Free Thoughts

Many Americans believe that foreign military intervention is central to protecting our domestic freedoms. But Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail R. Hall urge engaged citizens to think again. Overseas, our government takes actions in the name of defense that would not be permissible within national borders. Emboldened by the relative weakness of governance abroad, the U.S. government is able to experiment with a broader range of social controls.

How do military contractors benefit greatly from U.S. militarism? What is “the boomerang effect”? What is the relationship between domestic citizens and political institutions in the time of increased militarization? What is the interventionist mindset? When did we develop our first SWAT team?

Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of U.S. Militarism, written by Christopher Coyne and Abigail Hall

Ludwig von Mises on War and the Economy, written by Christopher Coyne and Anne Rathbone Bradley

“Tyranny Comes Home” Book Panel, Mercatus Center

Tyranny Surveillance State: When Tyranny Comes Home, Mercatus Original Video

The Birth of American Imperialism (with Stephen Kinzer), Free Thoughts Podcast

Henry Hazlitt, Encyclopedia of Libertarianism

Deconstructing the Surveillance State, Free Thoughts Podcast

The CIA Listens to Free Thoughts, Free Thoughts Podcast

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It’s been almost 6 years since we started recording Free Thoughts. We take today to look back on our 300 hours of recording. Nora Powell hosts Trevor and Aaron to discuss how we are fighting for freedom through podcasting. Are you a libertarian because of our show? Please reach out to us so we can meet you and thank you.

We would like to thank all of our listeners for staying loyal and engaged each and every week. Cheers!

Free Thoughts on Free Thoughts: 200 Episodes and Counting, Free Thoughts Podcast

Politics and Community, Free Thoughts Podcast

The Problem of Political Authority, Free Thoughts Podcast

Wealth, Poverty and Politics: An International Perspective, Free Thoughts Podcast

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Daniel Okrent joins the show to talk about his new book, The Guarded Gate, which tells the tells the story of the scientists who argued that certain nationalities were inherently inferior, providing the intellectual justification for the harshest immigration law in American history. Brandished by the upper class Bostonians and New Yorkers—many of them progressives—who led the anti-immigration movement, the eugenic arguments helped keep hundreds of thousands of Jews, Italians, and other unwanted groups out of the US for more than 40 years.

What was the Chinese Restriction Act? What is eugenics? When was eugenics applied to certain racial groups? Who was Samuel Gompers? What scientific reasoning did eugenists use? Did the Nazi’s follow American scientists? What does eugenics and birth control have in common? 

The Guarded Gate: Bigotry, Eugenics, and the Law That Kept Two Generations of Jews, Italians, and Other Europeans out of America, written by Daniel Okrent

When the government used bad science to restrict immigration, written by David A. Hollinger

The Passing Of The Great Race; Or, The Racial Basis Of European History, written by Grant Madison

Science vs. Politics: Vaping, Eugenics, and Other Policy Questions, written by Helen Dale

Illiberal Reformers: Race, Eugenics, and American Economics in the Progressive Era, Free Thoughts Podcast

Genetics, Encyclopedia of Libertarianism

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Universities aim to be centers of learning that find the best and brightest students, treat them fairly, and equip them with the knowledge they need to lead better lives. But Jason Brennan and Phillip Magness join us today to show how American universities fall far short of this ideal.

What is the purpose of college? What are academics getting out of university life? What do students want from their university experience? What is a wage premium? Are students actually learning skills they need? Do employers think that college graduates are lacking writing skills? What is wrong with student evaluations? What would it take to actually measure teacher effectiveness? How is tenure a barrier to entry to the academic field?

Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education, written by Jason Brennan and Phillip Magness

‘Cracks in the Ivory Tower’, written by Scott Jaschik

When All Else Fails: The Ethics of Resistance to State Injustice, written by Jason Brennan

College: Too Costly, Too Little Learning, Too Much Underemployment, Free Thoughts Podcast

Cracks in the Ivory Tower: A Dispiriting Assessment of Higher Education, written by Aeon Skoble

The Education Apocalypse: How It Happened and How to Survive It, Free Thoughts Podcast

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Hello fellow Stranger Things fans! We have a doozy here for you today, as we launch our exciting new project. If you didn’t think we were hip before, think again! Our first show on pop culture, coincides with the release of Stranger Things Season 3. How convenient! Most of us would much rather be playing Dungeon & Dragons and fighting off demodogs rather than working. Guest, Ellie Hamlett, joins hosts Natalie Dowzicky and Landry Ayres to dive in to the many ’80s references made throughout the show. We do not claim to be experts in all things Stranger, but being a super fan must count for something. Stay tuned to the very end where Landry Ayres, newly appointed game host, puts the pressure on Ellie and Natalie to name as many movies from the 1980s as they can. Enjoy!

If you like the format of this show, please be sure to leave us comments on our social media platforms. We look forward to exploring more hidden dimensions with you soon!

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Chris Freiman joins us today to argue that the liberal egalitarian rejection of free market regimes rests on a crucial methodological mistake. Liberal egalitarians regularly assume an ideal “public interest” model of political behavior and a nonideal “private interest” model of behavior in the market and civil society.

Why do we need the state? What is the free rider problem? What is ideal theory? How did Rawls mix ideal and non-ideal theory when analyzing institutions? What kind of state would we have in a perfectly just world? What kinds of institutional designs is Rawls aiming at? How is voting an expressive behavior?

Unequivocal Justice (Political Philosophy for the Real World), written by Christopher Freiman

Rawls, Ideal Theory, and the Public Goods Argument for the State, written by Christopher Freiman

A Theory of Justice, Post-Trump Edition, written by Christopher Freiman

A (Revised) Theory of Justice, written by Brian Kogelmann

The Federalist No. 10, written by James Madison

The Virtue of Justice, Free Thoughts Podcast

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How did the modern dynamist economy of wealth and opportunity come about? The processes of transformational changes could have started many times in history - but they first became sustained in North-West Europe about 240 years ago. The question of why this happened in that particular place and time is one that has exercised generations of scholars.

What is modernity? What is a ‘civilization’? What is considered ‘western civilization’? What is the moral economy? How could you make a living before the Enlightenment? Are there different kinds of modernity? What is economic nationalism?

The Wealth Explosion: The Nature and Origins of Modernity, written by Stephen Davies

The Great Realignment: Understanding Politics Today, written by Stephen Davies

How the World Got Modern, written by Stephen Davies

David Hume Encyclopedia entry

Hume and the Politics of Enlightenment, Free Thoughts Podcast

The Politics of Modernism, written by David S. D’Amato

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Over the last forty years, there is a distressing history of foreign insurgent groups being able to manipulate U.S. policymakers and opinion leaders into supporting their cause. Frequently, that support goes far beyond rhetorical endorsements to include financial and even military assistance to highly questionable individuals, organizations, and movements. Sometimes those efforts have even entangled the U.S. military in bloody, unnecessary, and morally dubious wars, as in Kosovo, Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

What is a freedom fighter? Why did we consider so many different groups to be freedom fighters? Is foreign policy messy? Should we be allies with reprehensible people to fight the evils of communism? Who was Jonas Savimbi and what was his role with the U.S. in Angola?

Gullible Superpower: U.S. Support for Bogus Foreign Democratic Movements, written by Ted Galen Carpenter

Is America a Gullible Superpower?, written by Hunter DeRensis

Smart Power: Toward a Prudent Foreign Policy for America, written by Ted Galen Carpenter

Three Arguments Against War?, written by Jason Kuznicki

What Are the Risks of Terrorism?, Free Thoughts Podcast

Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy, Free Thoughts Podcast

America’s Authoritarian Alliances, Free Thoughts Podcast

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This week we welcome Alexandra Natapoff to discuss the various problems with how misdemeanors are handled. Eighty percent of criminal cases filed in our countries are misdemeanors. There are so many places in the misdemeanor system where wrongful convictions are definitely taking place. The system lacks rigor and continues to be sloppy because of it. 

How powerful is the misdemeanor phenomenon? In the state system, do people think they get a fair trial for a misdemeanor? Is it a big deal to get a misdemeanor? Are misdemeanor fines a source of revenue? Who is profiting off of the state misdemeanor systems? What are the main ways to get a misdemeanor? What is probable cause?

Punishment Without Crime: How Our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal, written by Alexandra Natapoff

Busted, by Ryan Gabrielson and Topher Sanders at ProPublica

Misdemeanors Matter #2: Alexandra Natapoff on a Legacy of Injustice, Center For Court Innovation

Thin Blue Lies: How Pretextual Stops Undermine Police Legitimacy, Free Thoughts Podcast

The Problem of Police Misconduct, Free Thoughts Podcast

Cruel Alternatives: Respect for Law or Respect for Justice, written by Aeon Skoble

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Now that we all have had time to digest the ending of Game of Thrones, we invited Ilya Somin on to the show to do an in depth analysis of not only the ending, but the show in its’ entirety. We cover the political economy of Westeros, possible reasons for the years of economic stagnation, the role of a revolutionary, and the dangers of absolute power.

Does Game of Thrones accurately depict how an absolute monarchy worked during medieval times? Does political ignorance occur throughout Game of Thrones? How can we explain economic stagnation in Westeros? Should dragons stimulate economic development? Is Dany a Castro-style Lenin revolutionary? How is ruling different than conquering? Why didn’t the Game of Thrones characters decide to create a democracy at the end?

Reflections on “Game of Thrones”, written by Ilya Somin

‘This was abysmal’: Nearly 1 million disgruntled ‘Game of Thrones’ fans demand a final season remake, written by Timothy Bella

The Best Takes On Daenerys’ Controversial Decision On ‘Game Of Thrones’, written by Pang-Chieh Ho

Power and Ideology, written by Douglas Hay

The Lust for Power, written by George H. Smith

Jedi Libertarianism: Lessons on the Nature of Evil from Star Wars, written by Michael F. Cannon

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