The Bob Zadek Show

We’ve always had lists. Billboard had its “top 40.” Fortune has its “Fortune 100.” Only a free-market economist could build a list of the “The Terrible 10: A Century of Economic Folly.” That economist is Burton Abrams, Professor of Economics at the University of Delaware, Research Fellow at the Independent Institute, and Director of their Government Cost Calculator (check it out at http://www.mygovcost.org/). What’s your favorite? Prohibition? Social Security? Medicare? Environment? In this episode, Bob and Burt cover them all, as well as the root causes. It is astonishing to see what all these mistakes have in common. Listen to this podcast and you’ll learn why the best pick up line of the 21st Century will soon be “What’s your favorite economic folly?”

Be careful, America. The “One Worlders” are on the attack, armed with stealth statutes and regulatory powers, seeking to wrest local control of our quality of life from cities and towns to unelected regulators. Bob knows this. He is living it. High rise multi-family residences are being imposed on small towns in order to save the planet and stop climate change (can you imagine anything more absurd than trying to stop the climate from changing?). California has been the forerunner of many public policy issues, from “right on red” (hooray) to a ban on plastic bags (boo). Now the usurpation of local zoning control is being tested. If it succeeds here, America will be doomed. In this episode, Bob is joined by Jonathan Wood of the Pacific Legal Foundation, which is representing ordinary citizens in a litigation to stop this planning monster in its tracks. Learn what is at stake, so you can be prepared to fight it. If you lose, your city council will be controlled by the UN!

Marc Levinson’s book “The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America” has it all: rugged capitalism, crony capitalism, big time rent seekers using political power to kill competition, and the defense of the “little guy” against the feared chain stores. It also outlines the destruction of the free market by the New Deal, gives details of the precursor to Walmart (Sam Walton did not invent the business model) and exemplifies some very nasty politics. A history of this iconic brand is a history of American business from the middle of the nineteenth century through the middle of the twentieth century. In this Sunday’s encore episode, Marc joins Bob to put the attack on free enterprise in a fascinating historical perspective. The mistakes of history keep on repeating themselves and resilient businesses overcome these obstacles. This topic, this book, is simply great stuff. You’ll love it.

Many philosophers have opined that “taxation is theft,” and arguably it is. However, it’s far worse when government legally extorts massive sums from us through abusive statutes and no oversight. “Extortion” is the precise word to describe how the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives operative with the ruthless efficiency of organized crime without fear. “Extortion” is the title of Peter Schweizer’s best seller, subtitled (and this tells it all) “How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes and Line Their Own Pockets.” Peter has exhaustively researched this subject he shares his findings with Bob in this Sunday’s encore episode. What you hear will not make you very happy, but it will inform you, and that is the first step towards reform. If it seems that extortion is too strong a word, just listen to Peter in this non-partisan indictment of Washington and decide for yourself.

Maggie McNeill, retired madam, sex worker, and a lead blogger at Cato Unbound http://goo.gl/AsQV1T, joins Bob to discuss the legalization of “the oldest profession.” Why is America the only non-communist country to criminalize sex work? After all, many women expect their dates to pay for their meals and entertainment. Is that a crime? If not, how is that not prostitution? The lines between legal and illegal activity are impossibly blurred, leading to the inescapable conclusion that exchanging sex for money is only illegal if a poor woman does it. Class discrimination at its worst. These
laws infantilize and demean women, yet they remain on the books. Maggie helps us sort this out. One small step towards the end of hypocrisy about sex in America.

Early this year, Cathy Young, author of two books and a columnist for The Boston Globe, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal (to name merely a few news outlets) caught Bob’s attention with “Guilty Until Proven Innocent.” Her thoroughly researched article, which appeared in Reason Magazine, tells the story of how the government encourages kangaroo courts for sex crimes on campus. Young men are tried (if you can call it that) in quasi-judicial proceedings, with none of the safeguards Americans would expect. If found “guilty,” the damage to the accused is often greater than it would be in a criminal proceeding. This a feminism gone wild, or as Cathy identifies it, an uncontrolled and abusive “rape culture” crusade which damages both young women and young men. College should be an environment where the rules of civil society are taught and reinforced, not abused and ignored. Even worse, this loss of civil liberties takes place with the express encouragement of Washington, with none other than Joe Biden leading the charge. Who would have thought that sex could become an issue to be exploited for political gain? Will we become a nation of geldings (look it up)?

By popular demand, John Rothmann joins Bob once again to cross rhetorical swords on the issue of school vouchers which has become particularly timely in light of the House Republican bill to fund vouchers. The teachers unions are up in arms. This is a wedge issue that separates parents of minority kids from the Democrats. Interesting, and fun.

“The End of Money” is the title of David Wolman’s provocative book, which explores a world without cash. Could our economy exist without bills and coins? Do we need a mint? Can we convert Fort Knox into a multiplex? David has traveled the world seeking answers and he has learned that replacing unnecessary currency with digital records could save us over $1 billion per year! In David’s world, the Brinks truck would pull up to a bank and carry out bags of digits, not cash. There are profound economic, practical, and even psychological consequences of getting rid of cash. But will this result is an even more complete loss of financial privacy, or has that already happened?