moreover, “the rich” is not a static group of people. People climb into and fall out of that category all the time. Indeed, as Machiavelli pointed out long ago, inheritor’s of wealth often end up squandering it. Antony Davies and James Harrigan discuss these issues and more in the latest episode of Words and Numbers.

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Episode 33: Does Amazon Really Need Corporate Welfare?

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 14:14:23 -0000

Amazon made online comparison shopping easy for all. Now it’s Amazon’s turn to comparison shop: for a city to host its new corporate headquarters. It’s looking for which major metropolis will offer the sweetest deal. Unfortunately, the welcome package will most likely be paid for by the city’s taxpayers. Amazon claims it’s worth it in the long run, given how much tax revenue the corporate titan would bring to town. But economists James Harrigan and Antony Davies give this argument a one-star rating.

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Episode 32: Venezuela: Let Them Eat… Rabbits?

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 14:16:55 -0000

Once upon a time, an out-of-touch queen heard of her subjects’ lack of bread and supposedly responded, “Let them eat cake.”

Hunger has become so bad in Venezuela that its own out-of-touch ruler has proclaimed, in essence, “let them eat rabbits.”

This is how far Venezuela has fallen. And yet, only a few years ago, many (including the American left) were heralding the rise of “Bolivarian socialism” as the wave of the future and the hope for the people. How can a nation plummet so deeply into squalor so quickly in spite of abundant natural resources? Economists James Harrigan and Antony Davies explain.

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Episode 31: Does the Debt Ceiling Mean Anything?

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 15:15:38 -0000

Does the debt ceiling even mean anything? It’s like a credit limit on your credit card, but one which the borrower (the US government) gets to set for itself. Moreover, it’s most likely that the government has been borrowing way above the ceiling but simply doesn’t make it official until after the debt ceiling is raised: as it always is. Economists Antony Davies and James Harrigan discuss what this means for the taxpayer and for the economy.

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Episode 30: Must the Police Be Above the Law to Enforce It?

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 14:34:54 -0000

Nurse Alex Wubbels refused to let police draw blood from an unconscious crash victim and ended up arrested. The ensuing national controversy has brought police conduct back into the spotlight, raising several questions. Is it necessary to be above the law to enforce it? Does the policy of granting “qualified immunity” to officers incentivize irresponsibility? Would police ranks have far fewer “bad apples” if officers were required to carry malpractice insurance? Antony and James address all this and more.

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Episode 29: Do Americans Still Have Freedom of Speech

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 14:39:59 -0000

These days, everybody is nervous about what you can say in public without getting slammed by retribution. But is that a free-speech problem, or does it only become one when the police start showing up? Do we live in a truly tolerant society if voicing an opinion, even if it doesn’t land you in jail, ends up ending your career? Antony and James explore these intricate issues on this weeks episode.

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Episode 28: Child Labor Was Wiped Out By Markets, Not Government

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 17:21:29 -0000

In 1938 the US government passed the Fair Labor Standards Act mandating a forty hour work week, establishing a minimum wage, and prohibiting child labor. Because of legislation like this, government is often credited for making the American work environment safer and more fair. Yet, as Antony Davies and James Harrigan demonstrate with historical data, market forces were already making things easier on the American worker long before the FLSA.

Learn More: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zq-2cKENOc&feature=youtu.be

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/sep/09/viral-image/does-8-hour-day-and-40-hour-come-henry-ford-or-lab/

Data: https://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/CT1970p1-05.pdf

See page 170 for average weekly work hours. See page 134 for child labor rates.

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Episode 27: The Illusion of School Choice

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 16:00:00 -0000

In private schools, as in private enterprise in general, poor performance drives funding away by driving paying customers away. Yet in public schools, poor performance is used as an excuse for increased funding. With incentives like these, is it any wonder that public schools are failing our children so badly? Isn’t it time to inject some competition into the system?

Education for all is a worthy wish. So is food for all. But we don’t force poor people to eat state-produced food. Even food stamp recipients get to choose where to shop. Why shouldn’t beneficiaries of public education spending get to choose where to send their kids?

Our hosts James R. Harrigan and Antony Davies want to know.

Check out the facts on this issue for yourself here: https://fee.org/articles/the-illusion-of-school-choice

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Episode 26: Has Tipping Gone Out of Control

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 16:00:00 -0000

In 1922, famed etiquette writer Emily Post advised her readers that 10% is the standard for tipping your waiter. Since then, “gratuity creep” has been so steady that tip jars are now ubiquitous and 25-30% is considered the rule in New York City. Uber once resisted this trend, but recently added a tipping feature to its app. What is the economic rationale behind tipping? Does the usefulness of tipping diminish the more that a certain rate becomes an expectation? At a certain point, would it be better to do without the fuss involved and simply include that portion of a service-provider’s compensation in the wages paid by the employer? Our valiant hosts, Antony Davies and James Harrigan explore these questions and more!

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Episode 25: Is UBI Better Than Welfare

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 16:00:00 -0000

A viewer recently asked us what Words & Numbers thought of Universal Basic Income. Antony Davies likes the idea of it, provided it’s done well, but doesn’t think it could ever possibly be done well. But what about a theoretical UBI? If we could actually figure out how to implement that well, would that work? And why wouldn’t that work in the real world? This week on Words and Numbers, Antony and James R. Harrigan tackle the issue that’s getting a lot of attention in Silicon Valley.

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Episode 24: Is Income Inequality Real?

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Income inequality has been in the news more and more, and it doesn’t look good. It’s aggravating to see people making more money than you, and we’re told all the time that income inequality is on the rise. But is it? And even if it is, is it actually a bad thing? This week on Words and Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigantalk about how income inequality plays out in the real world.

Learn More: https://fee.org/articles/is-income-inequality-real/

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Episode 23: The Illinois Budget is a Mess

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week on Words & Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan tackle the disaster that is the Illinois state budget crisis. Pro-tip: Don't let it happen to your state.

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Episode 22: Do Airlines Charge Too Much?

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week on Words & Numbers, James R. Harrigan and Antony Davies tackle the issue of airline pricing. Why do they charge what they do? What do those prices mean? Is it too much and are passengers being ripped off?

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Episode 21: Let Amazon Play Monopoly

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Amazon’s offer to buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion sounds pretty great to both parties, but it seems that isn’t good enough. The proposal has a lot of people worried about Amazon becoming an indestructible monopoly, and the government is all too happy to step in and settle the issue. But this concern ignores consumers’ own preferences as well as business and entrepreneurial history. This week in Words and Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan discuss the probable future of the Amazon-Whole Foods merger, what it could mean for us, and what it could mean for another once-equally feared corporation: Wal-Mart.

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Episode 20: Just Say No to the War on Drugs

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Ted Cruz recently asserted that the United States military needs to be sent to Mexico to attack the drug cartels head-on. This is a bad idea. But so is the drug war itself, both constitutionally and logically. Forty-six years and one trillion dollars after its start, President Richard Nixon's War on Drugs is still going, with 300,000 people currently in jail on drug charges. Meanwhile, 26 times as many people suffer from alcoholism as do heroin abuse, and eight times as many die from alcohol abuse as do heroin. Many who support the war do so with the best of intentions, but has it really helped? Or has it done more harm than good, like the Prohibition of the 1920s? Is this war even legal in the first place? James Harrigan and Antony Davies discuss these questions in this week's Words and Numbers.

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Episode 19: The Population Boom Could Save the World

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 16:00:00 -0000

In 1798, 95 percent of the world lived in poverty. Today, less than 10 percent do, in spite of the world’s population growing by 700 percent in that same time. The common thought among young people is that this 700 percent population growth is going to overpopulate the earth. But given the number of people in poverty, it looks like population growth is actually good for poverty – more people means more brains, which means more ideas, inventions, and innovations. This week on Words and Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan talk about how and why the world is improving despite widespread negativity towards the idea of a growing world population, and why that negativity persists regardless of the prosperity we see every day.

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Episode 18: What You Should Know About Poverty in America

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Poverty is a big deal – it affects about 41 million people in the United States every year – yet the federal government spends a huge amount of money to end poverty. So much of the government’s welfare spending gets eaten up by bureaucracy, conflicting programs, and politicians presuming they know how people should spend their own money. Obviously, this isn’t working. This week on Words and Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan delve into how people can really become less poor and what that means for society and the government. Learn More:

https://fee.org/articles/what-you-should-know-about-poverty-in-america/

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Episode 17: Earning Profits is Your Social Responsibility

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:00:00 -0000

We tend to demonize people who make money – how dare they have more than us? But that negative reaction forgets the voluntary role we play in profit-making every day. This week in Words and Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan discuss just how good it is to earn a profit, and the vital difference between that and forcing money from people.

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Episode 16: Is Your College Degree Worthless?

Wed, 31 May 2017 16:00:00 -0000

A lot of people assume that any degree increases your income over the course of your life, but it actually seriously depends on what major you choose and what career you go into. This week on Words & Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan breakdown the numbers on what your college degree is actually worth.

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Episode 15: Government Can't Stop Creative Destruction

Wed, 24 May 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Technology doesn’t just change things, it utterly destroys things. And that’s just fine. It happens so often that people barely even notice when it does. Think about all the new services that have come to market just over the past few years: Uber, Airbnb, Redbox … the list goes on and on. But that’s only half the story. In turn, the list of services replaced by these new ones is similarly long: taxis, hotels, Blockbuster, etc. And workers in these industries often lose their jobs in the line of creative destruction. We generally accept this as the price of innovation, but many people try to use the government to stop this by blocking the new services. Today we’re seeing this with more politically well-connected industries like taxis and hotels. Pressure is put on Uber and Airbnb, respectively, to “protect” the established industries they are upending. This week, Ant and James talk about why this is always a mistake. Learn More: https://fee.org/articles/government-cant-stop-creative-destruction/

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Episode 14: You Can't Trust Employment Statistics

Wed, 17 May 2017 16:00:00 -0000

There is no truly good way to measure unemployment, which makes it pretty easy for successive administrations to claim that unemployment is consistently improving. But when we do our level best to include all of the unemployed in the numbers, what we learn is that unemployment levels now are higher than they were at the beginning of the Great Recession. That’s the bad news. The good news is that things actually have been getting better over time. In this week’s episode, James and Antony take a look at the actual unemployment numbers to get to the bottom of what they really mean. Get the facts here: https://fee.org/articles/you-cant-trust-unemployment-statistics/

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Episode 13: The Minimum Wage Conspiracy

Wed, 10 May 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week, James & Antony tackle minimum wage laws and present some hard facts that might surprise a lot of people. See below for links to all the data and ideas they're talking about in this episode.

Raw Data: http://www.governing.com/gov-data/economy-finance/youth-employment-unemployment-rate-data-by-state.html

https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm

https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat08.htm

http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx

https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2016/home.htm

Research:

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/001979399204600105

https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/Davies-minimum-wage-PIC.pdf

http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/XXXIX/2/425.short

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00197939140670S307

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=CC_FCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=%22minimum+wage%22&ots=bMKtfq8dOr&sig=acUFMHlHCDLr2Jo5F6scbDXX4-A#v=onepage&q=%22minimum%20wage%22&f=false

Op-Eds:

https://fee.org/articles/the-minimum-wage-conspiracy/

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2013/10/21/raising-the-minimum-wage-kills-jobs-for-low-skill-workers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/for-the-maximally-vulnerable-the-minimum-wage-is-always_us_58eea085e4b04cae050dc45d

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/7003069-74/federal-wage-workers

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/10183883-74/wage-minimum-workers

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/20170409_Minimum-wage_hikes_a_way_to_buying_union_votes.html

http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2015/06/03/what_a_pittsburgh_college_could_teach_seattle_los_angeles__chicago_101690.html

Episode 12: In My Safe Space

Wed, 03 May 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week on Words & Numbers James and Ant talk about the “safe spaces” movement on college campuses. Spoiler Alert: they don’t think campuses should be all that safe…at least not for ideas. College is the one time in a person’s life when just about every idea is on the table, and we do no one a service by declaring certain topics settled or off limits in the name of making people feel “safe.”

Learn More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5905d8ade4b03b105b44b95c

https://fee.org/articles/the-campus-counter-revolution-against-liberty/

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Episode 11: Actually, Life is Pretty Awesome

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week, James and Antony take a brief departure from talking about the growing national debt, and our absurd tax system to discuss the numerous ways in which more economic and personal freedom has made people wealthier, more equal, and better off all over the world. We're actually living in pretty amazing times.

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Episode 10: Hypocritical Partisans Pass Political Power

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week, Antony and James are equal-opportunity offenders, discussing the way power not only changes hands from one party to another, but support for political ideas flips back and forth as well. Neither the right nor the left is immune to this kind of hypocrisy. Editor's note: According to James, "All the other political philosophers will point at me and laugh, but I said Paine when I meant Madison." This heinous error is about 5 minutes in, and we apologize.

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Episode 9: Even Economists Can’t Do Their Own Taxes

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 16:00:00 -0000

In honor of Tax Day, Antony Davies & James R. Harrigan talk about the absurdity of the US tax code. If your tax situation is more complicated or more uncomfortable than you like dealing with, you can pay another human being to do your taxes so you don’t have to. There are dependents, mortgages, deductions from energy-efficient household additions, charity, student loan interest ... even with a Ph.D. in economics, it’s hard to understand!

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Episode 8: Taxing Robots Does Not Compute

Wed, 05 Apr 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week, Antony and James break down Bill Gates' recent suggestion that companies that use robots instead of human workers should pay employment taxes in order to fund new welfare programs.

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Episode 7: The Arts Will Survive Without Your Taxes

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week, James & Antony experiment with a slightly longer format, and get into the issue of government funding for the arts.

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Episode 6: We're Becoming a Nation of Pets

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week, Antony & James take on the idea of "victimless crimes" and discuss the odd and growing trend of governments regulating some private activities such as pornography, while others like smoking marijuana are increasingly allowed. People imposing their values on others seems to boil down to an inability to appreciate that others have different preferences, but it all results in Americans losing freedom and instead becoming a nation of pets.

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Episode 5: Blocked by a State's Wall of Taxes

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 16:00:00 -0000

This week, James & Antony discuss the case of Connecticut's budget shortfall. The state hopes to solve their financial problems by raiding the retirement accounts of previous Connecticut government employees who have moved out of the state, and take 30% of those savings. This plan would hurt retirees, break promises, and trap many people in the state based on a policy that may be illegal.

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Episode 4: Women Prosper When Markets Are Free

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 17:00:00 -0000

This week, in honor of International Women's Day, Antony & James discuss the strong correlation between economic freedom and gender equality found across the world. They argue that if you want to see a world of increasing equality and opportunity for women, you also want to free the economy from central planning and control.

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Episode 3: The Problem With Alternate Facts

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 17:00:00 -0000

In this week's episode, Antony & James talk about alternative facts and how false, partisan data skews important discussions about public policy.

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Episode 2: The CBO Can't Count

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 17:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Dr. Antony Davies, Professor of Economics of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and Dr. James R. Harrigan, Senior Research Fellow at Strata, in Logan, Utah discuss the way the Congressional Budget Office works, and outline its history of failure at accurately forecasting increases in the national debt.

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Episode 1: The Customer is Always Taxed

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:00:00 -0000

We're really excited to present the first episode of what will be an on-going podcast featuring Dr. Antony Davies, Professor of Economics of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and Dr. James R. Harrigan, CEO of FreedomTrust Each Wednesday we'll be sharing a new podcast featuring Antony and James talking about the economics and political science of current events. We hope you enjoy the show and look forward to your input on what topics Antony and James should cover in the future. Today's episode is about everybody's favorite subject: Taxes!

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