Kibbe on Liberty

Matt Kibbe sits down with economist Peter C. Earle to discuss all the policy failures that have led to the Christmas season looking less merry, and more expensive, than it should. From runaway inflation to shipping delays and drops in employment, the Biden administration has shown no signs of understanding the first thing about economics — and is more concerned with virtue signaling than with actually solving the problems facing Americans this December.

Matt Kibbe is joined by Matt Ridley, author of “Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19,” to discuss the constantly shifting media narrative surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, including the once taboo “lab-leak hypothesis.” Ridley runs down the evidence for the hypothesis, including why the original story about Chinese wet markets makes no sense, and addresses the controversy about gain-of-function research. He also lays out the costs — in terms of reputation, harassment, and bullying — that he and his co-author have paid for being willing to contradict the scientific and medical establishment on this issue.

Matt Kibbe sits down with Corey Olsen, president of Signum University, to talk about the ways in which higher education has failed to serve students and adapt to a changing economic and technological environment. Signum was one of the first fully online universities, a model that has proved to be ahead of its time in the aftermath of the pandemic. Online education not only solves the problem of physical distance, but also addresses tuition inflation and the resulting student debt crisis. The ability to innovate around traditional universities is far more productive than policies that simply enable a corrupt and outmoded system. Dr. Olsen is also well known online as the Tolkien Professor, leading Kibbe to probe him about the economics of the Shire.

Matt Kibbe sits down with Antonella Marty, associate director of PR and influencer relations at Atlas Network, to talk about Latin America’s struggles with socialism, nationalism, and organized crime. It’s a frustrating and tragic situation because we know that free markets and light regulation will lead to less poverty and more opportunity, but the governments of countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and Argentina keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Meanwhile, politicians and intellectuals in America continue to admire dictators like Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, to the point of even wanting to bring their ideas to our own shores.

Matt Kibbe is joined by Jon Miltimore, managing editor at the Foundation for Economic Education, to talk about the reason why America’s supply chain has broken down and what can be done to fix it. By locking down the economy for over a year, the government artificially changed consumer habits while preventing workers from stepping up to meet the excess demand. Now, out of ideas, the Biden administration is simply pumping money into the economy, which doesn’t solve the problem, but does create inflation that is bad for everyone.

Matt Kibbe is joined by Maria C. Werlau, executive director at the Free Society Project, to discuss the popular mythologies surrounding Cuba and its record on human rights. Although American leftists like Michael Moore and Bernie Sanders praise the Cuban system in everything from health care to education, the reality on the ground is much different from what they are allowed to see as tourists and guests of the Cuban government. Rich capitalists from overseas are indeed treated well, but the two-tiered system that rewards political connections is brutal for ordinary Cuban citizens.

Matt Kibbe is joined by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to talk about the ways in which public health officials like Anthony Fauci have misled the American people by refusing to consider natural immunity and alternative COVID treatments, instead focusing entirely on vaccine and mask mandates. Rand is dismayed at all the support these policies have gained from pseudo-libertarians and urges people to take control of their medical care by learning to outsmart the hospital bureaucracy to get the treatment they need. When our leaders prove themselves to be untrustworthy, it is incumbent upon each of us to assume responsibility for keeping ourselves and our loved ones healthy.

Matt Kibbe is joined by Reed Coverdale, host of the Naturalist Capitalist podcast and professional trucker, to talk about the traditional American spirit of liberty and independence and how that has gradually been replaced by desire for short-term comfort over long-term fulfillment. At the same time, we’ve become terrified of experiencing the sort of loss that has been the norm for all of human existence and that goes a long way toward shaping character and inner strength. The country has become so focused on safety and security that no one wants to have adventures any more, but it’s those adventures that make life worth living.

Matt Kibbe is joined by James Harrigan and Antony Davies, economists and hosts of the Words & Numbers podcast. They explain how an objective look at economics reveals a world that is constantly improving, from improvements in technology to increases in lifespan and reductions in extreme poverty. The Americans who complain about their country lack the necessary perspective to see how much better the quality of life is than in any other country or any other time in history. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be worried about the growing threats of inflation and centralized government power, which may reverse some of the gains we’ve made.

Matt Kibbe sits down with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) for a conversation that will surely attract the ire of censors everywhere. Massie explains why public health officials are ignoring the evidence for natural immunity acquired through exposure to COVID-19, why we’ve been repeatedly lied to about the effectiveness of face masks, and the subtle political strategy underlying the Biden administration’s planned vaccine mandates. Is it a conspiracy? Is it a cover-up? Or is everybody in power just incompetent? Watch to find out before this show gets scrubbed from the internet.