The John Stossel Interviews

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.

Media and politicians constantly warn about the dangers of firearms. They say too many people have guns. But Black Guns Matters founder Maj Toure says there should be more guns! “Everybody should be walking around and like, oh man, I left my gun in the house. Let me go back and get it,” says Toure. “Everybody?” I ask. “Everybody.” He says that would make America freer and safer, especially in black communities, which he says, have been disproportionately hurt by gun control laws. “All gun control is racist,” says Toure. “It was literally started to stop black people from having the means to defend themselves.” That’s why he started his group, Black Guns Matter. He wants to empower his community through firearms education and training. In our full interview, Toure explains more about his organization, why gun control is racist, and how self-defense is essential for freedom.

I usually don't like to interview politicians but Senator Rand Paul is different. He actually has interesting and important things to say. In this podcast, we discuss his book,The Case Against Socialism. We cover socialism's failure in Venezuela, the myth of "Scandinavian socialism," and more.

Parents are more scared than ever. The media warn of “Stranger Danger.” Lenore Skenazy says this is foolish. Parents should let their kids be MORE independent. She calls it “Free Range” parenting. She says kids are healthier when given unsupervised freedom. Parents are happier too. But what about the kidnappings? Skenazy points out those are extremely rare. It’s MUCH safer for kids to walk outside than ride in a car, yet parents rarely worry about driving. Today in America, some parents have even be arrested for letting their kids walk outside alone. We asked her about that and much more, in our full interview.

Tim Pool is a very successful journalist. He has millions of subscribers on multiple channels. But Pool never went to journalism school. In fact, he didn’t even finish high school. Unlike most reporters, Pool became respected just by doing it--going to the news, and covering things the mainstream media often miss. He’s reported from global hotspots, gone into the middle of riots, and exposed media bias. In 2019, I did a short video on citizen journalists like Pool. But the story of his career deserves more time. So here's our full conversation.

Trump recently picked Tulsi Gabbard to be his Director of National Intelligence. What are her views? Well 5 years ago—when Gabbard was still a Democrat—I interviewed her. She was running for President at the time and was clearly different from her competition. For one, unlike most Democrats, she agreed to talk with me. So here’s our full conversation.