The Bob Zadek Show

The George Mason University economics department is known for developing new ideas into influential ideas. The Virginia-based bastion of free market thought has been producing groundbreaking scholarly work for decades, and shows no signs of slowing down. Last month, GMU PhD Candidate Mark Lutter defended his thesis, “Three Essays on Proprietary Cities.” His committee included Donald Boudreaux, Tyler Cowen, and Richard Wagner. Lutter’s academic interest in proprietary, or free cities is part of a trend among scholars and thought leaders studying the incentives that drive government decision-makers. If politicians respond to rewards and punishments just like you and I do, shouldn’t we consider giving them a larger stake in the profits and losses of the underlying jurisdiction? A proprietary city, Lutter argues, could achieve this, with tremendous benefits for both the developing and the developed world. He makes a convincing case on his blog, FreeCitiesInitiative.com, and joins Bob to defend the idea that the time for free cities has come. 

LINKS:

 FreeCitiesInitiative.com

With just three months to the general election, voters must now come to grips with the grim reality of their choice between the major parties’ presidential candidates. Naturally, the conversations around the “lesser of two evils” have begun, along with the ensuing mental gymnastics by those looking to justify their preference for either Trump or Clinton. There may be a silver lining, however. While former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson may not be the political savior many are hoping for, he is getting a hearing from a large swath of the electorate who otherwise would never have considered backing a third party candidate – let alone a libertarian. Jeff Singer, a general surgeon and libertarian from Arizona, has voted for the lesser of two evils for most of his life – but now he's had enough, and is casting his lot in with Johnson. Is it true that a vote for Johnson is a throwaway, or that it makes a victory of the greater of two evils more likely? Bob and Jeff spend the hour on the intricate question of how one can still vote smart, and on principle, in the unusual times we find ourselves in.

LINKS

Why Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils Is a Waste of Your Vote, by Jeffrey A. Singer, Reason.com May 18, 2016

With just three months to the general election, voters must now come to grips with the grim reality of their choice between the major parties’ presidential candidates. Naturally, the conversations around the “lesser of two evils” have begun, along with the ensuing mental gymnastics by those looking to justify their preference for either Trump or Clinton. There may be a silver lining, however. While former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson may not be the political savior many are hoping for, he is getting a hearing from a large swath of the electorate who otherwise would never have considered backing a third party candidate – let alone a libertarian. Jeff Singer, a general surgeon and libertarian from Arizona, has voted for the lesser of two evils for most of his life – but now he's had enough, and is casting his lot in with Johnson. Is it true that a vote for Johnson is a throwaway, or that it makes a victory of the greater of two evils more likely? Bob and Jeff spend the hour on the intricate question of how one can still vote smart, and on principle, in the unusual times we find ourselves in.

LINKS

Why Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils Is a Waste of Your Vote, by Jeffrey A. Singer, Reason.com May 18, 2016

This show strives to be an oasis in a media desert of gossip, clickbait, and misinformation. The message from this show's guest is especially helpful for navigating this bleak landscape when you don’t have Bob and his guests to break down the issues. It's rare to find a thinker as well-versed in both the lessons of history and techniques of persuasion as Robin Koerner.  A Cambridge-educated native of the UK, Koerner has managed to make a successful career as an observer and activist in American politics. Even more remarkably, he has carved a niche for classical liberal ideas on the pages of the Huffington Post. Most remarkably of all, Koerner recently cleared our nation’s many immigration hurdles to formally join the world’s largest experiment in freedom as a U.S. citizen. But lately, Koerner notes, this experiment isn’t going so well. His new book, If You Can Keep It, answers why few people make the right diagnosis of the sickly politics that keep eroding our liberties. By revealing what’s missing from partisan debates, Koerner teaches us how to persuade (almost) anyone why it’s liberty that they really want – not the various “isms” that always get the most votes. After hearing his outsider’s perspective, you won’t be able to see American politics in the same light.

LINKS

 If You Can Keep It (Book Website)

Koerner's Articles for the Huffington Post

WatchingAmerica.com, an independent news site gathering commentary on America from foreign countries

Blue Republican (Founded by Koerner)

This show strives to be an oasis in a media desert of gossip, clickbait, and misinformation. The message from this show's guest is especially helpful for navigating this bleak landscape when you don’t have Bob and his guests to break down the issues. It's rare to find a thinker as well-versed in both the lessons of history and techniques of persuasion as Robin Koerner.  A Cambridge-educated native of the UK, Koerner has managed to make a successful career as an observer and activist in American politics. Even more remarkably, he has carved a niche for classical liberal ideas on the pages of the Huffington Post. Most remarkably of all, Koerner recently cleared our nation’s many immigration hurdles to formally join the world’s largest experiment in freedom as a U.S. citizen. But lately, Koerner notes, this experiment isn’t going so well. His new book, If You Can Keep It, answers why few people make the right diagnosis of the sickly politics that keep eroding our liberties. By revealing what’s missing from partisan debates, Koerner teaches us how to persuade (almost) anyone why it’s liberty that they really want – not the various “isms” that always get the most votes. After hearing his outsider’s perspective, you won’t be able to see American politics in the same light.

LINKS

 If You Can Keep It (Book Website)

Koerner's Articles for the Huffington Post

WatchingAmerica.com, an independent news site gathering commentary on America from foreign countries

Blue Republican (Founded by Koerner)

There's a wave of state-based reform sweeping the nation, and it's giving hope to thousands of terminally-ill patients. Since just 2014, 31 states have passed so-called "right to try" initiatives, which allow those with incurable and life-threatening illnesses to access potentially life-saving experimental treatments that have not yet been approved by the FDA. Leading this legislative cascade is Arizona's Goldwater Institute. They believe the Food and Drug Administration has been overly paternalistic in making what amounts to an incredibly difficult, yet personal decision, on behalf of all Americans. When early "Phase I" evidence shows a treatment's potential, physicians in Right to Try states are able to take the experimental treatments out of the laboratory in an attempt to save their patients. Christina Sandefur, executive Vice President of the Goldwater Institute, is a co-drafter of the Right to Try initiative and has been pivotal in getting these laws passed around the country. She joins Bob to make the case to the remaining 19 states – including California. 

Right to Try initiative (Goldwater Institute)

*Right to Try: How the Federal Government Prevents Patients from Getting Lifesaving Treatments* by Darcy Olsen (President of the Goldwater Institute)

Republican Party Adopts Platform Language to Help Terminally Ill Americans | Goldwater Institute

The Right to Try and the Future of the FDA in the Age of Personalized Medicine by Adam D. Thierer :: SSRN, July 2016 – Mercatus Center Working Paper

There's a wave of state-based reform sweeping the nation, and it's giving hope to thousands of terminally-ill patients. Since just 2014, 31 states have passed so-called "right to try" initiatives, which allow those with incurable and life-threatening illnesses to access potentially life-saving experimental treatments that have not yet been approved by the FDA. Leading this legislative cascade is Arizona's Goldwater Institute. They believe the Food and Drug Administration has been overly paternalistic in making what amounts to an incredibly difficult, yet personal decision, on behalf of all Americans. When early "Phase I" evidence shows a treatment's potential, physicians in Right to Try states are able to take the experimental treatments out of the laboratory in an attempt to save their patients. Christina Sandefur, executive Vice President of the Goldwater Institute, is a co-drafter of the Right to Try initiative and has been pivotal in getting these laws passed around the country. She joins Bob to make the case to the remaining 19 states – including California. 

Right to Try initiative (Goldwater Institute)

*Right to Try: How the Federal Government Prevents Patients from Getting Lifesaving Treatments* by Darcy Olsen (President of the Goldwater Institute)

Republican Party Adopts Platform Language to Help Terminally Ill Americans | Goldwater Institute

The Right to Try and the Future of the FDA in the Age of Personalized Medicine by Adam D. Thierer :: SSRN, July 2016 – Mercatus Center Working Paper

Dr. Rick Doblin, founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, joins the show to discuss the history of the War on Drugs, and the efforts to legalize certain scheduled substances through formal FDA approval.

Founded in 1986, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana.

Dr. Rick Doblin, founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, joins the show to discuss the history of the War on Drugs, and the efforts to legalize certain scheduled substances through formal FDA approval.

Founded in 1986, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana.