The Bob Zadek Show

According to recent polls, only 42% of Americans could name the three branches of the federal government and only 28% could name two of the five rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. Even worse, 35% believed that “from each according to his ability to each according to his need” was embodied in the Constitution (but it came from Karl Marx!). In short, voters are politically dumb. Yet, their decisions directly affect 300+ million Americans and influence the rest of the world in an ancillary way. From a purely self-interested perspective, spending the time to understand political issues is a clear waste of time, as is voting itself. What does this tell us about the viability of democracy in America? In this episode, Ilya Somin, author of the soon-to-be-released “Democracy and Political Ignorance” shares his perceptive views and insights. Ilya is a Professor of Law at George Mason University, a prolific blogger and a frequent guest on Mainstream Media. There is no more important issue in America, and no better guest to discuss the topic than Ilya Somin.

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It is clear that Obamacare (and Medicare before it) will precipitate the decline in the quality of medical care in America. It will cause talented doctors to leave the profession, reduce the number of health care professionals available to provide us with the services we have come to expect and it will ultimately give us “post office” quality medicine with “IRS quality sensitivity.” Are we ready for that? Or will Obamacare self- destruct, leaving us with a totally free market system of health care the likes of which we have not seen since before WW II? In this Sunday’s encore episode, Bob is joined by Jeff Singer: surgeon, writer and libertarian. He has seen the erosion of medicine from the inside. His Reason Magazine article titles tell it all – “How Government Killed the Medical Profession” and “The Depressing Future of American Health Care.” This is so important that Bob spends the full ninety minutes of his show with Jeff. They will tell what you don’t want to hear, but must. They even see a light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel. It will surprise you.

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Everything begins in California. Fresh air comes from the Pacific Ocean and we are the first ones to foul it for the rest of the country. We were the first state to institute “right on red” as Woody Allen famously pointed out in Annie Hall. We started the tax revolution with Prop 13. We also loaded our prisons with our “three strikes law,” which puts a person in prison for life for stealing a slice of pizza. More recently, we’ve decided to build a high- speed rail from nowhere to nowhere and we’ll spend $39 million to save the delta smelt, a tiny fish that few people have ever seen. Finally, the California legislature is considering a Homeless Bill of Rights, which was not based on anything James Madison has drafted. A word of caution to non-Californians – “this could (will?) happen to you.” In this encore episode, Bob speaks to Steve Greenhut, vice president of journalism at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity and a frequent contributor to Reason Magazine. California’s going down. Will your state be next?

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An entrepreneur is defined as “a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, usually with considerable initiative and risk.” These qualities have always been valued and cherished in America. Entrepreneurship has improved our quality of life in immeasurable ways and it always will. An immigrant in our country takes as much risk and shows as much initiative as any entrepreneur. We should be spending our treasury to keep them here, not keep them out. The anti-immigration fervor represented by many on the right and some on the left is shameful, bigoted, mean-spirited and contrary to our national ethos. As Bob so often says, “let them all in.” To discuss the economic, social and security aspects of this most emotional issue and more importantly, to replace rhetoric with objectivity, Bob welcomed Cato’s Alex Nowrasteh back to his show. Alex brings his passionate devotion to truth to an issue which is usually discussed only with emotion.

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“War” is the ultimate political cover for the unconstitutionally excessive exercise of governmental power. Any politician addicted to the wielding of power has discovered that war is the perfect narcotic; the ideal cover. Just find an enemy, declare war on them, or it (i.e. “terrorism,” “poverty,” “drugs”) and a world of weapons and powers becomes available. Then, as in the case of the war of terror, the authorization by our President to kill American citizens on foreign soil becomes possible, eavesdropping without warrants is accepted, and travel restrictions become standard. Add drones to this mix and much of the values which define us are eroded. In this episode, Bob is joined by Chris Preble, Vice President for Defense and Foreign Studies at The Cato Institute. Chis has studied the profound effect of drones on foreign and domestic policy, the erosions of national borders and the threats to our privacy. Bob and Chris will also discuss cyber war, what it is and what it is not. The so- called “main stream media” has ignored this issue which transcends party lines and changes all of us from citizens to subjects. This is too important to miss.

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What was the secret of America’s emergence from a collection of very different British colonies with nothing in common except a love of freedom? Its secret was open borders. “Let them all in,” was our immigration policy . . . and it worked! It brought to America the world’s “tired, . . . poor, . . . huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” And breathe free they did. Yes, they remained tired and perhaps somewhat poor, but their fatigue resulted from the work they did for themselves and their families. Their efforts made America a powerful economic engine. Today, America seems willing to turn its back on the secret sauce of its political and economic success – the conditional welcoming of all who cherish economic and political freedom. Who could be better to discuss immigration with Bob than Alex Nowrasteh, the immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity? Bob and Alex discuss the political, economic and social issues surrounding this most controversial topic. With so much bigotry, misinformation, hyperbole and pandering out there, you need to get the real story.

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Have you noticed that on the important issues of the day, Democrats and Republicans are moving in a Libertarian direction? Politicians are discovering that Libertarian values have been awakened in more and more voters. Only a few years ago, the very word “Libertarian” was not part of the public conversation. How times have changed. Is this the start of a second American Revolution? Bob’s guest, Judge Jim Gray, sure hopes so. Judge Gray was Governor Gary Johnson’s running mate on the Libertarian ticket in the 2012 presidential election and our strongest proponent for a sane drug policy. He will also present his thoughtful views on health care, foreign policy, gun control, immigration, same sex marriage, drug legalization, and education. Bob and Jim present the info in the Libertarian way, with principles, not politics as the guide.

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In the past 15 years, California’s high tax burden caused 340,000 (mostly) high earners to go to other states like Nevada where they can keep more of their earnings. Is there a pattern? You bet there is. Americans are “voting with their feet” more than ever before. Not just pro golfer Phil Mickelson who makes a pretty penny, but average wage earners. Where do they move from, where do they go …and why? Travis Brown has studied this extensively and he authored “How Money Walks,” the definitive study on which states are winning or losing the competition for taxpayers and businesses and what the results tell us. Join Bob and Travis tomorrow to celebrate federalism in operation, just as the founders envisioned.

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Though Capitalism has elevated the standard of living of most humans on earth, it is misunderstood and under attack. It is perverted by the unholy alliance of big business and big government (think “crony capitalism”), thwarted by statists whose hubris allows them to believe that they know what’s best for each and every citizen, and vilified by those whose survival requires appropriation of someone else’s person and property. In this episode, Bob is joined by author and lecturer Dr. Tom G. Palmer of the Atlas Network and the Cato Institute to discuss the morality and necessity of capitalism. Capitalism cannot be adequately defended if it is not understood, and understand it you shall after hearing this podcast.

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For almost four years, Bob has been speaking about his uncompromising admiration for the work of the Founders. They drafted the Constitution and in getting it ratified by the colonies, created the United States of America. James Madison, George Washington, John Adams and their colleagues were above reproach. However, Bob has recently been drawn to the arguments of the Founders, of equal stature, who opposed Ratification. The arguments of those “anti-federalists” seem more compelling than those of the supporters of the Constitution. Who was right, especially given where the country is today? Hard question. In this episode, Tom Fleming joins Bob to discuss this intriguing issue. Tom is perhaps America’s greatest historian and most prolific writer on the subject of early American history. This show cannot be missed.

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