Recent Podcast Episodes

George Ford Smith joins Bob to discuss Thomas Paine’s transformative role in the American Revolution and his controversial legacy as a champion of liberty and reason.

Total war against civilians didn't begin with World War II. It was official policy of the Union during the Civil War to lay waste to southern cities, towns, and farms. Tactics northern generals used against civilians became the blueprint for armed forces in Europe and Japan 80 years later.

College professors have suddenly discovered entrepreneurship and are teaching about it in their classes. However, while it is an interesting subject, one cannot teach someone how to be a successful entrepreneur. 

The standard argument for government services is that only government can build enough roads to meet transportation needs. However, the disconnect between production and consumer choice ensures misallocation of resources under government roads, including traffic congestion.

Mark Thornton warns that the US isn’t heading for a soft landing, it’s drifting into Mises’s crack-up boom.

The P&M crew talks about Ted Cruz's crusade for war and they take a look at this week's FOMC meeting at the Federal Reserve. 

When politicians intervene in the economy, they often do it in the name of mitigating “greed” or “profiteering.” While they can pass laws regulating prices and the like, they cannot repeal economic laws. Instead, they can only make things worse.

Sen. Ted Cruz was recently interviewed by Tucker Carlson, with Cruz advocating “regime change” in Iran. However, Cruz doesn‘t know enough Iranian history to make any qualified judgment on Iran or its people.

Real estate investor and Mises Institute contributor Artis Shepherd joins Ryan to talk about how our stagnating economy is affecting multifamily housing and other commercial real estate. Banks and investors are using "extend and pretend" tactics to cover up the true state of the industry. 

Why is the Trump administration levying tariffs? Are they for tax purposes? Protecting domestic industries? Bargaining chips for international deal making? The administration and its supporters have floated mutually-exclusive reasons for these policies, making the confusion worse.

Rothbard lays bare the truth: peace serves people, war serves the state.

Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have toured the country calling for massive government takeover of the economy and other socialist initiatives. For socialists, Sanders and AOC have become the new “Keepers of the Secret” of making socialism viable.

The United States is dangerously close to entering yet another war in the Middle East. But this one has the potential to be a lot costlier for the American people while remaining just as unlikely to bring about peace and stability in the region.

During 2024 taxpayers were on the hook for $1.13 trillion in interest on the debt. That’s nearly $7,400 for each of the 153 million people who file tax returns.

Amtrak subsidies keep many of Amtrak‘s routes alive despite the fact that ridership is down on many of them. These subsidies guarantee that Amtrak will be a second-rate, undercapitalized passenger railroad system.

Before he revolutionized economics, Rothbard mastered the mainstream. Salerno traces Rothbard's path from neoclassical insider to Austrian iconoclast.

Despite Trump‘s campaign promises and despite DOGE‘s so-called reputation of cutting government waste, the new administration is spending money faster than the supposed spendthrift Biden administration. This is Machiavellianism at its best.

Daniel Lacalle joins Bob to tout the BBB as a pro-growth piece of legislation that is as good as libertarians are going to get.

Mark Thornton breaks down Murray Rothbard’s theory of interventionism: why free markets lift all boats, and government meddling sinks them.

On this episode of Power and Market, the group discusses the fallout from Israel's strikes on Iran and the Trump Administration's (changing?) position on immigration enforcement.