FEEcast

Are Women Being Underpaid?

December 14, 2018 16:00 - 33 minutes - 31.3 MB

Do women get paid 80 cents on the dollar compared to men? That figure has been a political football, but is it overagreggated? How much are pay differences a matter of employer bigotry versus employee choice? FEEcast discusses this hot button issue. Show Notes: Harvard Study: "Gender Wage Gap" Explained Entirely by Work Choices of Men and Women Truth and Myth on the Gender Pay Gap The Wage Gap Between Men and Woman Virtually Disappears When Differences in Behavior Are Taken into Ac...

Do we have a “Truth Crisis” in America?

December 07, 2018 16:00 - 31 minutes - 29.8 MB

With the 24-hour news media, countless blogs and videos, and near-infinite social media commentary, there’s a lot of noise out there. As a society, we are all struggling to combat disinformation, or “fake news,” and get at the truth. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Joined by guest Jon Miltimore, the FEEcasters discuss how to combat fake news and how constant advisories on everything from romaine lettuce to FBI Russia investigations begin to lose their sense of importance. Show Not...

Makeup, Macs, and Markets

November 30, 2018 16:00 - 30 minutes - 29.2 MB

‘Tis the season for holiday sales, so the FEEcasters discuss the economics of the products they’ve got their eyes on: makeup and Apple products. Celebrity-driven brands are disrupting the established players in the beauty care industry by expanding the diversity of the skin tones they serve. And Apple stock is down due to soft iPhone sales. It all goes to show that, now matter how dominant a company may seem, the consumer holds the ultimate power to make or destroy business fortunes. Show ...

Amazon’s HQ Tax Breaks: FEEcast Debate!

November 16, 2018 16:00 - 31 minutes - 29.9 MB

Cities and states across the country have been courting Amazon. Each eagerly wanted to host the retail giant’s second headquarters. And each offered billions in tax incentives and cash handouts to entice the company. Now Amazon has made its decision, and “HQ2” ended up being HQ2 + 3. The FEEcasters are fans of Amazon (except, ahem, for Marianne), but they disagree on one thing: how should we think about the tax breaks Amazon got? Are they welcome tax relief or crony-capitalist subsidies? I...

How Election Season Sets Us against Each Other

November 02, 2018 15:00 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MB

Every year, political strife gets more rancorous and invades more of our lives. On the fringes, our hyper-politicized climate even precipitates violent atrocities. Is this a reflection of how much government itself has steadily encroached on our lives? What perspective can we adopt to foster harmony? Watch this episode of FEEcast to find out! Note: FEEcast will take a week off next week. See you again on November 16! Show Notes: Four Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Mass Violence—A Soci...

Halloween Costume Controversies

October 26, 2018 15:00 - 32 minutes - 31 MB

From Kendall Jenner to Elizabeth Warren, cultural appropriation is in the news. And coverage of the topic always ramps up as Halloween approaches. Who is allowed to dress up as whom? What should we consider offensive, and how should we respond to offense taken by others? The FEEcast crew, joined by T.K. Coleman, considers these questions, as well as the economics of Halloween costumes and a recent law passed against adult trick-or-treaters. Show Notes: Why Halloween Costumes Used to Be ...

Sears Was the 20th Century’s Amazon

October 19, 2018 15:00 - 33 minutes - 31.4 MB

After 132 years, Sears is filing for bankruptcy. But it’s not necessarily over for the company which has a surprising and honorable history of disrupting racial hierarchies in the days of Jim Crow. On this episode of the FEEcast, Richard, Anna Jane, and Marianne discuss the company that was truly the Amazon of the 20th century and tackle the question: how likely is it that today's corporate giants will stand the test of time? Show Notes: Sears, the store that changed America, declares b...

What We Hear When Taylor and Kanye Get Political

October 12, 2018 15:00 - 32 minutes - 30.4 MB

Taylor Swift recently broke her political silence by endorsing Democratic candidates and dishing out progressive buzzwords. These words were music to some ears and noise to others. Kanye West is rarely silent (as Swift knows from experience), particularly about politics these days. Kanye recently made more waves in his MAGA hat, first on SNL, then on Twitter, where he called for abolishing the 13th amendment. Where some detected a pro-slavery message, others inferred a critique of the prison...

Why Did Amazon Raise Its Minimum Wage?

October 05, 2018 15:00 - 29 minutes - 28.1 MB

Jeff Bezos announced that Amazon will raise its minimum wage to $15/hour. This made Bernie Sanders happy, but will it lead to layoffs? And what’s up with Bezos turning around and voicing support for increasing the federal minimum wage? Is all this really about compassion or about using government to squash the competition? Tune in to FEEcast for an in-depth discussion. *After this recording concluded on Wednesday, news broke that Amazon will discontinue monthly bonuses and stock options fo...

Who Helps Working Americans, Bernie or Bezos?

September 28, 2018 15:00 - 31 minutes - 29.8 MB

Senator Bernie Sanders recently proposed “Stop BEZOS” (Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies), a tax bill that doesn’t hide its chief target: Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon. But would this law help low-income workers or hurt them? Find out on FEEcast! Show Notes: Bernie Sanders' Stop BEZOS Campaign Ignores Several Basic Economic Realities Bernie Sanders’s Tax Bill Would Wreak Havoc on the Working Poor Are Food Stamps Really Reducing Labor Costs for Amazon?

What Teachers Can Do to Raise Their Pay

September 21, 2018 15:00 - 30 minutes - 28.7 MB

Teacher pay has again been a hot button issue this back-to-school season, as unions have protested for raises and received sympathetic coverage from the media. But are school teachers really underpaid? And if so, what can they do about it? The FEEcast crew and special guest TK Coleman discuss the numbers, economics, and ethics of the matter. Show Notes: How Media Outlets Misinform the Public about Teacher Pay https://fee.org/articles/how-media-outlets-misinform-the-public-about-teache...

Hurricane Economics

September 14, 2018 15:00 - 31 minutes - 29.5 MB

Hurricane Florence was descending upon the US east coast as this FEEcast was recorded. The panel, along with guest Jon Miltimore, FEE.org’s managing editor, discuss the economics of hurricanes. It turns out economic laws still apply during natural disasters. The FEEcasters discuss the “Broken Window Fallacy,” the issue of “price gouging,” and more. Show Notes: Hurricanes Have No Silver Lining Hurricanes Don’t Blow Away Economic Law How Price Gouging Helped My Family During a Storm

Libertarians in Cars Getting Tickets

September 07, 2018 15:00 - 32 minutes - 30.9 MB

Georgia recently became a “hands-free” state by banning texting while driving. Many consider this a common-sense policy, but the law of unintended consequences has a way of surprising those who assume that new laws are the way to solve every problem. The FEEcasters discuss this and share some of their own experiences on the road. Show Notes: Why a Nationwide Ban on Texting While Driving Is a Bad Idea Can Safety Regulations Make Us Less Safe? Want More? Check out other podcasts an...

Is College Necessarily a Smart Move?

August 31, 2018 14:00 - 32 minutes - 31.3 MB

CNBC recently reported that Google and Apple, among other big companies, have stopped listing a college degree as a requirement for potential employees. But these checkboxes were always a lot more negotiable than people realize. What do employers really want? What is the value and the cost of a college degree? Is it a good bargain for everybody? Are there better and cheaper ways of getting what college offers? The FEEcasters discuss all this and more. Show Notes: “College Degree 'Requir...

Self-Help Vs. Victimhood Politics

August 24, 2018 13:00 - 34 minutes - 32.8 MB

Podcasters like Tim Ferris and Joe Rogan draw millions of listeners who are more interested in self-improvement than identity politics. Are these “podcast bros” (as the New York Times has dubbed them) placing too much emphasis on individualism and not enough on collective injustices? Or are they offering an empowering alternative to debilitating narratives of victimhood? The FEEcasters are joined by guest-host Sean Malone to discuss! Show Notes: “The 'Podcast Bros' Are Doing More to Ins...

The Scooter Revolution Will Be Privatized

August 17, 2018 13:00 - 35 minutes - 33.7 MB

If you live in a major city, you’re probably seeing Bird and Lime electric scooters everywhere. They may look abandoned, but they’re actually ready waiting for any user to pick up and pay to use with a smartphone app. They may look like easy pickings for thieves, but Bird and Lime have adopted various measures that have kept theft and vandalism to a minimum. These companies have every incentive to innovate and implement ways to secure and maintain their resources, because the scooters are ...

Voting with Your Feet

August 10, 2018 13:45 - 33 minutes - 31.9 MB

California cities have been banning things left and right. Regulations and high taxes have made living in the state an expensive and burdensome proposition. Harried residents have been fleeing to less-oppressive states. By doing so, Americans are “voting with their feet” against oppressive policies and for less-oppressive policies. This “power of exit” is an important curb on government power: not only on the state level but on the national level as well. In this episode, the FEEcasters expl...

Environmentalists Are Grasping at Straws

August 03, 2018 13:00 - 33 minutes - 31.9 MB

Drinking straws are being banned and phased out by cities and corporations under pressure from environmental activists. Is this moral progress or just a moral panic? What is the psychology behind such campaigns? And what are the economics of their consequences? The FEEcasters have a freewheeling discussion on the matter. Show Notes: Article: How are 10 Cent Grocery Bags Creating a Surplus? Podcast: 'There Ought to Be a Law’: What that Phrase Actually Means

Hayek’s Powerful Critique of Socialism and Central Planning

July 27, 2018 13:37 - 35 minutes - 33.8 MB

F.A. Hayek was a creative genius who generated some of the biggest, most fascinating ideas in the social sciences. Most famously, he offered powerful critiques of central planning. His work on the “knowledge problem” demonstrated how socialism would be incapable of handling the mind-boggling complexity of the world. Only the distributed intelligence of the market is up to the task. And his classic book The Road to Serfdom showed that economic planning inexorably leads to misery and dictators...

Is Democratic Socialism Even Possible?

July 20, 2018 15:30 - 33 minutes - 31.9 MB

Democratic socialism is trending hard, not only thanks to Bernie Sanders, but especially after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, won a recent Democratic primary for a congressional seat in New York. But does “democratic socialism” offer anything more than a rebranding of a failed ideology? Can the death toll and abysmal economic track record of socialism be wiped clean by attaching the word “democratic” to it? Are democratic socialists subscribing more to a s...

What Is the True Meaning of the Fourth of July?

July 06, 2018 13:00 - 31 minutes - 30.4 MB

When we celebrate the Fourth of July, what are we truly celebrating? Is it our country’s government and whatever policies it happens to pursue? Or is it the ideals upon which the country was founded? What are those ideals and what has been the American experience that resulted from them? What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism, between society and the state? The FEEcasters explore these questions and more. Show Notes: “The Essence of Americanism” by Leonard E. Read “T...

When Adults Tattle on Child Entrepreneurs

June 29, 2018 13:00 - 34 minutes - 33.3 MB

A lady the internet has dubbed “Permit Patty” recently called the police to report an 8-year-old entrepreneur for selling water bottles without a permit. Why do so many have such a deeply ingrained permission-based mindset and predilection to tattletale? Is it inculcated in school? The FEEcasters recount some of their own childhood experiences as renegade entrepreneurs. Our permission culture creates many barriers to entry that keep industries stagnant and entry-level workers and entrepreneu...

Is It Okay to be Incredible?

June 22, 2018 13:00 - 29 minutes - 28.6 MB

Pixar’s Incredibles 2 recently had the biggest opening of all time for an animated film. In the first Incredibles being super is stigmatized and only mediocrity is acceptable. Is that so different from the real world? Recounting memories from their own childhoods, the FEEcasters discuss some of the ways our culture suppresses excellence in the name of equality. Show Notes: How 'Incredibles 2' Is Making Superheroes Great Again What the Self-Esteem Movement Got Disastrously Wrong To De...

How to Land a Job Without a College Degree

June 15, 2018 18:20 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MB

FEEcast is thrilled to have TK Coleman as our guest in this special episode recorded at FEEcon 2018. TK is the co-founder and Education Director of Praxis, a company that offers young people an alternative program to college that includes a professional development boot camp and a paid apprenticeship at a startup. TK breaks down many of the ways young people can go beyond credentials and resumes to signal value to potential employers. He also counsels young people to not look to politics and...

Africa Needs Freedom, Not Hand-Me-Downs

June 15, 2018 16:51 - 16 minutes - 15.8 MB

FEEcast is honored to have Magatte Wade as our guest in this special episode recorded at FEEcon 2018. Magatte is a Senegalese entrepreneur and the founder of skin is skin. She is also the subject of an upcoming documentary short in FEE’s “How We Thrive” series. Magatte rejects the casting of the people of her country and continent as helpless charity cases. What Africa needs, she insists, is not handouts or hand-me-downs, but freedom: especially the freedom to lift themselves up through co...

Why Domino’s Pizza Is Paving Roads

June 15, 2018 16:15 - 31 minutes - 30.6 MB

Domino’s Pizza is paving over potholes to preserve the cheesy integrity of their pies. Is it just a PR stunt? A sincere gesture of goodwill? Or is it also in their economic interest? Do roads and other “infrastructure” goods need to be provided by the government? Or do private individuals and organizations have incentives to provide such “public goods”? The FEEcast panelists explore these questions and also celebrate the recently completed FEEcon! Show Notes: Without Government, Who ...

Capitalism Isn’t Only for Capitalists

June 01, 2018 13:00 - 35 minutes - 33.6 MB

Capitalism is a top trending search term. What does it actually mean? Is it an economic system run by capitalists or swayed by consumers? Does it benefit capital at the expense of labor or is it responsible for the rising living standards or workers in industrialized countries? The FEEcast crew discusses this much maligned and much misunderstood term. Show Notes: Article: What Is "Capitalism" Anyway?” by Richard Ebeling Video: “Why Should My Boss Get All the Profits?” by Seamus Coughli...

How Socialism Devastated My Country

May 25, 2018 13:00 - 34 minutes - 32.9 MB

FEEcast welcomes freedom activist Jorge A. Jraissati, a recent émigré to America from Venezuela, which is suffering a horrific economic and humanitarian crisis. In a recent video, HBO’s John Oliver, sitting in a market economy’s lap of luxury, insisted that socialism is not to blame for Venezuela’s plight. But Jraissati, who actually lived through Venezuela’s nightmare, begs to differ. He explains how socialist ideology and big government policies plunged his once-prosperous country into the...

Is Socialism the Best or Worst Ism?

May 18, 2018 13:00 - 34 minutes - 34 MB

Did you know the word “liberalism” used to mean the opposite of what it does now? In this episode, the FEEcast gang discuss how that happened as well as the meanings of the words “progressivism” and “socialism.” They also explore socialism in the real world. What has it done for the countries that came closest to implementing it? Do the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, etc) count as socialist successes? Richard Lorenc, Brittany Hunter, Dan Sanchez, and Anna Jane Parrill discuss these topic...

Marvel Movie Economics — Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther

May 11, 2018 15:38 - 33 minutes - 33.1 MB

In this episode, FEEcast has its first guest! We welcome Sean Malone, Director of Media at FEE and creator of the hit YouTube video “What’s Wrong with Wakanda.” Sean and crew discuss what superheroes can teach us about economics, politics, and life itself. Black Panther’s King T’Challa reigns over a sci fi paradise completely isolated from the rest of the world. But without trade, could a small country rise to prosperity, even if it was rich in a resources as wondrous as the fictional vibr...

Peace, Love, and Cultural Appropriation

May 04, 2018 12:00 - 31 minutes - 30.1 MB

McDonald’s in North Korea? Chinese dresses in Utah? Are such cross-cultural remixes cause for offense or celebration? Is militarism or trade the best answer to tyranny? Is cultural emulation a form of appropriation or appreciation? These questions and more are considered in this lively discussion with the whole FEEcast gang: Richard Lorenc, Brittany Hunter, Dan Sanchez, and Marianne March. Show Notes: McDonalds on streets of North Korea: Kim Jong-un wants USA to invest in Pyongyang Con...

Why the Population Bomb Never Goes Boom

April 27, 2018 16:00 - 35 minutes - 34.8 MB

There’s a bomb that keeps ticking but never goes boom: the population bomb. For centuries, pessimists have predicted that population growth will overwhelm the planet’s resources and lead to an ecological armageddon. Yet, time and again, their doomsday prophecies have proven spectacularly wrong. Not only does the human race keep growing, but living standards keep going up, not down. Why do they keep underestimating humanity? They don’t understand that our ultimate resource is not anything in ...

Would You Give Up the Internet for a Million Dollars?

April 20, 2018 14:32 - 35 minutes - 35.1 MB

The Foundation for Economic Education proudly presents the inaugural episode of our new weekly show FEEcast, a lively and intelligent exploration of today’s most interesting stories and issues through the clarifying lens of economic thinking. In this episode, Richard Lorenc, Brittany Hunter, Dan Sanchez, and Marianne March discuss taxes (IRS.gov had a tax day meltdown!), wealth (#IdLikeToBeRichEnoughTo is trending on Twitter), and what made human prosperity, after millions of years of stagna...

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