Words & Numbers

The inimitable Matt Kibbe, of Kibbe on Liberty joins us to spill the beans. Which beans? You’ll have to listen or watch to find out.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:24 Brazil’s Failing Medical Education System

04:59 Older Americans Turn to Marijuana Instead of Doctors

07:11 Kari Lake, Ambassadorships, and Political Loyalty

11:16 Trump, Obama, Third Terms, and Autocracy

14:40 Introduction: Matt Kibbe Joins the Show

16:24 Bui...

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...

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

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 an...

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 Conseq...

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...

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 bal...

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...

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 Am...

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 potentia...

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 Amendme...

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 ...

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 podc...

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 mercantilis...

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 market...

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. W...

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 th...