In this episode, Matt digs into modern Hungarian politics with Zoltan Kesz, exploring how Viktor Orbán evolved from a young liberal reformer into an illiberal, Putin-aligned strongman presiding over a reactionary kleptocracy. Zoltan breaks down how Orbán consolidated power, manipulated institutions, reshaped the media, and abandoned liberalism while Hungary’s economy and democratic norms declined.

References:

Zoltan at LibertyCon: https://libertycon.net/speaker/zoltan-kesz/ 

Zoltan at Emerging Europe: https://emerging-europe.com/author/zoltan-kesz/ 

BBC's Analysis of Viktor Orban: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67832416 

"How Viktor Orban Wins" at Journal of Democracy: https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/how-viktor-orban-wins/ 

Thanks to our supporters—including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.

ILS Educational Programs Manager Alex Eames speaks with Moin Yahya about whether the state should run the postal service. They explore the history of Canada Post’s monopoly, competition and innovation in mail delivery, and why Lysander Spooner’s 19th-century rebellion still matters for debates about government-run enterprises today.

References:

Moin A. Yahya — Faculty Profile (University of Alberta, Law)

Canada Post Corporation Act (Justice Laws, Government of Canada)

Lysander Spooner, The Unconstitutionality of the Laws of Congress Prohibiting Private Mails (1844) — full text 

American Letter Mail Company (Spooner’s private competitor to the U.S. Post) — Overview (Wikipedia)

Royal Mail — Background & 2013 Privatization (Wikipedia)

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Thanks to our patrons—especially Kris Rondolo—for supporting The Curious Task. To join them: https://patreon.com/curioustask

Matt speaks with Jason Crawford (Roots of Progress Institute) about “technohumanism”—the view that science, technology, and industry are good insofar as they advance human flourishing. They dig into agency vs. accelerationism, why progress creates new problems to solve, and where the next big gains may come from (AI, biotech, nuclear, housing, etc.).

References

Announcing “The Techno-Humanist Manifesto” — Jason Crawford (Roots of Progress)

Technohumanism — Overview & Chapters (official project site)

Roots of Progress (main site / institute)

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Thanks to our supporters—including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.

In this episode, Matt speaks with Rachel Davison Humphries, Senior Director of Civic Learning Initiatives at the Bill of Rights Institute, about how rituals like Halloween can strengthen democracy by building trust and social capital in communities.

References

“Halloween Treats for Democracy” — Rachel Davison Humphries (Wall Street Journal)

Rachel Davison Humphries — Profile (Bill of Rights Institute)

Rachel Davison Humphries on the Bill of Rights Institute and the Importance of Civics Projects — Getting Smart Podcast episode

Democracy in America — Alexis de Tocqueville

Thanks to Our Patrons

Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.

In this conversation from 2020, Alex Aragona speaks with Mustafa Akyol as he explores whether Islam can be compatible with liberalism, and his recent research on freedom in Muslim-majority countries.

References from Episode 70 with Mustafa Akyol

In this episode, Alex speaks with political researcher Sam Routley about how conservatism is changing in Canada. Drawing on his article “Decoding Canada’s Conservative Coalition” published in The Hub, Routley explains why Canada’s conservative movement has remained more stable than those in other Western democracies, where right-wing politics have undergone dramatic upheavals. They discuss the historical roots of Canada’s “fusionist” conservatism, the economic and cultural shifts driving new tensions between working-class and knowledge-economy voters, and how Pierre Poilievre’s brand of populism fits within Canada’s longstanding political traditions. 

DeepDive: Decoding Canada’s Conservative coalition — Sam Routley (The Hub)

Sam Routley — Author Page (The Hub)

Stephen Harper embraced pragmatic, incremental change. Does Pierre Poilievre have grander ambitions? — Sam Routley (The Hub)

Canada’s hard-fought immigration consensus is crumbling before our eyes — Sam Routley (The Hub)

Canada needs new political experts — Sam Routley (The Hub)

How Canada’s Conservatives Should Solve Their Free Trade Confusion — Sam Routley (C2C Journal)

Right Here, Right Now: Politics and Leadership in the Age of Disruption — Stephen J. Harper (Indigo)

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Thanks to Our Patrons

Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.

In this episode from 2023, Alex speaks with Neil Boyd about the effects of drug decriminalization and legalization in Canada and around the world, and how regulation and criminalization can have positive or negative impacts on users of various substances and the communities around them.

References

1. “Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, 1996” by the Justice Laws Website

Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8/ 

2. “Cannabis Act, 2018” by Justice Laws Website 

Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-24.5/

In this conversation from 2022, Alex speaks with Jason Lee Byas about the complexities of responding to questions of historic injustice, reparations, and compensation within a libertarian framework. 

References

1. Articles by Jason Lee Byas, Center for a Stateless Society 

Link: https://c4ss.org/content/author/jason-byas 

2. “Rectification and Historic Injustice” by Jason Lee Byas

Link: https://philpapers.org/archive/BYARAH.pdf 

3. “A Black Commons: A Framework for Recognition, Reconciliation, and Reparations” by Julian Agyeman and Kofi Boone 

Link: https://www.academia.edu/113180745/The_Black_CommonsA_Framework_for_Recognition_Reconciliation_Reparations 

4. “Compensation for Historic Injustices: Completing the Boxill and Sher Argument” by Andrew I. Cohen

Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40212837.pdf 

5. “Should Race Matter?: Unusual Answers to the Usual Questions” by David Boonin

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Should-Race-Matter-Unusual-Questions/dp/0521149800 

6. “The Ethics of Liberty” by Murray N. Rothbard

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Ethics-Liberty-Murray-N-Rothbard/dp/0814775594 

7. “Historical Rights and Fair Shares” by A. John Simmons

Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3505011 

8. “The Multiculturalism of Fear” by Jacob Levy

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Multiculturalism-Fear-Jacob-T-Levy/dp/0198297122 

9. “Apologies and Moral Repair: Rights, Duties, and Corrective Justice” by Andrew I. Cohen

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Apologies-Moral-Repair-Corrective-Justice/dp/0367508036

In this coversation from 2023, Matt speaks with Seth Kaplan about his book Fragile Neighborhoods, and why a decision as simple as where we choose to live can often make the difference between lives of prosperity and lives of uncertainty and strife. 

Seth's book can be ordered here:

https://a.co/d/aqUzRny 

In this episode, Alex speaks with journalist and author Andrew Coyne about why Canadian democracy is in crisis. Drawing from his book The Crisis of Canadian Democracy, Coyne explains how the concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office, the erosion of cabinet and caucus independence, and the iron grip of party discipline have hollowed out Parliament. They explore electoral reform, regional alienation, and voter disengagement, and discuss why Canada’s institutions now fail to hold leaders accountable. Coyne argues that the issue is systemic: a slow but steady weakening of democratic norms that requires serious institutional repair if Canadian democracy is to endure.

References

The Crisis of Canadian Democracy — Andrew Coyne

Andrew Coyne — Columns (The Globe and Mail)

Canada’s Democracy Is in Crisis: Andrew Coyne on GCD #3 — Macdonald-Laurier Institute

Q&A: MPs ‘Utterly Subservient’ to Leaders — Coyne on Reforming Canada’s Democratic System — The Hill Times

Thanks to Our Patrons

Including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.