Best Non Partisan Liberty Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 385: Gaming 38:18

1d ago38:18

38:18

Many of our listeners, and at least one of our hosts, are avid gamers, so it's natural that we'd come around to this topic eventually. Gaming companies are known to employ economists (often game theorists) to help design games because economists understand how to think about how people behave when their unlimited desires collide with their limited …

1
Episode 384: A Difference in Interest Rates 33:35

10d ago33:35

33:35

Canada’s central bank cut its interest rate. The European central bank cut its interest rate. But the Fed continues to hold its interest rate high. This will create a cascade of effects - some good, some bad, depending on who you are. Foolishness of the Week: 09:43 Main episode: 13:11 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooper…

1
Episode 383: The Justice and Practicality of Reparations 44:05

19d ago44:05

44:05

If people who call for reparations for slavery want to be taken seriously, they must take their own arguments seriously first. And that requires bringing to bear the same scrutiny and law that we currently apply to any case in which someone is seeking to be made whole following the actions of another. Foolishness of the Week: 11:57 Main episode: 15…

1
Episode 382: The Value of College 31:02

26d ago31:02

31:02

We’ve argued before that the value of a college degree was questionable. That was before covid. Since then, the value proposition has deteriorated markedly. Foolishness of the Week: 05:15 Main episode: 07:07 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Sh…

1
Episode 381: $1 Trillion in Interest 25:21

1M ago25:21

25:21

The annual gross interest on the debt exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in history. Years ago, we warned that the combination of on-going deficits and inevitably higher interest rates would give us exactly what we have now. Foolishness of the Week: 08:16 Main episode: 09:31 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperation…

1
Episode 380: Population Shrink 34:52

1M ago34:52

34:52

A generation or two ago, people wrung their hands over the population explosion. What will happen, they said, when we finally have too many people! It turns out that, not only was overpopulation not a problem, underpopulation has become one. Foolishness of the Week: 8:25 Main episode: 14:19 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.…

1
Episode 379: Of Millionaires and Homeless 46:49

2M ago46:49

46:49

Foolishness of the Week: 11:09 Main episode: 16:35 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar/status/1786794183312748959…

1
Episode 378: The One Branch of Government 47:19

2M ago47:19

47:19

Clark Neily joins us again this week. This time, we’re talking about how we have come to muddle the separation of powers among the three branches of government. As Congress has largely fallen asleep at the wheel, the executive branch has come to play the roles of all three branches, all by itself. Foolishness of the Week: 04:46 Main episode: 05:49 …

1
Episode 377: Real Estate Insider 34:01

2M ago34:01

34:01

The National Association of Realtors recently agreed to pay almost half a billion dollars in a class action suit involving sellers fees. This week’s guest, Judd Bristo, is unique in being a listener, an economist, and a realtor. We asked Judd to come on to talk about the settlement and the complex world of real estate commissions. Foolishness of th…

1
Episode 376: Interest Rates Up, Down, or Sideways? 36:36

2M ago36:36

36:36

Foolishness of the Week: 06:30 Main episode: 09:25 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1183025683040…

1
Episode 375: Google and FedEx Anger James 40:23

3M ago40:23

40:23

James has an ax to grind. Google made him mad. FedEx made him mad. Many things make James mad. But this week, he tells us why. Foolishness of the Week: 16:22 Main episode: 20:01 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Nu…

1
Episode 374: The Price of Baseball 32:28

3M ago32:28

32:28

James recently wrote an article on the price of admission and food at baseball fields over the years. To look at the prices, it appears that baseball has shifted from entertainment for the working classes to entertainment for the middle and rich classes. Or perhaps we’ve simply all become richer and baseball has simply followed along. Foolishness o…

1
Episode 373: FDA: Friend or Foe? 41:33

3M ago41:33

41:33

We all know that the FDA saves lives by keeping bad drugs off markets. But far fewer of us understand that the FDA costs lives by keeping good drugs from markets. Often all it takes to see this other side of the FDA is to be confronted with a life threatening disease for which there are treatments - just not FDA-approved treatments. Foolishness of …

1
Episode 372: Where’s the Middle Class? 32:33

3M ago32:33

32:33

Each election cycle, we’re treated to politicians and their supporters crying about the disappearing middle class. So many people repeat the mantra that most of us just accept it as fact. It turns out that those people are right - the middle class is disappearing. Where they get the story wrong is that it isn’t bad news. It’s excellent news. Foolis…

1
Episode 371: An Interview with Spike Cohen, pt. 2 38:06

3M ago38:06

38:06

Spike Cohen, 2020 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential nominee, joins us this week for a two part series in which we discuss the upcoming election, the Libertarian Party, the future of politics in America, and his work in single-issue activism - You Are the Power. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com S…

1
Episode 370: An Interview with Spike Cohen, pt. 1 27:49

4M ago27:49

27:49

Spike Cohen, 2020 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential nominee, joins us this week for a two part series in which we discuss the upcoming election, the Libertarian Party, the future of politics in America, and his work in single-issue activism - You Are the Power. Foolishness of the Week: 11:05 Main episode: 13:14 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Co…

1
Episode 369: A One-Party System? 25:00

4M ago25:00

25:00

The United States has been a two party system almost since its inception. In modern times, this has led to the Democrats and Republicans having a virtual monopoly on the political landscape. Despite the fact that a plurality of Americans don’t identify with either party, they won’t allow a third party to compete. And what’s the only thing worse tha…

1
Episode 368: Hampden-Sydney College Q&A 33:07

4M ago33:07

33:07

Last week, we recorded live from Hampden-Sydney College. This week’s episode is the Q&A from that recording. Foolishness of the Week: 09:21 Main episode: 10:05 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon h…

1
Episode 367: Live from Hampden-Sydney College 34:06

4M ago34:06

34:06

Last week, we talked about the incongruity of not only having a majority of voters not like either major party candidate, but to have those two candidates appear twice in back-to-back elections. This week, we explore what happens when a President is incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office. Foolishness of the Week: 11:01 Get Your Copy of Co…

1
Episode 366: What’s Up With the President? 30:11

5M ago30:11

30:11

Last week, we talked about the incongruity of not only having a majority of voters not like either major party candidate, but to have those two candidates appear twice in back-to-back elections. This week, we explore what happens when a President is incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office. Foolishness of the Week: 09:59 Main episode: 12:50…

1
Episode 365: Democracy Might Not Be a Good Thing 34:49

5M ago34:49

34:49

The Trump vs Biden election of 2020 was noteworthy because, for so many voters, it wasn’t a matter of selecting the person they thought was best suited for the job so much as a matter of selecting the person they thought was least ill-suited. As if it isn’t weird enough that, out of 200 million or so adults, the best we could do was to bring Trump …

1
Privatization Podcast: A Conversation with Zafar U Ahmed on the Dos and Don'ts of the Privatisation Process 57:58

5M ago57:58

57:58

In this episode, we talk to Zafar U Ahmed, a development sector consultant. We discuss the benefits and challenges of privatization, common mistakes and best practices, and the role of stakeholders and regulators in ensuring a fair and efficient outcome. This podcast is part of PRIME's initiative to fast-track the privatization process.…

1
Privatization Podcast:The Corruption Menace Eating Away At Pakistan's State Owned Enterprises 1:08:44

5M ago1:08:44

1:08:44

This episode features Dr. Idrees Khawaja, CEO of taleeminfo.pk. He discusses privatizing Pakistan's state-owned enterprises and explores the impact of corruption, the potential of privatization, and its social implications. Tune in for insights on reforming Pakistan's economy and governance. This podcast is part of an initiative by PRIME to advance…

1
Privatization Podcast: Does the Pakistani State Hollow Out Productivity? 1:16:39

5M ago1:16:39

1:16:39

This episode features Mr. Imtiaz Rastgar, a prominent industrialist and the chairman of Rastgar Group, discussing the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Pakistan. We discuss how state policies and regulations impact the productivity and competitiveness of the private sector, and what reforms are necessary to unleash the potential of …

1
Privatization Podcast: The True Motivations Behind the Failure of Privatisation in Pakistan 1:07:52

5M ago1:07:52

1:07:52

In this episode, we talk to Mr. Ali Salman, a prominent economist, public policy expert, and Executive Director of the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME), about the reasons why privatization has failed to deliver the expected benefits in Pakistan. We explore the political, social, and economic factors that have influenced the priva…

1
Privatization Podcast: Why Privatization Doesn't (Always) Work 1:07:06

5M ago1:07:06

1:07:06

In this episode, we speak with Naveed Iftikhar, a public policy expert, as well as Co-Founder of Atomcamp. We discuss the pros and cons of privatization, examining instances where it has failed or backfired and the underlying reasons. Additionally, we explore alternatives to privatization and methods for ensuring efficient and equitable delivery of…

1
Is Privatization a ruse against the Pakistani people? 1:02:38

5M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

This episode features Dr. Khalil, a research fellow at PRIME, in conversation with Abbas Mossvi from Discourse Magazine. They discuss ' privatization and democracy' and how it affects Pakistan's development. Tune in for a concise and enlightening discussion on the nexus of privatization and democracy in Pakistan.…

1
Episode 364: $34 Trillion 29:55

5M ago29:55

29:55

People used to scared about the federal debt. But it's been so huge for so long that people have lost interest. Yet, despite people's lack of attention - or perhaps, in part, because of it - the debt has continued to grow. For the past 50 years or so, it has been doubling every 8 to 9 years. Foolishness of the Week: 09:10 Main episode: 13:36 Get Yo…

1
Urgent need for Public Sector Reform 1:09:32

5M ago1:09:32

1:09:32

In this podcast episode, we explore the topic of privatization in Pakistan with two experts: Dr. Shahid Mehmood from PIDE and Dr. Khalil, a distinguished researcher at PRIME. This episode is part of PRIME's initiative to promote privatization in Pakistan, and it is the third episode in the series.By PRIME Institute

1
Episode 363: Labor and Marx 41:47

5M ago41:47

41:47

Many people share an intuition that “excess” profits are a sign of something having been stolen from labor. Karl Marx shared this intuition and formalized it in his writings on the surplus value of labor. Foolishness of the Week: 05:48 Main episode: 11:55 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More …

1
De-Nationalize Commercial SOE's 1:23:08

5M ago1:23:08

1:23:08

In this podcast episode, Dr. Khalil, a distinguished research fellow at Prime and an expert in political philosophy and economics, engages in a compelling conversation with Mueen Batlay, a senior advisor at CERP and EAG member. They explore the potential of privatizing state-owned enterprises (SOEs), providing insightful analysis on the advantages …

1
The untold story of privatization: Pakistan's reality revealed 55:25

5M ago55:25

55:25

In this episode, Dr. Khalil, a distinguished research fellow at PRIME and a political philosopher/economist, talks to Dr. Aneel Salman, the Head of Economic Security at IPRI. They discuss the pros and cons of privatizing big public sector enterprises (PSEs) or SOEs in Pakistan, such as Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airlines, and Paki…

1
Future prospects for 5G in Pakistan 10:35

5M ago10:35

10:35

This podcast features Wahaj Siraj, the CEO of Nyatel, he shares insights into Pakistan's thriving telecom sector. With 130 million users and an annual revenue of 800 billion Rupees, the sector stands as a significant player in the country. The episode is based on his presentation at the Third Pakistan Forum (Prosperity- Restructure, Reform, Growth)…

1
Opening up Pakistan's restrictive Visa regime for better economic Outcomes 22:23

5M ago22:23

22:23

In this podcast, Zehrah Shallwani, CEO of Dastaan Tours, discusses the challenges hindering tourism reforms in Pakistan. Despite Forbes' recognition in 2019 and 2020 as a top destination, tourism contributes only 2.9% directly to GDP. Zehrah reflects on why, unlike Saudi Arabia, Pakistan hasn't capitalized on tourism's economic potential. Join us f…

1
Debt Restructuring: Pakistan's Path to Economic Recovery 24:29

5M ago24:29

24:29

This podcast features Mr. Shahid Hafeez Kardar, Former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, as he charts a way forward for the economy amid Pakistan's fiscal challenges. The episode is based on his keynote presentation at the Third Pakistan Prosperity Forum on November 27, 2023, in IslamabadBy PRIME Institute

1
Prime's Charter of Economic: Planning Pakistan's Economic Transformation 36:31

5M ago36:31

36:31

In this podcast, Rizwan Rawji, an economic expert and philanthropist, presents the blueprint for economic transformation in Pakistan— the 'PRIMES Charter of Economy.' Tune in for an enlightening discussion based on his presentation at the Third Pakistan Prosperity Forum on November 27, 2023, in Islamabad. The charter can be accessed by following th…

1
Reforming Pakistan's Public Sector 37:50

5M ago37:50

37:50

In this podcast, Fawad Hasan Fawad, the Federal Minister for Privatization, talks about the public sector reform in Pakistan. He shares the challenges and opportunities of this complex process, and why it needs adaptability. He also discusses how state-owned enterprises are a financial drain on the government, and what principles and criteria shoul…

1
Scaling-down & Downsizing the Government of Pakistan 17:34

5M ago17:34

17:34

This podcast features Dr. Nadia Tahir, an academic and researcher. She discusses the challenges and alternatives of government downsizing in Pakistan, examining how government size affects public services and economic growth, and drawing comparisons with other developing countries. This podcast is based on her presentation at the Third Pakistan Pro…

1
Episode 362: Shareholders and Stakeholders 32:50

6M ago32:50

32:50

For whom does the corporation exist: investors, workers, customers, the community? Economists tend to answer, "investors." That's not to say that workers, customers, and the community aren't important, but rather that the corporation exists to further the interests of the investors. Where the interests of the workers, customers, and community coinc…

1
Episode 361: Degrowth 30:04

6M ago30:04

30:04

Economic "degrowth" seems to be the new socialism. Like the old, it promises all manner of wonderful things, from equality to a cleaner environment. And like the old, it will deliver nothing but misery. Foolishness of the Week: 10:24 Main episode: 13:35 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More An…

1
Episode 360: Time is Money 37:09

6M ago37:09

37:09

Intuitively, people understand the value of time. We consider it every time we decide to put off something we want now for something better later. Psychologists call it, “delayed gratification.” But when we think about things like banks and landlords and Wall Street, we fail to see the time value of money driving people’s behaviors. Foolishness of …

1
Episode 359: A Conflict of Moral Principles 29:37

6M ago29:37

29:37

Colleges and universities, for years now self-proclaimed bastions of “safe spaces,” are allowing some students to express anti Semitism and call for genocide. Should colleges allow this in the name of free speech, or should it disallow it in the name of protecting students? Congressional hearings into prominent universities appear to reveal adminis…

1
Episode 358: The Cost of the Good Life 34:49

6M ago34:49

34:49

We respond to an article that claims that “the good life” has become so expensive as to be beyond the reach of most Americans. We conclude that what is beyond the reach of at least some Americans is the ability to perform simple math. Foolishness of the Week: 05:33 Main episode: 09:16 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooper…

1
Episode 357: Biden’s Wealth Tax 31:53

7M ago31:53

31:53

More frequently, politicians are talking about a wealth tax. As with the income tax back in the early 1900s, politicians promise that the tax will only be one or two percent and will only apply to the rich. But, as with the income tax, if politicians can convince voters to allow the government to impose a tax on wealth, it will be less than a decad…

1
Episode 356: Social Distancing and Masks: Again? 26:46

7M ago26:46

26:46

A new outbreak of a communicable disease in China has officials there calling for masks and social distancing. This week, we talk about what lessons we learned from the last go around and how people might respond in this country to a reprise of social distancing and masking. Foolishness of the Week: 07:23 Main episode: 11:23 Get Your Copy of Cooper…

1
Episode 355: It's Time for Libertarians to Grow Up 42:37

7M ago42:37

42:37

We recently moderated the South Carolina Libertarian Party’s Presidential debate. We had a great time and the candidates were serious people. But the contrast between our excellent experience in South Carolina and Libertarian party hijinx we’ve seen in the past spurred this conversation. Is the Libertarian Party a political party or a philosophical…

1
Episode 354: Academic Fraud 49:48

7M ago49:48

49:48

Three former professors discuss the fraud that universities are perpetrating on students and taxpayers.. Foolishness of the Week: 11:59 Main episode: 15:20 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https…

1
Episode 353: What’s a Few Trillion Among Friends? 38:35

8M ago38:35

38:35

Over ten years ago, we predicted that, as the Federal government approached insolvency, the Federal Reserve would start printing money to monetize the government spending, and that that would give us sustained inflation in the 5% plus range. We saw the 5% plus inflation and, as the Fed fought it, we then saw interest rates skyrocket. Trillion dolla…

1
Episode 352: Fraud, Fairness, and Value 51:44

8M ago51:44

51:44

An elderly couple, an antiques dealer, and an African mask spark a conversation about fraud, fairness, and value. Foolishness of the Week: 11:00 Main episode: 13:14 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patr…

1
Episode 351: The Snooty Stuff 38:04

8M ago38:04

38:04

Composer and musician Josh Nichols was annoyed when, on an earlier episode, James referred to “high culture,” and Ant said, “you mean the snooty stuff?” Being a classical composer and, importantly, making money at it, Josh joins us to set the record straight as to why we should all be more appreciative of “the snooty stuff.” Get Your Copy of Cooper…

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Non Partisan Liberty Podcasts

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