Words & Numbers

We respond to an article that claims that “the good life” has become so expensive as to be beyond the reach of most Americans. We conclude that what is beyond the reach of at least some Americans is the ability to perform simple math. Foolishness of the Week: 05:33 Main episode: 09:16 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/other/tsa-self-screening-is-the-next-big-step-for-airport-security/ar-AA1lH2XJ  Foolishness of the Week https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/electric-vehicle-ev-guilbeault-1.7061381 Topic of the Week https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-dream-cost-3-4-million-house-college-cars-retirement/ https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More frequently, politicians are talking about a wealth tax. As with the income tax back in the early 1900s, politicians promise that the tax will only be one or two percent and will only apply to the rich. But, as with the income tax, if politicians can convince voters to allow the government to impose a tax on wealth, it will be less than a decade before that new tax hits the middle class. Foolishness of the Week: 15:15 Main episode: 19:45 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://robertreich.substack.com/p/ceo-pay-is-out-of-control https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes111011.htm https://www.reuters.com/business/ceo-pay-averaged-167-million-last-year-sp-500-companies-decline-2023-08-03/ Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sports-illustrated-publisher-fires-ceo-latest-exec-terminations-ai-sca-rcna129236/ Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new outbreak of a communicable disease in China has officials there calling for masks and social distancing. This week, we talk about what lessons we learned from the last go around and how people might respond in this country to a reprise of social distancing and masking.  Foolishness of the Week: 07:23 Main episode: 11:23 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://thehill.com/opinion/education/4288044-oregon-just-dropped-all-graduation-standards-failing-all-of-its-students-in-the-name-of-equity/ https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/one-supreme-court-case-could-mess-up-chunks-of-the-tax-code-680a9ba6 Foolishness of the Week https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1730211325383434419 https://nypost.com/2023/03/20/bidens-twitter-account-fact-checked-for-dubious-claim-about-the-taxes-billionaires-pay/ Topic of the Week https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/chinas-mystery-virus-sees-masks-31550470/ Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We recently moderated the South Carolina Libertarian Party’s Presidential debate. We had a great time and the candidates were serious people. But the contrast between our excellent experience in South Carolina and Libertarian party hijinx we’ve seen in the past spurred this conversation. Is the Libertarian Party a political party or a philosophical society? The latter’s goal is to delve deeply into important questions about the economy and polity. The former’s goal is to win elections. Foolishness of the Week: 08:37 Main episode: 14:05 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/25/black-friday-shoppers-spent-a-record-9point8-billion-in-us-online-sales-up-7point5percent-from-last-year.html Foolishness of the Week https://twitter.com/senwarren/status/1728810999355175212?s=61&t=8nzVImSVQ7S_6JhDtCXr0Q Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three former professors discuss the fraud that universities are perpetrating on students and taxpayers.. Foolishness of the Week: 11:59 Main episode: 15:20 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Topic of the Week https://www.aier.org/people/phillip-w-magness/ Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over ten years ago, we predicted that, as the Federal government approached insolvency, the Federal Reserve would start printing money to monetize the government spending, and that that would give us sustained inflation in the 5% plus range. We saw the 5% plus inflation and, as the Fed fought it, we then saw interest rates skyrocket. Trillion dollar plus deficits are the new normal, Social Security is within a decade of becoming insolvent, and that will mean even more borrowing. It appears that people are just now becoming aware of the problem. Unfortunately, it's almost too late to do anything about it. Foolishness of the Week: 07:46 Main episode: 14:20 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies https://www.marketwatch.com/story/moodys-cuts-outlook-on-u-s-credit-rating-to-negative-from-stable-4ede1b9b Foolishness of the Week https://news.yahoo.com/migrant-family-journeys-back-venezuela-202500695.html Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An elderly couple, an antiques dealer, and an African mask spark a conversation about fraud, fairness, and value. Foolishness of the Week: 11:00 Main episode: 13:14 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2023/11/02/california-regulators-put-off-a-decision-on-solar-rules-again https://www.bbc.com/news/health-67295526 Foolishness of the Week https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/11/canadian-food-prices-passing-the-depreciated-buck/ Topic of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/31/french-couple-go-to-court-for-share-of-rare-african-masks-sale-price Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Composer and musician Josh Nichols was annoyed when, on an earlier episode, James referred to “high culture,” and Ant said, “you mean the snooty stuff?” Being a classical composer and, importantly, making money at it, Josh joins us to set the record straight as to why we should all be more appreciative of “the snooty stuff.” Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Topic of the Week Josh Nichols https://www.windrep.org/Joshua_Nichols CACI https://thecaci.org/members-and-fellows/ Josh's Compositionshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLURdjiljIuudGIa3yE9vx3RjxMzdQxMJ Metropolis https://www.summitrecords.com/release/metropolis-the-piano-music-of-joshua-nichols/ Amazon Link to CD https://a.co/d/1SThFip Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fans are applauding Taylor Swift for contributing billions to the country’s GDP. Yet Taylor Swift (three-quarters of a billionaire) is doing less for the economy than what many billionaires, who we vilify, do. Why do we applaud one business person and vilify the other? Foolishness of the week: 09:33 Main episode: 14:24 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1826637/uss-gerald-r-ford-steak-lobster-dinner-israel-hamas-middle-east Foolishness of the Week https://amp.theguardian.com/cities/2023/oct/11/culdesac-car-free-neighborhood-tempe-arizona Topic of the Week https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/10/18/taylor-swifts-movie-outsold-the-next-50-top-grossing-movies-combined/?sh=6e90fc774e67 https://www.statista.com/chart/31033/key-figures-from-swifts-the-eras-tour/#:~:text=Throughout%20the%20U.S.%20leg%20of,146%20dates%20on%20five%20continents https://time.com/6307420/taylor-swift-eras-tour-money-economy/ Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than a decade ago, experts decided to change how students are taught to read. Without testing whether the new method worked or, apparently, even checking in with actual teachers, the experts forced the change. What resulted was a generation of children with reduced reading abilities. The experts have now reversed course. People make mistakes like this all the time. When the people who are making the decisions are the same people who live with the consequences of the decisions, errors get detected and fixed relatively quickly. There's nothing wrong with experts weighing in on the best way to do things. But when those experts are allowed to impose their wills on others, the people who live with the consequences are no longer the people making the decisions. What often results is decades of living with "solutions" that do more harm than good. Main episode: 06:47 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com See More Ant and James! http://www.wordsandnumbers.org Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cranial-traumas-cities-built-violence.html https://genderdata.worldbank.org/indicators/vc-ihr-psrc-p5 Topic of the Week https://nypost.com/2023/09/21/repairing-the-damage-columbias-teachers-college-did-to-american-kids-will-take-years/ Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig More Ant on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/antonydavies Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices