The John Stossel Interviews

“You can’t put a price on life!” say politicians, pretending to be compassionate, spending other people’s money.But Kenneth Feinberg, Special Master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, says you CAN put a price on life. He's distributed funds to the victims of 9/11, the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Boston Marathon, the Deepwater Horizon spill, the Virginia Tech shooting, the Aurora movie theater shooting, and now the LA wildfires.In this podcast he explains how he does it, why it's important, but also why (despite the success of the 9/11 fund) paying out money to victims should not be something that government does.

"If your kids went through puberty on a smartphone with social media, they came out different than human beings before” says Jonathan Haidt, author of the bestseller “The Anxious Generation.”He argues that childhood is now phone-based instead of play-based, resulting in anxious and depressed kids. "They know that life would be better if they didn't spend five or six hours a day on social media. They know that, but they can't help it” says Haidt. But not all researcher agree. I challenge Haidt with the criticism. In our podcast, Haidt responds, and lays out his best advice to protect kids from smartphones.

Young people today hate capitalism. They often say socialism would be better.It's absurd. Why would they argue that?Because much of what they're told about socialism and capitalism is just nonsense.So in this podcast, we'll debunk 5 of the biggest myths about socialism, and even more myths about capitalism.

James Lindsay once exposed the woke left’s insanity with a hoax. Now he’s exposed part of the right for bashing liberty and even embracing Marxist ideas.To prove it, he sent a conservative magazine a revised version of "The Communist Manifesto." They published it! He calls them the “woke right" because they "behave like the tyrants of the woke left." In this podcast, Lindsay explains why they’re a problem. We also discuss why capitalism is hated, and how normal people fall for dangerous ideas.

Activist Robby Starbuck got companies like Target, Walmart, and Toyota to drop their woke DEI policies. It sounds hard to believe one man could do that, but he did. From DEI trainings to mandatory "ally" pledges, Starbuck posts videos about absurd woke things that big companies do behind closed doors to please activists. In this podcast, he explains how this fight against corporate America worked, how DEI hurts America, and what made him finally speak up. I also push back on his movie, "The War on Children."

Charles Ryu escaped from North Korea not once, but twice!He experienced starvation, torture, and years of propaganda. North Koreans, even those who escape, fear talking about socialist tyranny because the regime might kill their families. “Not just you, but your entire three generations will be wiped out,” explains Ryu. He is only willing to talk because he has no immediate family left in the country. Now he educates Americans about the horrors of the country on his YouTube channel.In this podcast, he tells me more about the North Korean regime, his incredible escape, and the importance of freedom.

People who run businesses are often smeared. But they shouldn't be.“Making our lives better is what entrepreneurs do. We take it all for granted,” says Yaron Brook, Chair of the Ayn Rand Institute.In this hour-long conversation, Brook defends the marketplace and the self-interest that drives it.He also carves out the path of self-interest through mountains of big issues: war, poverty, immigration, drugs and children--even how self-interest is important for your love life.

Professor John McWhorter, author of "Woke Racism," argues that condescending leftist ideology hurts black people.We spoke a few years ago when few others were pushing back on those ideas. But I learned a lot from my half-hour interview with him, so here's our full discussion.For one, the Columbia linguist points out "Woke Racism" hurts black people in many ways: from treating them as incapable of logic, to calling for abolition of tests, to insisting that violent kids stay in schools.He says that all these ideas are propped by a religion-like ideology that "requires that you sequester your brain for illogical thinking."

Michael Malice, an insightful author and political commentator known for his works on North Korea and anarchy, dives into the impact of totalitarianism on media and society. He argues for a more anarchist approach to governance, suggesting that essentials like education and security may thrive outside government control. The conversation critiques the influence of elite institutions on democracy and highlights the resilience required to navigate today's political landscape amidst misinformation. Malice's blend of humor and critical thought keeps the discussion both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Here's my full interview with NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden--it’s the longest interview I've ever posted.I once was unsure if Edward Snowden--who leaked documents showing that the NSA spied on Americans--was a hero, or a traitor who made us all less safe.Now I've done my research, and I think he's a hero. What do you think? Our full interview, above, will help you decide.