Episode 148 – It’s Plane to Sea
Is the truth behind Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that obscure? Is Space Force just the next generation of the Military Industrial Complex?
Vance & Bart Save The World Through Anarcho-Capitalism
Is the truth behind Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that obscure? Is Space Force just the next generation of the Military Industrial Complex?
Can a nation be saved from itself? Who is worth saving in the fight for liberty? Are those potential costs worth the price we pay? Fake News: Trump Will Address the Libertarian Convention. Some Members Are Outraged.
Does unjust licensure incentivize intra-market hostility? Even if unjust, is it wise to ignore the warnings of your aggressor? Fake News: Livestock Ultrasound Operators Jailed, Accused of Unlicensed Vet Practice
Does "doing time" actually pay for the crime? Are prisons actually private? Who ultimately pays for criminal rehabilitation?
Was the OJ Simpson trial an inflection point for victimhood? How responsible is the justice system for the racial divide it created?
Are there limits to the rights protected by the first amendment? Are other amendments interpreted in the same way?
What goes on at police training seminars? Who funds seminars like Street Cop Training? If this power is easily abused, who should wield it? The High Price of Unregulated Private Police Training to New Jersey: https://nj.gov/comptroller/reports/2023/20231206.shtml
How do corporations benefit more than individuals during economic crisis? Why is the plight of the unhoused so easily exploited? Fake News: Man who choked NYC subway rider to death will face manslaughter charge, prosecutors say
How is the military-industrial complex still able to grow? If we finance destruction of a nation, should we also finance their aid?
Who wins during prohibition? Do government employees care about the source of their income? Is privilege something that can be earned? Fake News: An Affront to Health Freedom: The FDA Recategorizes 17 Therapeutic Peptides
What happens if we find an abundance of gold in outer space? Should you be buying or selling gold? What makes gold valuable? Fake News: Supreme Court temporarily blocks Texas law that allows police to arrest migrants
What assumptions do we make about people who have been to prison? How should we talk to our children about such issues?
Why are law enforcement officers held to such low standards? When provoked, do police ever improve a situation? Fake News: Florida deputy mistakes falling acorn for gunshot, fires into patrol car with Black man inside
How do we solve ecological problems without government regulation? How would the state have solved for the impact of outhouses? Fake News: Biden's memory is 'hazy' and 'poor,' says a special counsel's report
Do workers know that the "fight for fifteen" was written by lawyers for McDonald's? How do local wages factor into a global economy? Fake News: Seattle Ordinance Intended to Help App Delivery Workers is 'Hurting' Them
Do we even need external forces to create misunderstandings between us? What goes into the calculation of price? Fake News: Jordan Drone Attack
What kinds of capital would be included in a comprehensive measurement of the economy? Do Veblen goods actually contradict the law of demand? Fake News: US forces strike Iran-backed Houthi sites in Yemen
What does it mean when something enters the public domain? Are ideas property? If so, how should you protect them? Fake News: The Iowa Caucus
Are law enforcement agencies the largest contributors to climate change? How can this justify further militarization?
Was the panic around Y2K justified? What measures would the market have taken without government intervention?
Has 2023 been a year of advancement for liberty? Will four more years of Joe Biden guarantee the same results?
When does speech no longer deserve a platform? When does a call for genocide become too nuanced to be denounced?
How do natural monopolies compared to those empowered by the state? How does money manipulation impact the larger workforce?
Is Javier Milei the first real anarcho-capitalist president? What does his election say about the popularity of his ideas?
What has changed in the last three years? What hasn't? What lessons could be learned from this brief period in history?
Can "foreign-owned land" truly be defined or enforced? Even if so, what kind of perverse incentives would legislation create?
What are the true costs of war and who pays for them? Is it worth the price we pay for them? If so, can we afford them?
To what degree does the online world filter into the "real" world? Why would service providers be in favor of regulating themselves?
Has Google truly become a monopoly? What other reasons would the state have to sue them? Where have we seen this before?
Why is the state opposed to disclosure? Should inter-planetary communication be centralized? Does anarcho-capitalism work beyond Earth?
Was Al Capone a hero? Does prohibition create perverse incentives? If income is illegal, how can it legally be taxed?
Why don't more libertarians love 3D printing? How important is social interaction when you live outside the mainstream? Mentioned in this episode:Bon Aqua Computer Club - https://bonaqua.club
Is shame a more practical deterrent than a law? Why do we still pass laws if we all agree that they are selectively enforced?
If we're alone in the universe, why fabricate information to the contrary? If we're not, shouldn't disclosure be a top priority?
How can 3D printing level the playing field against military dictatorships? Why are politicians so opposed to technological advancement?
Does Liz Wolfe understand the libertarian position when criticizing RFK Jr? Is she being just as much of a contrarian as she claims he is?
Is the USA the greatest country in the world? If not, should we still be thankful? From what are we celebrating independence?
Who are the true victors if history can be rewritten? Is the silver lining of corruption that we can all unite against it?
Do pricing controls hurt big or small business more? Do we care more about who loses than whether anyone should lose?
Why is inflation so deceptively simple? Did someone from the Fed just admit that they are the cause of inflation?
Should hosts at NPR know the definition of "inflation"? If you start with an erroneous formula, can you calculate anything correctly?
How has government regulation become synonymous with "capitalism"? Why do we appear so divided if we all agree?
Can Anarchy be a form of government? What do the different types of Anarchism have in common? Is their coexistence possible?
How much will the RESTRICT Act grow the surveillance state? Does the state even need it to invade your privacy?
Why do so many anarchists have such a seemingly negative outlook? Is anarchy only defined by the things it opposes?
Should children be exposed to sexual content? Are all drag shows inherently sexual? Why are these issues associated with the trans community?
Just as Lithuania left the USSR, can secession happen in the US? Does "national divorce" imply a conscious uncoupling like Coldplay and Goop?
Has the education system stayed true to its Prussian roots of indoctrination? Is it ethical to work within such a system?
Does dumping 30,000 litres of milk benefit society? Is government intervention on pricing and supply a necessary evil?
Could the American Civil War have been avoided? Practically, is a company still "private" when heavily influenced by the state?
Will UFC fighters ever unionize? Are unions incentivized to protect workers? Is the value of a union subjective?
Will EU mandates around USB-C impact the rest of the world? Can there be malice when you are enforcing an open standard?
Is war an acceptable tool for spreading democracy? In the current political climate, is being anti-war seen as a partisan stance?
How can it be the season of giving if there is no mandate? Are humans an insignificant variable in the science of economics?
Why should we arm the Ukraine with Patriot missiles? Is Trump really trying to terminate the constitution? If so, why propagate his message?
How do you lose $1,500,000,000,000? Is cryptocurrency the kind of transparency we need or is it a Ponzi scheme?
Does the question "what's the carrot going to be" imply an imbalance of incentives? If so, why not fix the underlying issue?
What traditions should we carry forward? What traditions will be allowed? Do turkeys deserve a pardon more than non-violent drug offenders?
Can a ruling majority be trusted with the rights of a minority? What are the emergent properties of democracy if the collective is coerced?
Should "do your own research" really be a pejorative when so much "misinformation" is eventually corroborated by official data?
What do we gain from politicizing criminals? Should we trust the police narrative? What happens when news outlets can't align quickly enough?
Is the War on Drugs over? What should be celebrated as a win? Why was The Devil's Lettuce illegal in the first place?
Do labor laws actually protect employees? Do labor laws prevent unions from thriving? Do all unions inevitably become corrupt?
Did Trump actually roll back harmful regulation? Is deregulation, itself, a worthwhile goal? Can a free market actually self-regulate?
What are we talking about when we talk about a monopoly? What are the conditions that lead to monopolies and is it always catastrophic?
What is intelligence? What is consciousness? Do rights, granted or natural, inherently follow intelligence and consciousness?
Does Bernie Sanders actually believe what he's saying? Do people significantly impact the climate? Who is making the biggest impact?
Are agorists just re-branded contrarians? Are agorists unintentionally growing the state? Is agorism, as an ideology, complete?
Is secession finally happening? If so, what technological advances made this possible? If not, how can we make it possible?
Is loan forgiveness an equal opportunity program? Can we invest in education without subsidizing the costs?
Is ranked-choice voting the way of the future? Is the rampant misinformation about it proof that it just might work?
Is the FBI just a tool for intimidation? Will its' dissolution be necessary to "Make America Great Again"?
What does it take to be considered an "extremist" in the eyes of the state? Do libertarian ideas conflict with being a centrist?
Is anyone actually offended or is it offense by proxy? Is polarization inertia keeping us divided? Can you ruin your Libertarian witness?
Who decides the countries with which we trade? How do moral judgements impact prices? Should we care who benefits from our purchases?
Is the Free State Project anti-democratic? What freedoms would be in jeopardy because of them? Are state lines sacred? Anti-Free State Project Protest Held in Keene: https://odysee.com/@FreeKeene:2/Anti-FSP-Rally:7
How did we become what we are today? Why do we think that evolution suddenly stopped just before we arrived. Fox study: https://evolution-outreach.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12052-018-0090-xTibet study: https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/news/tibetans-adapted-high-altitude-less-3000-years
Is Ron Paul psychic? Are global affairs just incredibly predictable? Why do we keep making the same mistakes?
What's in a word? Is the prohibition of words ever productive? Does individualism inherently create isolationism?
Should you be able to decide how you protect yourself? Which class benefits when tools of defense are outlawed?
Is it good to be proud of being a minority? If so, at what point are you no longer a minority and are simply just proud?
In an individualist society, who or what do you look after? More, importantly, who or what looks after you?
Who is responsible for your safety? What are the costs for not properly defending yourself? Who should be able to own a deadly weapon? Mentioned in this episode: Active Self Protection
Would you pay for a program if it redirected resources where there are none? What if it simply wasted those resources?
Why do we celebrate the holidays of other nations? What role, if any, does the significance of these holidays play?
How did something like the Waco Massacre come to be? How have we still not held the right people accountable?
Why do we feel differently about weapons based on who owns them? Does it also make a difference who pays for them?
Are most "price caps" actually price caps? Even if prices are truly capped, do they help the people with the greatest need?
How will the world respond to the passing of Anthony Fauci? Who will continue all of the work he has done?
Who wins when businesses compete? Who loses when businesses do not compete? How do we participate outside of such a system?
If the media lies about one thing, does that inherently mean they are lying about something else? Is the enemy of my enemy…my enemy?
What would the perfect World War III distraction narrative look like? How would it differ from the current news cycle?
Are people finally beginning to wake up from the Dark Winter? Who are the real heroes and will history recognize them?
What do we mean by "us" and "them" when we say "us versus them"? How did this podcast make it to 50 episodes?!
Why are we suddenly so consumed with Ukraine? Why would we be surprised that Russia is responding negatively to being provoked?
What happens when you ask a tipsy ancap about the NAP? How does the NAP influence our perception of capitalism?
What part did Donald Trump play in the pandemic? Vance has a theory.
Is inflation inherently moral (or genuinely possible)? Does introducing a time machine change the rules of economic debate?
What does the future hold for a state that seems to be gasping for air? What does the evolution of liberty even look like?
If the Omicron variant shows that COVID-19 is getting more transmissible and less deadly, how is that a bad thing?
As the state grows larger and more powerful, how do we prepare for what comes next? How long should we stay in the eye of the storm?
What's in a word? Is Webster (or any dictionary) the arbiter of truth or simply a mirror held up to our society?
What happens when a jury gets it right? Does a moral/ethical verdict, alone, constitute justice being served?
How does one distinguish a "crime" from a "hate crime"? Why are we so quick to turn on our fellow citizens?
Why are we still talking about the defendant? Why aren't we talking about the people in power who have not been brought to justice?
What does it mean to be post-libertarian? Have we fully exhausted libertarianism? Have we anchored ourselves to something besides liberty?
How do we explain a massive-yet-arbitrary flip-flip? Idle hands abound; this time, though, there will be no Tom Delonge cameo.
Do private companies have to comply with the mandate? What in the world is the "Great Reset" and who will end up holding the bag?
Why is there a gap between what's being reported and what's actually happening? Is cognitive dissonance a result of bias or something worse?
The enemy of my enemy might secretly be their friend. In an already narrow political spectrum, why do both sides look eerily similar?
It's not about what you think it's about. It's not who you think it is. It's none of it. It's all of it. It's everything.
The guys break down a bit of early 2000s punk rock. From Duane Peters to drone strikes, this week's got something for everyone.
The border is not nearly as hot a topic as it was just a few years ago. Could it be because the situation has actually gotten worse?
Are we there yet? Have we won? If not, is it time to take the white pill?
It's an understatement to say there are many factions within the "Liberty Movement." Even that term is an outgrowth of contempt and resentment for the word "libertarian." Should we pool our resources and focus or split up to cover more ground?
Much like the Pfizer vaccine, it's not accurate to say that this episode is "approved." It has, however, been authorized for emergency use.
Twenty years later…We pulled out of Afghanistan! No, seriously. It took 18 months for the State to execute, but here we are.
At an individual level, there is quite a lot of chatter around the re-distribution of wealth. During lockdown, though, we are seeing it play out in real time (just not in the direction we wanted).
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a first-in-the-nation vaccine requirement for workers and customers. While aimed at driving vaccine adoption, the consequences could prove to be fatal.
Vance is NOT a fan of social contract theory. Bart believes that social contracts can exist, but stay implicit as they are ever-changing.
Vance has curated a list of commercials that may not be "propaganda" in the literal sense, but are certainly unintentional complicity. Bart, forever a fan of a portmanteau, has decided to coin the term "propagadvertising" as it is much more precise (and kind) than calling people "useful idiots."
Vance expounds on Bastiat's economic explorations while Bart makes window jokes.
Vance is a born rebel; Bart questions everything. So, it's only natural that this crew asks "against what, exactly, are we rebelling?"
Vance and Bart recap their experience at The Porcupine Freedom Festival. The key takeaway? They are bullish on Liberty (and Tom Woods).
How do we solve for big problems like slavery? Well, Vance and Bart have figured it out in 40 minutes; it's a Juneteenth miracle!
Bart proposes a conspiracy theory. Vance weighs in.
Rape culture! Slut-shaming! Trans-inclusive Feminism! These are just a few of the issues that Vance and Bart completely skip in their adventures in mansplaining.
There's something in the air. Ready or not, here we come.
Vance gives Bart some perspective around taxes that takes an unlikely turn.
Vance and Bart pay tribute to the omniscient economists and the almighty STATE as they dig into the jobs report.
Vance works with some folks that are DEFINITELY NOT RACIST.
Vance and Bart pontificate on this: Is it just a coincidence that people believe one of two publicly acceptable opinions? Does it just so happen that millions of people start talking about those beliefs the same week (or even the same day)?
Bart had a bad day (not the Fuel song from their 2000 release Something Like Human). Vance, as always, sees it through an economic lens.
Vance & Bart are ready to convert to AOC-ism. They'd like to thank Twitter for opening their eyes to the truth.
Now, more than ever, sending a clear message is of the utmost importance. Vance implores Bart (and the rest of the movement) to stop watering down the message.
What qualifies as "racist" in 2021? Is a person's race (or hate thereof) enough to explain the motivation for violent crime?
Between "fake news" and Facebook groups, misinformation abounds. But, is that propaganda? Is that nearly as dangerous as more subtle means of influence? Mentioned in this episode: AntiWar.com Enough Already by Scott Horton
What do we mean when we say "education"? How do we define such a nebulous idea? Vance and Bart explore the idea that the "education system" may just be a misnomer. Mentioned in this episode: Connor Boyack's Tuttle Twins
Gun control has been a lively debate for decades; it is a tool for defense, but can also be a weapon. So, why does the debate seem to be the same for body armor, something that is only for defense?
Vance & Bart explore cancel culture and some of its victims (Gina Carano).
In this episode, we explore the cultural phenomenon around ACAB (All Cops Are Bad).