A Collection of Bovardian Epigrams
Wisdom from James Bovard on the train wreck that is American democracy.
Recent Podcast Episodes
Populism Worked for the Pro-Freedom Party in the Past. Can It Work Again?
Is it still possible to "rouse the masses of people against the elites that are looting them" in effective numbers? As late as 1992, Rothbard thought so. And he had historical examples on his side.
Jeff Deist on the Religiosity of Election Day
Jeff Deist joins David Gornoski on A Neighbor's Choice to talk about the religiosity of democratic elections, revolutions as late-stage statism, postmodernism as a recipe for social unrest, the great reset, and more.
No, the American Republic Was Not Founded on Slavery
The fact that some Americans supported slavery in the eighteenth century is not at all remarkable. Most of the world agreed with them. What is remarkable is that many of them sought to abolish slavery in the new republic.
How to Limit Social Media’s Power without Growing Government
Doing what we can to help narrow Section 230 immunities back to a free speech interpretation could solve this while actually reducing government involvement in speech.
3 Reasons the Left Keeps Winning
The Left recognizes the importance of education in forming Americans’ ideology. The Left takes a long-term view. The Left accepts partial victories.
Yes, the Nazis Were Socialists
Contrary to popular assertions, the Nazis weren't only trying to expropriate Jewish wealth. They wanted the German people to come together as a collective entity, and this entailed socialism.
This Is Why Murray Rothbard Was a Populist
Did Murray Rothbard think that populism could work to limit the power of the state?
Why the Economy Isn’t Controlled by One Big Corporation
Why don't corporations just get bigger and bigger until they take over the whole economy? Unlike states, firms aren't necessarily better off as they get bigger.
Peter Schiff on the Coming Crash, Minarchism vs. An-Cap, and Going Ex Pat
Peter Schiff discusses minarchism vs. anarcho-capitalism on The Bob Murphy Show.
On Foreign Policy, Trump Is Still the Lesser Evil
The Democrats, Liz Cheney, and the Never Trumpers still want endless wars, and they hate Trump's apparent lack of enthusiasm for embracing their dreams of empire.
Will Democracy’s Myths Doom Liberty?
If Biden is elected, we will hear the same “redemption” storyline that was trumpeted when Obama replaced (temporarily) disgraced George W. Bush. The media will insist that Biden's inauguration purifies Uncle Sam.
How Decades of Media and Faculty Bias Have Pushed America to the Left
Silicon Valley and the media are moving even further left. This is what is to be expected when a single ideological group controls educational institutions and major media outlets over a period of several decades.
Chile Won’t Become a Developed Country If It Doesn’t Change Course
Twenty years ago, it looked like Chile was well on its way to joining the world's small club of developed countries. But this path looks less and less likely as Chile abandons its commitment to freedom and markets.
Social Media Companies Aren’t the Good Guys. They’re Also Not Monopolists.
Social media has lied about user privacy and has misled the public about the platforms' status as open forums. But none of this makes these companies monopolies.
How Long Can the Fed Keep This Time Bomb from Exploding?
Although the Fed insists otherwise, the central bank really has no tools left except money creation, and the Fed will keep printing money in a panicky attempt to prevent a financial collapse.
Econtradictions: Bob Discusses Free Trade, Welfare Benefits, Price Gouging, and Utility Theory
Bob unveils a new series in which he explains and then evaluates apparent contradictions in the way free-market libertarians handle certain issues.
Brain Death: Challenges and Responses
Does it matter if we call irreversibly comatose patients “dead?” Our guest is Doyen Nguyen who authored a 600-page monograph that takes a critical look at brain death from a variety of perspectives.
Chris Coyne on How American Militarism Abroad Leads to Tyranny at Home
GMU economics professor Chris Coyne explains how US militarism abroad ends up violating civil liberties on the home front. They also discuss the contributions of James Buchanan that should interest Austrian economists.
The Privilege of Politics
In 2020, privilege manifests as political extortion. Push back against these bullies.
