Ep. 44 Steve Patterson Challenges Rothbardians: Economic Theory Is More Empirical Than You Think
Steve Patterson–host of “Patterson in Pursuit”–talks to Bob about one of his recent essays, in which Patterson challenged the standard Misesian/Rothbardian view on economics. Specifically, Patterson claims that you can’t get very far with pure a priori reasoning–even pretty basic economic laws rely on empirical assumptions. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:…
Ep. 43 Michel Accad, MD, Leads Bob on a Discussion of “Efficiency” and “Market Failure” as Used in Health Economics
Michel Accad practices cardiology and general internal medicine in San Francisco, and holds a part-time clinical faculty appointment at the University of California San Francisco. This episode reproduces a discussion Bob had on Michel’s podcast, where they discussed the development of “welfare economics” in mainstream theory, in preparation for their subsequent discussion (which will be…
Ep. 42 Former Military Intelligence Sergeant Donnie Gebert Explains That a Direct Republic Is Now Possible
Like the Matrix, you cannot be told about a 3-hour conversation with Donnie Gebert; you must hear it for yourself. But here’s the blurb from his book: “All members of a direct republic sign…the constitution/social contract. This contract states you will not engage in murder, rape, theft, and basic crimes against humanity. Once signed, the…
Ep. 41 Karl Smith, of the Blog “Modeled Behavior,” Has Friendly Debate With Bob On Keynesian Stimulus and Carbon Taxation
Bob has a friendly discussion/debate with Karl Smith. First Bob pushes Karl to clarify the conditions under which government deficit spending could, even in theory, help a depressed economy. Then they switch to the economics of climate change, and Bob’s view that the case for a carbon tax is much weaker than most economists admit.…
Ep. 40 Tucker Carlson Wants Affirmative Action for American Workers
Tucker Carlson gives unambiguous approval for Elizabeth Warren’s call for “economic nationalism,” saying her proposal sounds like “Trump at his best.” Carlson pillories American companies for outsourcing their operations to other countries, and blames Republican leadership for its dedication to doctrinaire libertarianism and Austrian economics. (Not a joke.) Bob disagrees with this take. Mentioned in…