Bob Murphy Show

Bob explains the Rothbardian approach to defining the State, and then applies it to the recent example of a gas station hiring private security.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:Rothbard's book, The Anatomy of the State. (Bob read from the first chapter during the episode.)A news story covering the Philly gas stations employing private, heavily armed security.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

Bob responds to critics who had defended Kanye West's anti-Semitic remarks, on both a theological and secular level. He then explains a recent study arguing that there is little racial discrimination in US mortgage lending.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The Economist article.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

Bob first explains the synthetic control method and then critiques a newly published paper by Magness and Makovi employing the technique. M&M argue that were it not for the 1917 Russian revolution, Marx would today be a minor figure. Bob sharply disagrees.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The Magness & Makovi paper on Marx.RECEIPTS for Bob's claims.Their AIER summary post.Bob's paper with Phil on Piketty.John Ganz critique, 1 and 2. Phil's response to Ganz.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

Bob takes on Kanye West's recent comments about "Jews in the media" by showing the inner contradictions. rather than simply declaring "antisemitism" and condemning. He ends with a critique of Christians who harbor an anti-Jewish worldview.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:Kanye on the Lex Fridman podcast.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

The 2022 recipients of the Nobel (Memorial) Prize in Economics were Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond, and Philip Dybvig, for their work on understanding the role of banks in financial crises. Bob explains what they did and then comments critically, giving the superior Austrian take.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:Bob's discussion of the Nobel with Jeff Deist on the Human Action podcast.The YouTube compilation "Bernanke was wrong."Selgin on Diamond-Dybvig (part 1 and part 2). McCulloch and Yu's critique of Diamond-Dybvig.The Olin School of Business interview with Dybvig.Bob's article "More Than Quibbles..." on fractional reserve banking.Block and Barnett on the broader issue of maturity mismatch.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

Mary Theroux is Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Independent Institute. She was married to the late David Theroux. In this episode, she gives the background on how she and David met, and the early years of the Independent Institute. Along the way she touches on many topics including the CS Lewis Society, the war fever on America's right wing, and the problem of homelessness.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this interview.A nice tribute to David Theroux from Alex Tabarrok. Tabarrok on bounty hunters.David's article on C.S. Lewis.Independent Institute's documentary on homelessness. Their series Love Gov.Bob's article on Nordhaus' carbon tax in The Independent Review, and his book Choice (published by Independent).Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

Bob analyzes the various fallacies involved in the Biden Administration's recent warnings to oil refineries to increase their level of domestic inventories.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The Bloomberg article on the Biden Admin's warnings to refiners.Bob's EconLib article on oil speculators.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

Randy Sadac and Adam Haman of the LP Nevada interview Bob on their Battle Born podcast. Bob makes the case for Texan independence and deals with common objections.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this interview.The Battle Born podcast.Bob's pamphlet COMMON SENSE: The Case for an Independent Texas.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

Jacob Hornberger, founder of the Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF), makes the forceful case that libertarians shouldn't support "school choice" in the form of government vouchers for private schools. Bob plays devil's advocate and raises several points that libertarian proponents of vouchers make.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube video of this interview.Hornberger's article arguing school vouchers are anti-libertarian.Milton Friedman's talk "Say 'No' to Intolerance."Sheldon Richman's book, Separating School and State.Bob Murphy Show ep. 105 with Corey DeAngelis (who is for school vouchers).Madeleine Albright says killings hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children through sanctions was worth it.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.

Prompted by his advice to a young student entering a debate competition, Bob describes the way he would explain a Rothbardian free-market society to a skeptical conservative American Christian.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:Bob's essays on private law and military defense in his pamphlet Chaos Theory.Bob's journal article on private military defense.Walter Block's book on private roads.Rothbard's essay on how not to desocialize.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media.