The Optimistic Curmudgeon

Dr. Donald J. Devine discusses his time in the Reagan administration, the current failures of the administrative state, and his most recent book, The Enduring Tension: Capitalism and the Moral Order. Devine argues that centralizing power is the flaw in our current governance, but that decentralizing power is the genius of western civilization. 

Dr. Paul Mueller of The King's College (Manhattan) discusses Modern Monetary Theory, its origins, and contemporary application of MMT in the movements of the Biden administration. Along the way, he and Josh discuss the housing market, inflation, and the connections between economic theory and reality. Check it out!

John Henry Crosby of the Von Hildebrand Project comes on The Optimistic Curmudgeon for a ranging conversation about personalist philosophy. Josh and John Henry discuss Personalism, its position as a philosophical anthropology, the ways in which personalism elevates the view of the body and of human dignity, and the implications for applying personalism in both work place and transgender considerations. 

Bob Luddy, CEO of CaptiveAire Systems and founder of Thales Academy, and Emily Launer, head of Human Resources for CaptiveAire and the Luddy Schools, share the keys to business success: Grit, perseverance, alertness, character, lifelong learning, and ignoring distractions. Join Josh, Bob, and Emily as they discuss the way living excellently leads to longterm happiness and success.

Dr. Jason Jewell discusses the unique graduate studies program in the humanities he runs at Faulkner University, his scholarship on Russell Kirk, and his views on where the conservative movement is today.

Dr. Sam Gregg comes on The Optimistic Curmudgeon to share about the many ways in which realism grounds human thought and action. He and Josh have a wide ranging conversation about different application of moral ideas, and the way reality grounds economics. 

Josh interview Dr. Bob Luebke of the John Locke Foundation about the differences between the appearance and the reality of teacher salary changes in the state of North Carolina over 201-2019. Along the way, they also discuss the school choice movement, policy changes for improving public education, and the effect teachers' unions have on North Carolina education. 

Josh Herring interview Robert Pondiscio about his experiences as an educator, educational policy expert, and the ways in which anti-racism harms the very students it attempts to help. 

Dr. Richard Vedder (Ohio University, Forbes, Independant Institute) discusses the economic, political, and social forces resulting in skyrocketing prices in college tuition.