Bob Murphy Show
317 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 451 ratingsThe podcast promoting free markets, free minds, and grateful souls.
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Episodes
Ep. 117 Refuting Some Economics Fallacies Related to the Corona Crisis
April 28, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 52.7 MBBob tackles some Keynesian / MMT fallacies that have resurfaced in light of the response to the coronavirus. In particular, he responds to Larry Summers who viewed the lockdown as being akin to workers staying home over the weekend, and then to Neil Irwin on Twitter, who approvingly retweeted a thread arguing that it was mathematically *impossible* for state governments to have saved ahead of time in preparation. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Bob's article, "Why the...
Ep. 116 Libertarian NYC Doctor Explains the Physiology of the Coronavirus
April 16, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBLevi Machado is a Brazilian pathologist who trained and now works in the NYC hospital network. As a fan of libertarian writers, Levi recognizes the problems with coercive "solutions" to a pandemic. However, Levi explains in the discussion what COVID-19 actually can do to the body, and why it's not really comparable to the flu. The conversation wraps up with tips on staying healthy. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Examples of how Dr. Fauci and the progressive media ini...
Ep. 115 Understanding the Coronavirus Alarm and Practical Steps to Weather the Storm
April 05, 2020 14:00 - 57 minutes - 46.6 MBBob urges skeptics not to dismiss the panic over the coronavirus as merely due to anti-Trump fear-mongering. Although government coercion is not justified, the underlying health crisis is very real. Bob also explains the economics of the toilet paper shortage, and gives practical tips he is using to try to keep his own household safe. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Bob and Carlos Lara's 2016 video, "How to Weather the Coming Financial Storms." Their book (with Nelson...
Ep. 114 Dave Smith Interviews Bob Murphy on Stimulus and Dropping the Hammer
April 05, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 53.6 MBThe hilarious stand-up comic and Rothbardian Dave Smith invites Bob onto his show, "Part of the Problem," to talk about the government's response to the coronavirus. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Dave Smith's YouTube version of this interview. A great summary of the academic literature on whether face masks prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Help support the Bob Murphy Show. The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.
Ep. 113 Oren Cass and the Conservative Critique of Pure Laissez-Faire
March 28, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 50.8 MBOren Cass is the executive director of American Compass, a conservative think tank that stresses the importance of family and domestic industry, in opposition to a singleminded devotion to economic efficiency. Cass was previously a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and was the domestic policy director for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. Bob and Oren have a friendly discussion about their disagreements on economic policy. Mentioned in the Episode and Oth...
Ep. 112 Commentary on the Politics and Economics of the Coronavirus Response
March 24, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 65.2 MBBob comments on various aspects of the response to the coronavirus. Although many libertarians are accusing the authorities of exaggerating the threat, it would also be a "libertarian take" to accuse them of downplaying the threat early on, misleading the public on how to stay safe. Bob also tries to clarify thinking about the Fed's repo bailouts and the outrage over hand sanitizer price gouging. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: U. of Minnesota's Michael Osterholm (hea...
Ep. 111 Winston Ewert Explains His Research Applying Computer Science to Intelligent Design
March 21, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBWinston Ewert is an up-and-coming researcher in the Intelligent Design movement, having co-authored articles with one of its leading lights, William Dembski. After explaining ID and relating it to creationism and the theory of common descent, Winston summarizes his research which applies insights from computer science to the biological realm. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this interview. Biologist H. Allen Orr's hostile review of Dembski. BMS ...
Ep. 110 Blackjack, the Kelly Criterion, and the "Scientific" Approach to Investing
March 18, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 52.4 MBBob discusses the famous Kelly criterion, which is a rule for capital management relevant in both gambling and investing. Bob explains the appeal of the Kelly criterion but also details how professional economists have disputed its importance. Bob illustrates the points with references to his high school Blackjack days. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Kelly's original 1956 paper laying out his optimal bet sizing rule. A professor's notes linking to three separate art...
Ep. 109 Larry Reed on Maintaining Hope and Speaking Truth to Power
March 17, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBLarry Reed has been an organizational leader for liberty for decades, first at the Mackinac Center and then at FEE. He talks with Bob about Solzhenitsyn's ability to withstand the Soviet gulag, and more generally makes the case for optimism in the face of oppression. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this interview. Larry Reed's article on Solzhenitsyn. Larry's essay, "Great Myths About the Great Depression." Solzhenitsyn's book The Gulag Archipe...
Ep. 108 Brian Williams’ Billionaire Bloomberg Blunder
March 12, 2020 14:00 - 49 minutes - 39.6 MBBob first gives some thoughts on the stock market crash and coronavirus, then discusses the jaw-dropping discussion between Brian Williams and a member of the New York Times editorial board regarding Mike Bloomberg's claimed ability to give every American $1 million. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Charles Cooke's NR column on the affair (including video). Bob's article on the social function of stock speculators. Help support the Bob Murphy Show. The audio product...
Ep. 107 Max Sklar Interviews Bob Murphy on Mises’ Class vs. Case Probability
March 10, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 52.5 MBOn his podcast The Local Maximum, software engineer (and developer at Foursquare) Max Sklar has Bob explain Ludwig von Mises' distinction between class and case probability. They apply Mises' framework to other economic theory, and discuss Bayesian inference and machine learning. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Max Sklar's podcast, the Local Maximum. Mises' Human Action and Bob's Study Guide to Human Action; the class vs. case probability distinction is handled in Ch...
Ep. 106 Why Intelligent Design (ID) Will Be the Public Choice of the Natural Sciences
March 05, 2020 14:00 - 51 minutes - 41.2 MBAnticipating his forthcoming interview with Winston Ewert, Bob explains why the Intelligent Design movement will be to the natural sciences, what the Public Choice school in economics is to the social sciences. Bob predicts that the explanation for the observed complexity of the universe will ultimately be pushed back into the structure of mathematics itself. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this episode (highly recommended). BMS ep. 111, featurin...
Ep. 105 Corey DeAngelis Makes the Case for School Choice
March 02, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBCorey DeAngelis is the Director of School Choice at the Reason Foundation, and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom. He talks with Bob about the studies supporting school choice, and dispels the myths around it. The interview ends with Bob raising the possibility that government voucher programs could end up hurting school independence. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this interview. The Cato profile page for ...
Ep. 104 Tough Questions for Libertarians
February 28, 2020 14:00 - 46 minutes - 37.5 MBFollowing up on his two previous episodes firing off provocative questions for both progressives and conservatives, Bob now looks inside his own camp and raises issues for self-reflection. The tough questions for libertarians cover topics ranging from God to abortion to drag queens to tax incidence. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Bob Murphy Show ep. 62 on "Tough Questions for Progressives" and ep. 66 on "Tough Questions for Conservatives." Bob's discussion (ep. 79) ...
Ep. 103 Harry Dent on the Coming Financial Crash
February 26, 2020 14:00 - 33 minutes - 27 MBHarry Dent is the founder of Dent Research, which provides economic forecasting and financial recommendations. He is the author of numerous books, including Zero Hour (2017). Harry argues that demographic trends set the U.S. economy up for a major adjustment that the Federal Reserve merely postponed with its easy-money policies in 2008 and beyond. Harry now believes that a major crash is coming, which will probably begin this year. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The ...
Ep. 102 Deeper Analysis of the Grievance Studies Hoax
February 21, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBIn the fall of 2018 three people went public with a long-running hoax in which they'd published fake papers to various feminist, critical studies, etc. journals. Perhaps the most memorable example was an article purporting to catalogue the number of "rapes" that occurred at a dog park. Bob explores the precise reasons for why (or why not) this hoax reflects poorly on the targeted fields. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: A Vox article giving a (critical) summary of the ...
Ep. 101 Tim Terrell on Misleading Cross-Country Health Care Statistics, and Why Big Business Supports Environmental Regulations
February 16, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 50.9 MBEconomist Tim Terrell explains why the common rankings of "health outcomes" are so often biased against the United States, and why big businesses often support certain environmental regulations. Hint: it's not for reasons progressives will like. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this interview. Links to the Journal of Libertarian Studies and the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics. Bob's co-authored book on health care economics, The Primal Pr...
Ep. 100 Even Tyrannical Regimes Ultimately Rest on Public Opinion
February 12, 2020 14:00 - 48 minutes - 38.9 MBSummarizing insights from Mises, Hume, and La Boetie, Bob argues that even the worst tyrants ultimately stay in power because other people obey them. If the people withdraw their support from a regime, it will fall. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Gene Sharp's book, From Dictatorship to Democracy. #CommissionsEarned (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Etienne de la Boetie's "A Discourse of Voluntary Servitude" (with an introduction by Rothbard)...
Ep. 99 Don Boudreaux on Austrians, Public Choice, and Debating Free Trade
February 10, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBDon Boudreaux is an economist at George Mason University who blogs at Cafe Hayek. He has a long history with the Austrian and Public Choice schools, and is in the trenches daily making the case for free trade. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this interview. Don's blog, Cafe Hayek. Don's book, The Essential Hayek. Help support the Bob Murphy Show. The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.
Ep. 98 Why Progressives Are Anti-Vaxxers When It Comes to the Alt Right
February 04, 2020 13:00 - 38 minutes - 31.3 MBBob first explains a standard progressive viewpoint when it comes to dealing with issues like virus outbreaks, underage drinking, and prostitution. Yet when it comes to dealing with people whose views they abhor, the progressives suddenly are "zero tolerance" and ignore the mechanisms they point to for the other issues. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Bob Murphy Show ep. 75, interview with Bretigne Shaffer. Details on Bob's April 20 debate on Christianity and capital...
Ep. 97 Lyn Ulbricht on the Absurd Trial and Sentencing in the Silk Road Case
January 31, 2020 13:00 - 49 minutes - 40.2 MBLyn Ulbricht is the mother of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road website. Contrary to the government's assertions, Lyn argues that her son was hardly a criminal kingpin menacing society. Even taking the laws on the book at face value, Ross' trial was a sham, and the government's behavior was shocking. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this interview. A website devoted to Ross Ulbricht's case and how to help. The change.org petition for cl...
Ep. 96 Why I Am Still an Austrian Economist: My Response to Caplan
January 29, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 92.5 MBIn Bob's interview of Bryan Caplan (in episode #91), they briefly discussed Bryan's essay criticizing Austrian economics. At listener request, in this episode Bob goes solo to give a much more comprehensive analysis of why he (Bob) remained an Austrian economist, even after seeing top-notch neoclassicals in action during his own time in grad school. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Bob Murphy Show ep. 91, the interview with Bryan Caplan. Bryan Caplan's essay, "Why I ...
Ep. 95 Tareq Haddad on the OPCW Scandal on Syria's Chemical Weapons, and Why He Resigned From Newsweek
January 24, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBTareq Haddad was a (recently hired) reporter for Newsweek who was repeatedly rebuffed when trying to cover the emerging story of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) report on Syria. He eventually resigned. Tareq discusses how the US authorities pressured the OPCW to change the report to fit their desired narrative, and how powerful groups control the media narrative. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Tareq's post giving the history of his tim...
Ep. 94 A Case for Christian Pacifism
January 22, 2020 14:00 - 55 minutes - 44.5 MBBob gives a pragmatic case for pacifism, appealing to Christians who would like to take the Sermon on the Mount literally but are worried it would spell disaster. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Bob Murphy Show ep. 19 on Rothbardian institutions becoming nonviolent. One of Gene Sharp's books on strategic nonviolence for effecting political change. #CommissionsEarned (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Bob's Libertarian Papers journal article o...
Ep. 93 Lindsay Goldwert on Stand Up Comedy and Standing Up for Yourself
January 17, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBBob interviews Lindsay Goldwert on her years performing at and organizing stand-up comedy shows in NYC, the interaction between comedy and finance, and her new book, BOW DOWN. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this interview. Lindsay's new book Bow Down. #CommissionsEarned (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Lindsay's Twitter and website. Lindsay's article on the economics of stand-up and her podcast Spent. Help support th...
Ep. 92 FBI Spying and the Gaslighting of America
January 09, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBBob uses the media coverage of the December Inspector General (IG) report on the FBI to illustrate how the establishment is gaslighting America. Specifically, some of the FBI's tactics when applying for permission to spy on the Trump campaign are jaw-dropping, and yet the corporate media have used the report to refute Trump's "conspiracy theories" about an FBI plot against him. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The full Inspector General report on the FBI's FISA applica...
Ep. 91 Bryan Caplan Defends Open Borders and His Critique of Austrian Economics
January 07, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 67.7 MBBob conducts a friendly but challenging interview of Bryan Caplan, focusing on his new book making the case for open borders. They also discuss Bryan's essay, "Why I Am Not an Austrian Economist," and close with some brief remarks on pacifism. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video of this interview. Bryan's new book Open Borders. #CommissionsEarned (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Bryan's essay, "Why I'm Not an Austrian Economis...
Ep. 90 Why Trump's Ukraine Call Was Small Potatoes
January 01, 2020 14:00 - 53 minutes - 43 MBBob goes through much more scandalous and corrupt activities from Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama, and why Hillary Clinton has a much worse record on self-dealing than Donald Trump. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The clip of Schumer on Rachel Maddow. Clip of Nancy Pelosi discussing impeachment. ABC News article on Clinton cash. OpenSecrets post on Clinton Foundation. Bob's go-to example, the NYT front-page article on Obama's "secret kill list." Help support ...
Ep. 89 David Gordon on His Interactions with Hayek and Rothbard, the Philosophy of Economics, and Libertarianism as an Alleged Suicide Pact
December 28, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBDavid Gordon is a Senior Fellow with the Mises Institute who has a long history in Austrian economics and libertarianism. He talks with Bob about his personal story, including taking an undergrad class at UCLA with Hayek as his professor. Then they turn to philosophical issues in economics, and end with an analysis of the Strauss/Jaffa critique of libertarianism. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Two of David Gordon's books, The Philosophical Origins of Austrian Economi...
Ep. 88 Ludwig von Mises versus God
December 24, 2019 14:00 - 42 minutes - 34.3 MBBob tackles a common objection from atheist libertarians: Doesn't Mises (in Human Action) refute the very notion of the Biblical God? Specifically, why wouldn't an omnipotent, omniscient being remove all uneasiness with one action? Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The pdf to the Scholar's Edition of Human Action. Help support the Bob Murphy Show. The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.
Ep. 87 Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder Discusses the Pros and Cons of "Dark Matter" in Physics, and the Limitations of Existing Computer Models of the Climate System
December 21, 2019 14:00 - 48 minutes - 39.3 MBDr. Sabine Hossenfelder is a Research Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, where she heads the "Analog Systems for Gravity Duals" group. Bob first asks her to explain why physicists began using the concepts of "dark matter" and "dark energy" to explain their observations of galaxies. Then they discuss her June New York Times column in which she explained that existing computer models can't tell us if climate change poses an existential threat or is merely an inconvenience....
Ep. 86 Further Thoughts on Hoppe’s Argumentation Ethics and Essays on Praxeology
December 18, 2019 14:00 - 59 minutes - 47.9 MBDue to listener request, Bob offers further thoughts on Hoppe's argumentation ethics, following his discussion (on ep. 79) with Stephan Kinsella. Bob then discusses Hoppe's profound essays on praxeology, in which he argues that Mises has solved the famous mind-body problem in philosophy. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The Bob Murphy Show ep. 79, where Stephan Kinsella and Bob discuss Hoppe's argumentation ethics. (See Show Notes at the link for many further links on ...
Ep. 85 Expert Researcher Wojciech Kopczuk Explains Why Economists Have Such Different Estimates of Inequality in Wealth Concentration and Tax Payments
December 14, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBWojciech Kopczuk is a Columbia economics professor who co-authored (in 2004) one of the leading estimates of wealth concentration in the literature, along with current progressive darling Emmanuel Saez. But ever since Thomas Piketty's bestselling book on wealth inequality, Saez has published research with Gabriel Zucman, showing dramatically different results. Kopczuk explains why economists can disagree on the basic facts of wealth concentration, and why there is controversy about Saez and ...
Ep. 84 Bob Gives a Short Case For the Infinite Banking Concept (IBC)
December 11, 2019 14:00 - 32 minutes - 26.1 MBAlong with Carlos Lara, David Stearns, and the late Nelson Nash, Bob has been heavily involved in educating the public and financial professionals about the Infinite Banking Concept (IBC). This is a process of using a dividend-paying Whole Life policy as a cash management tool, to "become your own banker" (in Nelson's famous words). Bob gives the quick explanation of how this works. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Order The Case for IBC. Bob's interview with Nelson N...
Ep. 83 A College Student Interviews Bob About How Libertarians View the World
December 07, 2019 14:00 - 29 minutes - 23.9 MBGreta, a college student in New York, is working on an honor's thesis covering libertarian thought in America. In this short interview, she asks Bob what libertarianism is, his perspective on voting, and how he views the American political system. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Bob's talk for Mises Institute, "Is It Smart to Vote Immorally?" Help support the Bob Murphy Show. The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.
Ep. 82 Why Intelligent Design Is a Scientific Theory
December 03, 2019 14:00 - 34 minutes - 27.6 MBIn the bitter debates over evolution, it is a common practice for the defenders of the orthodox Darwinian approach to argue that not only is Intelligent Design (ID) theory wrong, but it doesn't even count as a scientific theory. After all, so the orthodox defenders argue, you can't really test to see if an intelligent being created life on Earth, and so ID must be excluded from biology, period. Bob argues that this particular rhetorical move is obviously bogus, and gives two simple examples ...
Ep. 81 Jeffrey Rogers Hummel on the Economics of Slavery and Why the Confederate States Lost the Civil War
November 29, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 73.2 MBJeffrey Rogers Hummel joins Bob for an in-depth discussion of the economics of slavery, touching on subtleties such as the labor/leisure tradeoff, and the recent claims by some historians that slavery was efficient. Then Bob asks Hummel to explain the provocative claim in his book, that the Confederacy would have done much better militarily if it had used the same guerrilla warfare tactics that the American colonists had used against the British. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of ...
Ep. 80 Would the Laws of Economics Be True in the Garden of Eden?
November 27, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 60.8 MBPatrick, one of the co-hosts of the "Cave to the Cross Apologetics" podcast, has Bob on the show to discuss Austrian economics, but with reference to a philosophical framework for defending Christianity. It is a fascinating discussion that covers unusual issues, such as: Would the laws of economics be true in the Garden of Eden? Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video version of this interview. The "Cave to the Cross Apologetics" podcast (which originally f...
Ep. 79 Stephan Kinsella and Bob Murphy Debate Hans Hoppe’s “Argumentation Ethics”
November 23, 2019 19:29 - 1 hour - 73.4 MBBy popular demand, Bob brings Stephan back on the podcast, this time to debate Hans Hoppe's famous "argumentation ethics" case for libertarianism. Stephan defends Hoppe's claim that any attempt to justify a NON-libertarian system would result in a performative contradiction, while Bob clarifies the argument and raises concerns about it. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video for this interview. Hans Hoppe's talk on argumentation ethics at his Property & Fr...
Ep. 78 Bob Murphy’s “Lessons for Libertarians”
November 19, 2019 06:19 - 37 minutes - 30.1 MBBob evaluates four different campaigns where people pushed back against the State: The National Opt Out Day in 2010, Free Keene’s “Robin Hood” parking meter approach, the “Taxation Is Theft” approach to tipping, and the “Epstein Didn’t Kill Himself” meme campaign. He then crystallizes his remarks into 7 Lessons for Libertarians. . . . . . . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Colbert’s bit on Free Keene in New Hampshire. Help support the Bob Murphy Show. The audio...
Ep. 77 Rob Bradley on His Contributions to Energy Economics, Rothbard as Dissertation Chair, and Enron as a Postmodern Corporation
November 16, 2019 03:19 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBRob Bradley is the world’s leading expert in energy economics in the Austrian tradition. His treatise Oil, Gas, and Government is the definitive record of U.S. government intervention in the oil & gas markets. Rob chose Murray Rothbard as the chair for his dissertation in Political Economy. At one point in his career, Rob served as a speechwriter for Ken Lay, CEO of Enron, which afforded Rob a firsthand view of the skullduggery that would later be wrongly blamed on capitalism. . . . . ...
Ep. 76 Justin Clark Explains the Baltic Strategy for Restoring the Republic of Texas
November 12, 2019 16:48 - 32 minutes - 26.2 MB(https://www.bobmurphyshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Texas.jpg)State of Texas flag map Justin Clark explains the intriguing strategy of a committed group of Texans to restore the sovereignty of their Republic: Like the Baltic states did with respect to the Soviet Union, argue to the UN that Texas has been occupied by a foreign power. . . . . . . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The website TheTexasRepublic.com (http://thetexasrepublic.com/), which explains Jus...
Ep. 75 Bretigne Shaffer on California’s Mandatory Vaccinations
November 09, 2019 20:44 - 1 hour - 52.3 MBLongtime libertarian journalist Bretigne Shaffer explains the de facto mandatory vaccinations now enforced for school children in California, and the concerned parents who are protesting the policy. She also discusses her fictional books that will appeal to libertarian readers. . . . . . . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The video corresponding to this interview. Bretigne Shaffer’s articles on California’s mandatory vaccinations (one and two). Bretigne’s arti...
Ep. 74 Adam Terrell Interviews Bob on His Conversion from Atheism, and Reconciling Christian Doctrine and Libertarianism
November 07, 2019 19:24 - 54 minutes - 43.5 MBAdam Terrell interviewed Bob on his podcast “Theocracy.” They cover a variety of topics, including Bob’s personal odyssey through atheism and into born-again Christianity. They take seriously the claims by some Christians that the Bible does not support a libertarian political stance. . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The website of the Theocracy podcast. How you can contribute to the Bob Murphy Show. The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth...
Ep. 73 Titus Gebel Discusses His Legal Proposals for Free Private Cities
November 04, 2019 20:59 - 1 hour - 54.6 MBTitus Gebel has a PhD in international law, and has written a book, “Free Private Cities: Making Governments Compete For You.” Bob discusses Titus’ proposal and how it differs from other types of abstract libertarian theorizing. . . . . . . . . . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Titus Gebel’s website home for free private cities, with a page dedicated to his book. The Economic Freedom of the World index. The homepage of the Seasteading Institute. How you c...
Ep. 72 Dan Sanchez on How Jordan Peterson Could Help the Joker
October 30, 2019 18:24 - 51 minutes - 41.4 MBDan Sanchez discusses his provocative article for FEE, in which he explained how Jordan Peterson’s message could help the Joker deal with the genuine suffering in his life without turning to destructive outlets. Although seemingly fanciful, the conversation touches on very weighty matters that are of the utmost relevance in today’s charged political climate. . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The video of this interview available here. Dan Sanchez’s FEE article, “If...
Ep. 71 Mark Thornton on How Government Propped Up Slavery in the American South
October 26, 2019 03:43 - 1 hour - 51.7 MBEconomic historian Mark Thornton has published several peer-reviewed articles on the economics of slavery in the American South. In this episode, he and Bob discuss the various ways in which government intervention propped up slavery and masked its inefficiency. . . . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Two of Mark Thornton’s (co-authored) journal articles on slavery: one and two. Jacobin magazine on slavery and capitalism in the United States. Bob’s mises.org artic...
Ep. 70 Bob Tells Stories About Cashiers, the Vice of Economists, AOC Getting Trolled, and Biden as the Godfather
October 23, 2019 23:45 - 1 hour - 52.6 MBIn this whimsical episode, Bob tells stories about cashiers giving him too much change, as well as the recent time he had somehow convinced himself that the Fed was engaging in the *opposite* of what everybody was assuming, in the repo markets. He also explains what gave away the troll who wanted AOC to adopt “Eat the babies!” as her campaign slogan, and why the people comparing Trump to the Godfather are misquoting the movie. . . . . . . . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of...
Ep. 69 Richard Vedder on Restoring the Promise of Higher Education in America
October 22, 2019 20:09 - 42 minutes - 34.6 MBEconomist Richard Vedder discusses his new book Restoring the Promise: Higher Education in America, which diagnoses what’s wrong with higher education and how to fix it. . . . . . . . . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Richard Vedder’s new book, Restoring the Promise: Higher Education in America. Richard Vedder and Lowell Gallaway, Out of Work. Bob Murphy’s book (quoting Vedder/Gallaway’s statistics), The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression a...
Ep. 68 Jeff Snider Explains the Repo Market Flare-Up, the Fed’s Phony Solution, and the Global Dollar Problem
October 17, 2019 03:32 - 1 hour - 49.5 MBJeff Snider is Head of Global Research at Alhambra Investments. He talks with Bob about the recent spike in lending rates in the repo markets, and how the Fed’s attempted solution fails to address the real problem. He then relates the repo problem to the global monetary system, which has suffered from major imbalances going back to 2007 that have yet to be corrected. . Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Snider’s post explaining what happened the week of the repo market...