Capital Record

Capital Record

American prosperity was built on a foundation of free markets and free people. But, with inflation on the rise and a struggling market, many in America’s political class are attempting to recycle failed socialist ideas and calling for government intervention in nearly every aspect of American life. In this National Review Capital Matters podcast, presented by the National Review Institute, financier David Bahnsen hosts interviews with the nation’s top business leaders, entrepreneurs, and financial commentators. Tune in to hear guests such as Larry Kudlow, Steve Forbes, and Art Laffer present a practical and moral vindication of America’s capitalist way of life.

Episodes

August 7, 2025 47 mins

David is joined by his first podcast guest of 2025, and what a guest it is! The distinguished economist, Dr. Lacy Hunt, joins David to talk about a real assessment of the labor market; of economic growth; and of the second, third, and fourth order impact of tariffs. He transcends the mere first order inflationary impact to delve into the second order disinflationary impact. It is a fascinating conversation that is apolitical, objec...

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David responds to his National Review colleague Michael Brendan Dougherty's recent attack on free trade. David tries to be far more charitable in tone and content than protectionists appear willing to be, but seeks to hold the anti-free-trade crowd to the same thing all engaged in public argument ought to be held to, especially in an economic way of thinking: first principles, a limiting principle, and, most of all, the accountabil...

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David takes a look at certain efforts to undermine the spirit of the law, whether or not the letter of the law is followed, and what it means for our financial markets. This is a golden issue for Capital Record, an optimal application of where freedom and virtue must be juxtaposed. 

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This week, David unpacks some really important lessons on the current state of U.S. manufacturing: why the electoral and the political cannot be confused with the economic, and why neither should be confused with the cultural. There is something in here for everyone to be bothered by, so jump on in to a reality check about U.S. manufacturing.

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How should we think about people who make billions of dollars managing the capital of others? Does a hedge fund manager like Bill Ackman add any value to society? Why would someone worth $50-100 million hate someone worth $9 billion? This week’s Capital Record doesn’t have time to get into dog-whistle antisemitism, but it does have time to get into class envy, the embarrassing error of believing capital allocation is a valueless ex...

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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has been criticized for not doing enough to rein in deficits. It has been praised for extending tax cuts. And it is underrated for some of the pro-growth business measures the bill includes intended to promote supply-side business incentives. But what about the “promises kept:” In the new tax bill -- the “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime wages” -- are these pro-growth? What about the deduction ...

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The Biden administration spent $42 billion of taxpayer funds to bring broadband access to rural America, and people are shocked, shocked, that nothing has been done. As people on both sides of the aisle scream for government to “do more,” perhaps there is a lesson in this failure to create connectivity, and perhaps that lesson ought to be that incentives and knowledge matter.

Show notes:
https://x.com/geiger_capital/status/1905591976...

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The media may have obsessed over the extravagant Jeff Bezos wedding in Venice last weekend, but most regular people with jobs and a family probably couldn’t care less. But in this week’s episode, David takes note of who does seem to care about such things, and what principles can be learned from the whole affair that impact our understanding of economics in the 21st century. This is a seriously contrarian episode of the Capital Rec...

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David walks through the new Barry Diller autobiography and extracts some key business lessons that speak to our own objectives here on the Capital Record. Barry may have been a Hollywood and media industry giant, and he may not care much for all of our ideological commitments, but he has a lot to offer in this week’s episode.

Show Notes:
"Business Lessons from the New Barry Diller Book"

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Does prosperity make for a good life? If not, does it stand to reason that prosperity works against a good life? Why is this issue so problematic for people still today, when the answers embedded in the alleged tension were so apparent to men and women of wisdom so long ago? In this foundational episode, David discusses the recipe for the good life, where prosperity fits in, where it does not, and how stupidity can work to unde...
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Is the U.S. bond market rejecting the fiscal state of the country? Is it declaring doom and gloom? Is it begging us not to do this “big, beautiful bill”? Or, is the fiscal state of the country deeply troubled? Is the new bill a big disappointment, but the bond market is saying no such thing (for reasons you deserve to understand)? In this very important Capital Record, David makes the argument that those wrongly declaring some form...
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