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Ant and James go a little further than most in discussing the death penalty as we brace ourselves for the first public execution in the US since 1936. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:13 MIT’s Certificate in Piracy 03:59 Political Arguments, Social Media, and the Electoral College 07:30 Chuck Grassley, Aging Politicians, and Age Limits 12:28 Foolishness of the Week: Arrested Over a Shrek Meme 14:06 Political Speech and the First Amendment 16:56 Free Speech, Government Censorship, and Public Figures 19:51 The Death Penalty and the Right to Life 22:04 Can the Government Be Trusted With Capital Punishment? 25:02 Nidal Hasan and the Case for Public Execution 28:06 Should Executions Ever Be a Public Spectacle? 32:38 The Morality of Taking a Human Life 35:43 Public Executions, War, and the Slippery Slope 38:20 Are These Signs of a Dying Political Regime? 41:25 Principles, Revenge, and the Death Penalty 44:19 Closing Thoughts and Words & Numbers Backstage

David Friedman joins us once again to discuss differing legal systems (and Renaissance fairs). 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:14 Furries, Renaissance Fairs, and Pittsburgh Subcultures 06:42 Rethinking the Social Security Retirement Age 10:46 Foolishness of the Week: The BBC Loses Its Mind 17:02 David Friedman on Alternative Legal Systems 17:58 Renaissance Fairs vs. Historical Recreation 23:04 Competing Legal Systems Throughout History 28:15 Benefit of Clergy and Medieval English Law 30:29 How Multiple Legal Systems Can Coexist 32:06 Order Without Law and Enforcing Social Norms 35:27 Civil Asset Forfeiture and Incentives in Punishment 36:45 Amish and Romani Legal Systems 39:50 How Romani Communities Enforce Their Own Laws 46:11 Sharia Law and Islamic Legal Systems in America 53:08 When Crime Is Against the State vs. the Victim 55:17 Private Justice and Compensation in Iraq 57:46 Tribal Responsibility and Saudi Legal Traditions 59:09 David Friedman’s Current Projects and What’s Next 1:00:11 Climate Change, Population Growth, and Economic Orthodoxy 1:02:39 Where to Find David Friedman’s Work

James and guest co-host Tom Krannawitter try to figure out (and explain) what the normative standard of nature is. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:08 Trump, the Midterms, and the Future of the Republican Party 06:27 Colorado Republicans and the Changing Conservative Movement 09:42 What Does It Mean to Be a Conservative? 16:02 Aristotle, the American Founding, and the Role of Virtue 18:58 Foolishness of the Week: Mike Johnson and the $5,000 Checks 21:46 The New Deal, Government Spending, and Buying Votes 26:57 Why Culture Matters More Than Politics 30:13 The Normative Standard of Nature 32:50 Natural Law, Human Nature, and Right and Wrong 34:41 Aristotle on Virtue and Friendship 38:46 Can Morality Exist Without Religion? 40:04 Learning from Experience, Age, and Human Nature 44:29 Can Political and Cultural Norms Be Unjust? 46:42 The Declaration of Independence as a Moral Standard 47:54 The Intellectual Origins of American Progressivism 49:05 Hegel, John C. Calhoun, and the Rejection of Natural Rights 50:33 How the German Model Transformed American Education 52:56 Progressivism and the Rejection of Nature

James and Tom Krannawitter, who is pinch-hitting for Ant this week, discuss the differences between the Greek and German educational methods, and why we should care. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:17 Trump’s Triumphal Arch, Snipers, and Government Militarization 05:25 When Police Destroy Your Property and Don’t Pay for It 09:07 Qualified Immunity and Holding Police Accountable 12:32 Could Insurance Help Police the Police? 17:27 Foolishness of the Week: Homeschooling Disqualifies a Firefighter 20:19 Homeschooling, Accreditation, and the Education System 23:12 Classical Education vs. the Modern University 25:22 How Accreditation Reshaped American Higher Education 28:33 What a Real College Education Looks Like 33:21 Socrates, Classical Education, and the Pursuit of Truth 36:04 The Greek vs. German Models of Education 41:01 Methodology, Old Books, and the Modern University 43:16 How to Pursue a Real Education in College 45:17 What Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and Plato Have in Common 45:59 The Intellectual Origins of Progressivism 47:25 Machiavelli, Technology, and Conquering Nature 50:00 Social Engineering and the Progressive Project 52:30 Natural Rights, Human Will, and the Limits of the Enlightenment 54:35 Closing Thoughts

Ant and James dissect the constant involvement of government in "emergencies," which seem to happen once a decade. For some reason. 0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 0:50 The Ig Nobel Prize: Are Rich People More Selfish? 5:13 Rising Oil Prices and the Real Cost of Policy Decisions 7:20 Trump’s $5,000 Checks and the Inflation Problem 10:22 The Lindsay Clancy Trial and a Bizarre Jury Split 12:22 Foolishness of the Week: A Five-Year-Old, a Pond, and CPS 15:32 Foolishness of the Week: Punished for Stopping a Mass Shooter 18:17 The Affordability Crisis and Government Intervention 19:58 The Ratchet Effect: Why Government Power Never Shrinks 21:15 From the Great Depression to COVID: A Century of Expanding Government 24:14 The 2030s: Social Security and the Coming Wealth Tax 25:50 The 2040s: The Debt Crisis and a Digital Dollar 32:27 The 2050s: Population Decline and Universal Basic Income 34:11 How Temporary Government Powers Become Permanent 35:27 Socialism, the Berlin Wall, and North vs. South Korea 40:11 Social Security Insolvency and America’s Growing Debt 42:11 Property Taxes, Ownership, and the Erosion of Economic Freedom 47:01 How Young People Can Prepare for Social Security’s Future 50:21 Retirement Savings and the Coming AI Bubble 54:32 AI Regulation, Government Protection, and the Ratchet Effect

Ant and James reflect on 9/11, both the day and its legacy. 0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 0:24 Citizens United, Super PACs, and Money in Politics 6:48 Corporate Donations, Trump, and Political Influence 10:50 AI Is Putting an Entire Industry Out of Business 13:56 AI, College Cheating, and the Future of Education 17:28 Foolishness of the Week: Trump Threatens to Halt Trade 20:48 Why Trade Deficits Aren’t What Politicians Think 22:24 25 Years Later: Remembering 9/11 25:25 Where We Were When the Attacks Happened 29:03 How 9/11 Changed America Overnight 31:39 Fear, Terrorism, and the Wars That Followed 9/11 34:22 How 9/11 Changed the Nature of War 35:17 The War on Terror and America’s “Wars on Nouns” 42:28 TSA, Security Theater, and the Post-9/11 Surveillance State 44:30 The Militarization of American Law Enforcement 46:06 Did Americans Trade Freedom for Security? 48:31 Fear, Crime, and the Lasting Legacy of 9/11 50:32 Closing Thoughts: Have Some Charity in Your Heart

What's the deal with bonds and interest rates? Find out on Words & Numbers, where we will use both words and numbers to get to the bottom of things. 0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 0:42 Free Speech and the First Amendment 7:45 Rutgers Dean Caught Recording Students 09:55 Renaming the Great Lakes “Lake America” 11:41 Foolishness of the Week: George Santos Gets Banned From Kalshi 14:27 Is the Government Running Out of Places to Borrow? 20:24 Why Treasury Investors Are Demanding Higher Returns 22:10 The Federal Debt and the Interest Rate Spiral 24:06 Can the Government Tax Its Way Out of the Deficit? 26:24 Will the Government Eventually Monetize the Debt? 27:43 The Federal Reserve vs. the Treasury 33:05 Scott Bessent’s Plan to Push Interest Rates Down 36:42 Is the Treasury Gambling on Short-Term Debt? 41:37 Is the Treasury Trying to Conduct Monetary Policy? 44:38 Are We Seeing the Beginning of a U.S. Debt Crisis? 49:03 Can Social Security Force Congress to Confront the Debt? 51:35 Closing Thoughts: Find an Excuse to Be Nice

A priest shows up. Antony doesn’t confess, James doesn’t convert, but they all talk about human dignity. Checkout Fr. James Martin, SJ 's book, 'Work in Progress.' https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062694480 0:00 Introduction and Overview 0:29 The Ultimate Quiet Quitting Story 4:32 Scott Bessent’s $950 Billion Bond Buyback Plan 8:05 Is the Treasury Conducting Its Own Monetary Policy? 12:14 Foolishness of the Week: American Airlines Does It Again 16:57 Father James Martin on Pope Leo, AI, and Human Dignity 20:50 What Happens When AI Meets Humanlike Robots? 22:48 AI, Loneliness, and Replacing Human Relationships 24:57 Can Free Markets Serve the Common Good? 29:22 Property Rights, Poverty, and the Role of the Church 34:53 Who Gets to Define the “Common Good”? 36:17 Subsidiarity, Data Centers, and Local Decision-Making 41:18 Human Rights vs. Human Flourishing 43:38 Wealth, Profit, and the Morality of Capitalism 48:00 What Did Jesus Mean by “The Poor Will Always Be With You”? 51:22 Individual Charity vs. Community Responsibility 55:15 Social Media, Human Dignity, and the Loss of Community 1:00:09 Father James Martin’s Work in Progress

When government statistics are under question, it gets pretty hard to know what the hell is actually going on. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:32 Civil Disobedience, Crime, and Flock Cameras 06:17 License Plate Tracking and the Surveillance State 10:52 Rising Treasury Yields and Federal Borrowing 12:20 Surge Pricing, Markets, and Government Intervention 15:48 Monopolies, Standard Oil, and De Beers 20:01 Foolishness of the Week: Trump Tariffs on Brass Instruments 24:02 The Death of Reliable Government Data 27:00 Why Politicizing Economic Data Matters 30:21 Immigration Data, Jobs, and the Economy 33:01 Immigration and Social Security 36:39 Migrant Workers, Business Planning, and Regulation 41:39 Why Reliable Data Keeps Prices Lower 44:06 Final Thoughts on Kindness and Grace

Clark Neily joins us once again, this time to discuss the thorny matter of constitutional interpretation. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:26 TSA Phone Searches and the Right to Privacy 06:26 The University of Michigan Abandons Traditional Grades 10:31 Foolishness of the Week: Transgender Athletes and the WNBA 18:48 Clark Neily on How to Read the Constitution 21:54 Originalism vs. Textualism 27:02 Applying the Constitution to Modern Technology 30:31 Wiretapping, Smartphones, and the Fourth Amendment 33:06 Constitutional Rights at the Border 36:54 What the Constitution Really Means by a “Jury” 40:22 Original Meaning and the Second Amendment 50:01 The Right to Bear Arms and Resisting Government 57:36 Equal Protection and the Fourteenth Amendment 01:09:49 How Far Does the Second Amendment Go? 01:13:35 What Does It Mean to “Infringe” a Right? 01:25:14 The Forgotten Privileges or Immunities Clause 01:27:07 Closing Thoughts

This week Ant and James seem not to have much of a point, but that's never stopped them before, and it sure didn't stop them this week. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:24 Caleb Hammer, Personal Finance, and Economic Hypocrisy 05:13 Thomas Jefferson, Hypocrisy, and Judging Ideas vs. People 10:00 Political Tribalism and Why People Stop Thinking Critically 14:46 Government Ownership of Corporations and Modern Socialism 20:51 Gas Prices, Oil Company Profits, and Government Taxes 26:43 Foolishness of the Week: The Reflecting Pool Fiasco 31:28 The 2028 Election, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and John Fetterman 33:48 Russia’s Nuclear Threats and the War in Ukraine 41:35 China, Population Collapse, and the Future of Global Power 49:18 Closing Thoughts

All foolishness all the time, with the connoisseur of foolishness himself, Wes Westmoreland. 00:00 Introduction 00:43 American Airlines Travel Horror Stories 06:25 Is the GOP Becoming Socialist? 12:34 Goldfish Rights, Animal Rights, and Ethical Contradictions 17:03 Tim Walz’s “Gender Dolls” for Children 20:32 Crossbow Mishap at the County Fair 22:07 Zohran Mamdani, Grocery Stores, and Reparations 24:16 Democrats, Republicans, and the 2026 Midterms 29:57 Iran, Endless Wars, and Foreign Policy Failures 34:05 Anthony Fauci Takes the Fifth 111 Times 41:46 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

The adult entertainment industry has been sounding the alarm about the erosion of our rights for years. Adult actress London River joins us to explain. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:43 Zohran Mamdani’s Housing Proposal and Rent Control 03:44 Foolishness of the Week: Do Goldfish Have Rights? 07:51 Introducing London River 09:55 The SAVE Act and Online Age Verification 11:35 Why Adult Websites Oppose ID Verification 13:26 Parents, Government, and Protecting Children Online 17:55 Privacy, Databases, and the Future of the Internet 20:23 Is Age Verification a First Amendment Issue? 24:01 Free Speech, the Second Amendment, and Government Overreach 26:02 Supreme Court Rulings on Online Speech 29:14 Why the Adult Industry Is the “Canary in the Coal Mine” 31:29 Defending Free Speech Before It’s Too Late 35:47 Soft Authoritarianism and Expanding Government Power 38:13 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

What do population growth rates and movement among the states have to do with one another? More than you might think. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:56 Thomas Massie on Congress and Presidential Power 03:34 A Promising New Alzheimer’s Treatment 07:03 Foolishness of the Week: California’s Town Council Refuses to Leave Office 08:40 America’s Population Slowdown and Why It Matters 11:03 Immigration, Social Security, and Demographic Challenges 12:11 States Competing for Residents 17:19 Technical Difficulties 17:55 Does Bigger Government Lead to Better Outcomes? 20:20 Why Americans Are Leaving High-Tax States 23:26 Government Growth, Incentives, and Long-Term Stability 26:19 Immigration, Welfare, and Population Policy 28:38 Remote Work Is Reshaping State Economies 30:36 Competition Between States and the Future of America 31:51 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

Is birth enough to determine who should be a citizen? We (and the Supreme Court) weigh in. 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 00:39 Disclosure Day, Spielberg, and Hollywood’s Creativity Problem 05:26 Foolishness of the Week: Air Conditioning and Energy Politics 13:58 Trump’s Meme Stock and Cryptocurrency Profits 23:39 Birthright Citizenship and the 14th Amendment 26:28 What Does “Subject to the Jurisdiction” Mean? 30:18 Original Intent vs. Constitutional Text 33:50 Textualism, Originalism, and Justice Scalia 37:03 Can Birthright Citizenship Be Changed? 42:34 Why Constitutional Intent Isn’t Always Enough 47:13 The Limits of Constitutional Interpretation 52:39 How Constitutional Amendments Should Work 56:46 Supreme Court Justices, Brown v. Board, and Closing Thoughts