The Tom Woods Show

Shari Spivack, president of the Second Amendment Women Shooting Club, discusses gun rights from the point of view of someone who trains people in firearms usage rather than engages in political activism. Some people should probably stuff envelopes, I guess, but without people like Shari, what have we got? Show notes for Ep. 813

The subject of Augusto Pinochet divides Chileans even today: should he be honored for making Chile more prosperous and desirable than its neighbors, or should he be condemned for human rights abuses? Show notes for Ep. 812

Libertarian titan Lew Rockwell joins me to discuss some names in the Trump cabinet, the alleged "Russian hacking," and the overall creepiness of the American ruling class. Show notes for Ep. 811

Neal Harmon is CEO of VidAngel.com, which offers streaming movies filtered according to the viewer's preference. Should VidAngel be allowed to do this? Show notes for Ep. 810

Brian Aitken was sentenced to seven years in prison -- later commuted by Chris Christie -- on bogus weapons charges. We discuss his case and its larger implications. Show notes for Ep. 809

Michael Rectenwald, a professor of liberal studies at New York University who describes himself as a lifelong left-liberal, took to Twitter not long ago to express his disgust with political correctness, safe spaces, and SJW intimidation. You can imagine the response from those tolerant lovers of diversity. But he had the last laugh. Show notes for Ep. 808

Is libertarianism all about the Nonaggression Principle, or are there supplementary ideas a libertarian must also hold because they uphold the free society? I used to criticize left-libertarians who believed true libertarians had to be feminists, egalitarians, etc. But now I wonder: although someone is indeed a libertarian if he believes in the NAP, might there indeed be other important ingredients in the free society? Entrepreneur and blogger C. Jay Engel joins me to discuss. Show notes for Ep. 807

Laura Blodgett, a homeschooling mom of 7, addresses the fears and misconceptions of homeschooling shared by friends and foes alike. Show notes for Ep. 806

The State of Jefferson movement wants to create the 51st state out of northern California, citing total domination of state politics by southern California. We discuss the idea and its progress. Show notes for Ep. 805

For a long time, nobody wanted to discuss the Depression of 1920-21, since it reversed itself without fiscal or monetary stimulus. But after a few other scholars and I started making hay with this example, Keynesian critics crawled out of the woodwork. My guest today responds, and vindicates our view. Show notes for Ep. 804

Peter Schiff joins me today to take listener questions. We discuss his impressions of Trump, why he thinks the trade deficit matters, where people should put their money, and a lot more. Show notes for Ep. 803

The hosts of the Anarchitecture podcast join me to discuss the differences between libertarian and conventional statist solutions to everything from roads to city planning and garbage collection. Show notes for Ep. 802

G.P. Manish discusses what the Austrian School of economics can contribute to the debate over what the developing world should do to become wealthy. We also discuss India's recent demonetization of its 500 and 1000-rupee notes. Show notes for Ep. 801

On a previous episode I spoke to Jordan Peterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, about what he endured after refusing to use strange new pronouns to accommodate new "gender identities." So I thought: why not discuss the guy's actual work, rather than just his travails? In today's episode we talk about "self-authoring," a program of personal improvement and self-knowledge that has had staggeringly good results. Show notes for Ep. 800

How should libertarians respond to Donald Trump's deal with Carrier to help it keep jobs in the United States?  Show notes for Ep. 799

The perverse outcomes of Venezuelan socialism have had an interesting and perhaps unexpected side effect: they've given a shot in the arm to Bitcoin, the nonstate currency and payment system. Jim Epstein tells us the surprising story. Show notes for Ep. 798

The version of Fidel Castro's life we get from Hollywood and the media is cartoonish and laughable. Here's the real story of Cuba and Castro, with every progressive talking point answered. Show notes for Ep. 797

Actor and presidential speechwriter Ben Stein thinks secession talk is "silly," and then proceeds to repeat the usual non-arguments against it. I'm by myself in this episode, responding to what Ben had to say. Show notes for Ep. 796

Cody Wilson created intense controversy in 2013 when his company published plans online for the Liberator, a functioning pistol that could be produced with a 3D printer. By popular demand, he joins me to talk about his experiences and his outlook. Show notes for Ep. 795

We keep reading of horror stories involving parents being harassed and punished by the state for reasons that seem ridiculous to normal people. My guest today, who heads the National Association of Parents, is fighting back. Show notes for Ep. 794