The Tom Woods Show

Mark Thornton joins me to discuss his new book -- to which I contributed the foreword -- on the so-called "skyscraper curse" and Austrian business cycle theory, and how economists of the Austrian School have been able to spot oncoming crises to which other economists have been blind. Show notes for Ep. 1214

Families Against Mandatory Minimums' Kevin Ring, who saw the problems with mandatory minimum sentences first hand, discusses a major injustice in the present system of sentencing. Show notes for Ep. 1213

Are things going to stabilize or worsen on the major social media platforms? Michael Malice joins me to discuss the Alex Jones situation, and the nature of social media itself. Is the contentiousness and hostility we find there something that can be fixed, or might the whole project be based on a utopian premise -- just get everyone together, and we'll reach the truth? Show notes for Ep. 1212

Historian Phil Magness joins me to discuss the controversy over Nancy MacLean's book Democracy in Chains, which claims to trace a massive racist, right-wing conspiracy back to -- of all people -- academic economist James Buchanan, who is associated with Public Choice economics. The book is so rife with error that MacLean finally had to respond to her critics. Show notes for Ep. 1211

Alex Jones just got decapitated by Apple and other platforms, so I spend some time in today's episode unpacking what that means. I also take on left-liberals who think the problem with the Fed and the military is lack of diversity, and right-wingers who think capitalism is based on "materialism." Plenty of fun! Show notes for Ep. 1210

Scott Pulsipher, president of Western Governors University, discusses his model for very inexpensive, outcome-based online education. We also address efforts by the inspector general of the Department of Education to throw a monkey wrench into the works (surprise). Show notes for Ep. 1209

Janice Fiamengo, a professor of English at the University of Ottawa and an outspoken opponent of feminism, found herself brought before the Ottawa Human Rights Commission in a two-year ordeal related to alleged discrimination. She gives us a flavor of what these commissions are like, and how universities deal with accusations like this. Show notes for Ep. 1208

Pat joins me to discuss the state of Russiagate, how the President should respond, what a President Buchanan would be doing, what's likely to happen in the fall elections, the state of the Democratic Party, and the kind of candidate Trump should hope for in 2020. Show notes for Ep. 1207

Opponents of the free market had a field day in 2007/8: why, this collapse goes to show how unstable capitalism is! That's why I wrote my book Meltdown, which (thankfully) wound up spending 10 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. We needed an Austrian (and not just generic free-market) response to this conventional wisdom. In this episode, I discuss the book with Lew Rockwell on his podcast. Show notes for Ep. 1206

With libertarians being called "fascists" and even "Nazis" by so-called progressives, I thought it might be useful to review what Adolf Hitler himself believed about economic theory. You'll never guess: it turns out he prefers government control over a free market. Show notes for Ep. 1205

At long last, the episode you've been waiting for on progressive rock is here. This is yet another way the Tom Woods Show improves your life.   My guests today are Roie Avin, founder and editor of The Prog Report and author of Essential Modern Progressive Rock Albums, and Brad Birzer, professor of history at Hillsdale College and contributor to Progarchy.   Show notes for Ep. 1204

In this libertarian podcasters' roundtable, we have a lively discussion about why we recently joined the Libertarian Party, what our plans are, and how we can know if we've succeeded. Fun! Show notes for Ep. 1203

Emily Horowitz, a professor at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, was the overwhelming winner (measured objectively by audience opinions before and after) of a debate earlier this year at the Soho Forum on this very topic. Most people assumed no case could be made for her side, but by the time she was done, nearly three quarters of the room agreed with her. We discuss the subject in today's episode. Show notes for Ep. 1202

Rebecca Brown joins me to discuss The Innocence Project, which helps prevent and identify wrongful convictions, and get compensation for people released from prison. What are the factors that combine to yield wrongful convictions? We discuss that and a lot more. Show notes for Ep. 1201

The prolific libertarian scholar Walter Block joins me for a fascinating look at his life in the libertarian world, from his days as a social democrat through libertarianism and beyond. Show notes for Ep. 1200

The great comedian Dave Smith, host of Part Of The Problem, discusses joining the Libertarian Party, the current hysteria about Trump and Russia, and how his podcast became so successful. Show notes for Ep. 1199

Judge Andrew Napolitano, senior judicial analyst at the FOX News Channel, joins me to discuss Trump's most recent Supreme Court nominee as well as the names the Judge would have preferred, plus the Judge's opinion on the worst decisions in the Court's history, and much more. Thanks to the folks in my Supporting Listeners group for submitting questions! Show notes for Ep. 1198

I strongly urge you to listen to this episode. These are my opening remarks to this year's Mises University program at the Mises Institute. I discuss two sets of ungrateful people. The first: socialists. I go into detail about the improvements in the lives of everyone, but especially the desperately poor, under the free market. The numbers are frankly miraculous. And all these folks can think to do is shout at their employers through bullhorns.   Then I take on those libertarians who spend their time denouncing Ron Paul, Murray Rothbard, Walter Block, and other prolific and productive libertarians. This section is especially savage, but not gratuitously so. Just the right amount of savage.   Show notes for Ep. 1197

In popular discourse, consumer safety is one of the most frequently cited reasons for government oversight. Neil Thanedar, my guest today, is co-founder and CEO of Labdoor, which can accomplish more than the FDA even claims to be able to, and more efficiently and inexpensively. Show notes for Ep. 1196

Dan McCarthy, editor of the venerable journal Modern Age, recently suggested in the Spectator that the Trump phenomenon may have taken the air out of the so-called libertarian moment -- partly because that moment wasn't as libertarian as people thought. Plenty to think about here, and no conversation with Dan is ever dull. Show notes for Ep. 1195