Haman Nature

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Hello! Thank you for being a paid subscriber!

On this bonus episode, Tyrone and I continue our discussion of “public goods” to talk about how “national defense” could (and should) be provided by private actors.

Naturally,

Adam

00:00 — Intro.

01:21 — Tyrone asks, “How on earth could humanity provide courts, police, and military protection without a monopolis…

On this "crossover" episode with economist Bob Murphy, we take a look at a few popular conspiracy theories. Adam and Bob tell you what they think, and why they think it!

00:00 — Intro. Finally, Adam reveals the truth about Abraham Lincoln!

03:11 — What's with the fluoride in the water?

05:24 — What definition should we use for the term "conspiracy theory"? How about "red-pill"?

11:35 — What's up with Jeffrey Epstein? Did he kill himself? Did he run a huge extortion/blackmail scheme based around sex with underage girls?

27:19 — What's with the earth? Flat? Oblong spheroid? Other?

34:37 — What's with the USS Liberty? Did Israel attack it by accident or on purpose?

39:16 — What's up with Pearl Harbor? Did FDR provoke the attack? Did he know the attack was imminent and "let" the attack happen anyway?

46:03 — What's up with "climate change"?

61:03 — What's up with the Trump/Russia collusion claims?

64:54 — What's the truth behind the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001?

76:46 — What's the truth about the assassination of John F Kennedy?

86:14 — What's up with the moon landing? Real? Fake? Was any of the television and photographic evidence staged?

100:40 — Outro. Thank you for watching Haman Nature!

Murray Rothbard fluoride article mentioned:

Bob Murphy geoengineering article mentioned:

Bob Murphy climate model article mentioned:

Darryl Cooper (Martyrmade) podcast about Jeffrey Epstein mentioned:

Book mentioned: Day of Deceit by Robert Stinnett:

Haman Nature climate change articles mentioned (one), and (two):

Book mentioned: Provoked by Scott Horton:

Bob Murphy Show episode about the IG Russia collusion report:

Book mentioned about JFK assassination cover up: Inside the Assassination Records Review Board by Douglas P. Horne.

Future of Freedom video series about JFK assassination cover up:

NASA report mentioned about "losing" the telemetry tapes:

Adam on X: @Rerazer

Bob on X: @BobMurphyEcon

The Bob Murphy Show: https://www.bobmurphyshow.com/

The Human Action podcast:

Adam's other podcast: Natural Order Podcast

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe

Adam despises the term "public goods" and all the excuses for larceny that derive from that barbaric and manipulative concept. And he's gonna tell you all about it. Enjoy!

00:00 — Intro. Tyrone's mad at Santa, but it might be a ruse...

01:19 — Adam reads the anti public goods article that this episode is based on. What's wrong with positive externalities?

15:12 — A brief tangent to describe eminent domain. Remember the Kelo v. City of New London Connecticut Supreme Court decision? Also, Tyrone gives a couple examples of market distortions caused by government action.

19:03 — Back to the public goods article. How could "national" defense be provided privately? Bob Murphy's Chaos Theory is instructive (link below). Plus: Private fire departments!

25:22 — Two anecdotes about public goods: The valley and the "essential dam", and smallpox in Deadwood, South Dakota.

35:30 — Adam finishes up the public goods article. Is the term "public" valid at all? Adam and Tyrone weigh in. What about the term "monopoly"? Also, externalities aren't "nouns", exactly. They are more properly thought of in a more subjective way.

30:18 — Outro. Thank you for watching Haman Nature! If you want to hear the continuation of this conversation, where private provision of defense will be discussed, visit "HamanNature.Substack.com" and become a paid subscriber!

Haman Nature article mentioned: Public goods is a term invented by thieves to steal your money.

Book mentioned - Chaos Theory by Bob Murphy.

Adam's other show: Natural Order Podcast

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit hamannature.substack.com

Hello! Thank you for being a paid subscriber!

Today on this bonus episode, Tyrone and I launch the first episode of our new “subscribers only” segment: Conspiracy Corner!

On this inaugural episode, we get deep into the weeds about the Peter Thiel controversy. Is he a libertarian hero? Is he a secret agent of the Deep State? Something completely other? We…

It's another "crossover" episode! Adam Haman and Bob Murphy break down the recent Twitter(X) spat between Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy and other elements of the broad "MAGA" movement about the H1-B visa program and American culture.

00:00 — Intro. Bob's been fighting on Twitter again!

01:49 — Bob breaks down the controversy, then Adam reads Vivek Ramaswamy's provocative X post (linked below) that caused a bit of an uproar.

08:43 — Bob responds to Vivek a bit, but really responds to MAGA's response to Vivek. Since when is "the right" allergic to criticizing aspects of American culture?

13:12 — Adam chimes in. American culture is a Rorschach test. Also, culture isn't monolithic. There have always been trash TV shows even when American culture valued excellence more. Bob points out some MAGA hypocrisy, and some areas where Vivek's critique didn't land. Also, Adam and Bob compare histories growing up as "the smart kid".

20:11 — Adam points out that the recent history of immigration in the US (along with DEI) impacts this argument greatly. Also, Adam and Bob dive deeper into human psychology and American culture.

43:48 — So, what's with these H1-B visas? What are the economic implications of them?

64:53 — If Bob were in charge, what would he do about these visas? Eliminate? Expand? Tweak?

72:16 — What does it actually mean to the average citizen when "high end" immigrants are brought into the country and "take" jobs that otherwise would have gone to fellow citizens? And who's "rights" should take precedent?

75:02 — Coming back to culture, what else besides IQ matters? Are there valuable cultural attributes in which American culture shines?

90:00 — Outro. Thank you for watching Haman Nature!

Vivek's controversial X post:

H1-B visa "mega thread analysis" mentioned:

Adam on X: @Rerazer

Bob on X: @BobMurphyEcon

The Bob Murphy Show:

The Human Action podcast:

Adam's other podcast: Natural Order Podcast

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe

Adam and Tyrone have a few things to say about national flags. Mostly about the US flag, but also about those of other nations. How do you feel about "your" flag? How about others?

00:00 — Intro. After pledging allegiance to something, Tyrone introduces the Haman Nature article (linked below) that this episode is based on, "Some criticism and some redemption for the US flag."

03:00 — Adam begins reading the article. Tyrone starts a discussion about how kids feel about the US flag at an early age.

05:12 — Adam continues reading. Tyrone reminds us about the protests in Washington DC in late July 2024 where Palestinian and Israeli flags featured prominently. Also, why did the cops allow all the destruction of American symbols during the protests? Also, how should we feel about American patriotism?

11:18 — Adam continues reading. Remember when they displayed a Ukrainian flag in the US Congress? Also: Anarcho-tyranny. Also, read (linked below) Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine, by Scott Horton.

15:55 — Tyrone asks a question: Do "we" deserve all the blowback we suffer because of our government's foreign policy? Is "collective punishment" justified? Also, what about wartime actions? What is the nature of morality during wartime? What about extreme "lifeboat" situations? How do the plots of the books Starship Troopers and Ender's game relate?

28:14 — How old were you when you learned what the word "allegiance" meant? Also, Tyrone posits that in an emergency, the moral thing to do is end the emergency.

30:18 — Outro. Thank you for watching Haman Nature!

Haman Nature article mentioned: “Some criticism and some redemption for the US flag.”

Book mentioned - Provoked by Scott Horton:

Book mentioned - Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein:

Book mentioned - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card:

Adam's other show: Natural Order Podcast

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe

Merry Christmas!

For the holidays, we here at Haman Nature want to give you another present! Here's a bonus episode that originally existed only behind the paywall at HamanNature.Substack.com.

Enjoy!

Book that Adam mentioned, Jonathan Haidt’s The Coddling of the American Mind (with Greg Lukianoff)

PS: One more notion occurred to me about this episode. Maybe these “kids” are unintentionally playing a good strategy. If they all guess the wrong answer, how could a professor or administrator or other authority figure punish them? Perhaps it’s the stupid professor’s fault if they all get the wrong answer, right?

We could call the strategy “camouflaging their ignorance against the herd”

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe

Merry Christmas!

For the holidays, we here at Haman Nature want to give you a present! Here's a bonus episode that originally existed only behind the paywall at HamanNature.Substack.com.

Enjoy!

Public school expert and amateur movie critic critic Charles Melchin comes on the show to turn the tables on our “Hey hero, your fly is down!” segment by pointing out some disagreements he has with Adam’s comments about The Holdovers, The Breakfast Club, and The Dead Poets Society.

Sparks fly. Tales are told. Lessons are learned. Wisdom is gained? You be the judge!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe

On this "crossover" episode, Adam Haman and Bob Murphy discuss the critical comments that have been exchanged between Javier Milei, president of Argentina, and Hans-Hermann Hoppe, economist and libertarian theorist.

00:00 — Intro.

01:01 — Why must we fight? Adam and Bob give a breakdown of the "dispute" between Hoppe and Milei and some of the history of Milei's rise in Argentina.

14:05 — What are Milei's accomplishments so far? Lower regulations? Lower inflation? Other?

22:05 — Milei has been cozying up to the US and Israel. Adam has a theory why that is. Also, what dangers does Milei's presidency present for libertarianism in global public opinion?

26:26 — Hoppe and Milei argued about how one should/could end the central bank. Who's right?

47:02 — Should Milei pay back Argentinian debt? Should the US government pay its debts?

58:52 — Outro. Don't be a "liberimbecile"! Keep watching Haman Nature!

Hoppe criticizing Milei in Oct 2024:

Milei's response on X:

Human Action episode referenced:

Adam on X: @Rerazer

Bob on X: @BobMurphyEcon

The Bob Murphy Show: https://www.bobmurphyshow.com/

The Human Action podcast:

Adam's other podcast: Natural Order Podcast

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe

Adam and Tyrone grapple with the issue of our day: Why are smart people often so stupid about politics?

00:00 — Intro. Tyrone lost his bone. Poor porcupine. Also, he had a tempestuous Thanksgiving because some of his smartest family members have idiotic and inconsistent opinions about political matters. Turns out it's easier to train (indoctrinate) a smart dog than a dumb one.

03:00 — Tyrone introduces the Haman Nature article (linked below) this episode is based on: "Why are smart people so stupid about politics?" There's a good reason! It's all about feedback.

09:49 — We are $36 trillion in debt. Adam shows that we can't even conceptualize what $1 trillion is.

11:00 — So what's the fix? The answer isn't legislation or even education. It's culture.

15:01 — Tyrone asks a good question. How much of this problem stems from the universities? Or maybe it's just that we've gotten soft. Is this a inevitable problem of prosperity?

24:25 — Will it take an increase in our technological capabilities before we get "smarter" about politics? Is that good news or bad?

31:47 — Outro. Thank you for watching Haman Nature!

Haman Nature article mentioned: Why are smart people so stupid about politics? There’s a good reason!

Book mentioned: The 4th Turning by William Strauss & Neil Howe:

Adam's other show: Natural Order Podcast

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe