Jonathan Blanks returns to our show to discuss how different versions of liberty were promoted by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement. Malcolm X was very weary of trusting authority, which is seen as a favorable trait by libertarians. The discussion then shifts to whether or not racism has improved since the Civil Rights Movement and how that affects how we view law enforcement.How is Malcolm X portrayed to the American public? Is the American government hypocritical? Was Malcolm X a libertarian? What type of liberty did Malcolm X promote? What qualifies as police harassment? Why do police have a higher presence where more crimes are committed? Do people generally trust the police? Have we made any progress when it comes to racism?Further Reading:The Autobiography of Malcolm X, written by Malcom XLawsuit: Car Passenger Tased 11 Times, Criminally Charged Asking Officer “Why”, written by Jonathan BlanksAbuse of Force: Body Camera Shows Man Tased 11 Times by Glendale Officers, written by Dave BiscobingFIRST STEP Passes Senate, written by Jonathan BlanksRelated Content:Black History and Liberty, written by Jonathan BlanksLooking Back to Look Forward: Blacks, Liberty, and the State, written by Jonathan BlanksWhy Aren’t There More Black Libertarians?, Free Thoughts Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Carney joins us to discuss the premise of his book; how the decline of the American dream it is not purely the result of economics as the left claims, but the collapse of the institutions that made us successful, including (but not limited to): marriage, church, and civic life. While the well-educated and wealthy elites still enjoy strong communities, most blue-collar Americans lack strong communities and institutions that bind them to their neighbors.Why is Donald Trump’s innaguration speech labelled “America’s carnage” speech? How has the collapse of local communities affected the American people? What is economic mobility? Why has the decline of the Church occurred? What is the main institution of civil society? What adds to increased involvement in the community?Further Reading:Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse, written by Tim CarneyCan Trump Fix ‘Alienated America’?, written by Alexandra DesanctisHow Will Alienated America Save For Retirement?, written by Elizabeth BauerRelated Content:Libertarianism & Christianity, Free Thoughts PodcastPolitics and Community, Free Thoughts Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Revisiting the root of our ideas in freedom and liberty, Eric Mack argues that everyone has a claim to liberty because it represents the possibility to live a valuable life. With that being said, people believe in varying degrees of liberty, even libertarians. Mack believes that libertarians encompass a wide spectrum of thought ranging from classical liberal to anarchists. What is libertarianism? What are the fundamental principles of justice? What is a political good? Are anarchists libertarians? Are classical liberals libertarians? Are all libertarians against coercion? Who is Herbert Spencer?Further Reading:Libertarianism (Key Concepts in Political Theory), written by Eric MackThe Libertarian Mind, written by David Boaz10 Books Every Libertarian Should Read, written by Madsen PirieRelated Content:A Natural Rights Case for Libertarianism, written by Eric MackArguments for Liberty, edited by Aaron Ross Powell & Grant BabcockWhat is Libertarianism?, Free Thoughts Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lenore Skenazy let her son ride the metro by himself at the age of nine after studying the map with him in order to prepare. Unbeknownst to her, this caused great unrest and scrutiny from a variety of parenting groups, so much so that she decided to write a book and start a project on letting your kid grow to be self-reliant.Should children ride the NYC subway by themselves? When did children stop having unsupervised and unstructured time? What did ‘strange danger’ do to change the way we parent? What are the consequences of over-parenting?Further Reading:Let Grow Website, founded by Jonathan Haidt, Peter Gray, Lenore Skenazy, and Daniel SchuchmanThe Fragile Generation, written by Lenore Skenazy and Jonathan HaidtFree-Range Kids, How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry), written by Lenore SkenazyJonathan Haidt Lets His 9-Year-Old Daughter Walk to School Alone for the First TimeLet Grow projectRelated Content:The Coddling of the American Mind, Free Thoughts PodcastConformist Students Fear Disagreement, written by Natalie Dowzicky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes are legal activities, but politicians use the law in order to discourage people from doing these things that may seen as poor for your health. This is inconsistent with John Stuart Mill’s famous principle that people should be free in the sense that they should be able to do whatever they like as long as they are not harming others.What is paternalism? Should we take care of those who do not know any better for themselves? Are there different types of paternalism? What is considered coercion? Should the government enforce vaccinations for the purpose of collective action? Should the government worry about public health?Further Reading:Killjoys: A Critique of Paternalism, written by Christopher SnowdenNudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, written by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. SunsteinRelated Content:“Libertarian” Paternalism?, Free Thoughts PodcastPaternalism and Barbarism, written by Aaron Ross PowellAgainst Paternalism, written by Neera K. Badhwar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Candice Delma’s book A Duty to Resist she highlights a theory of resisting injustice as a duty in of itself. This specific duty could require breaking the law. She also defends uncivil disobedience and where it is limited in feasibility. Throughout this episode she makes us question how far we should go in order to fight an injustice. Delmas argues that the duty of justice, the principle of fairness, the Samaritan duty, and political association impose responsibility to resist under conditions of injustice.What is civil disobedience? How did John Rawls shape our understanding of civil disobedience? What is a just society? What are the principles of justice? Should disobedience always be civil?Further Reading:A Duty to Resist, written by Candice DelmasSamaritanism and Civil Disobedience, written by Candice DelmasRelated Content:Resisting the State Injustice, Free Thoughts PodcastDo We Have a Duty to Obey the Government?, Free Thoughts PodcastWhat’s Fairness Got to Do With Obeying the Law?, written by Aaron Ross Powell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the American “foodie” culture grows, it will clash more and more with previously established USDA and FDA rules and regulations since they typically promote uniformity. The USDA has taken it upon themselves to enforce standards of identity laws which allows them to basically enforce cosmetic standards. These laws encourage farmers to produce foods that are uniform and look gorgeous, but neither of these measurements have anything to do with the quality or taste of the product. Throughout history the FDA has certainly made the food we eat safer, especially now that it can perform a mandatory recall of any food that they know contains an illness, but that was not always the case.How does the USDA affect the way that we produce food in the U.S.? Should USDA laws and regulations be imposed subjectively by inspectors? Can you challenge USDA regulations? What is the Food Safety Modernization Act? Does regulating how we produce food actually make food safer to consume? Should the FDA have a preemptive or reactive approach when it comes to food? Should farmers receive subsidies?Further Reading:Biting the Hands that Feed Us: How Fewer, Smarter Laws Would Make Our Food System More Sustainable, written by Baylen J. LinnekinThe State of Food Freedom Around the Globe, written by Baylen LinnekinDeregulation of Local Foods Is a Winning Idea That’s Spreading, written by BaylenRelated Content:How Food Regulations Make Us Less Healthy, featuring Daniel J. D’AmicoRegulations Gone Wrong, Free Thoughts Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As more states aim to legalize marijuana, whether it be for recreation or medicinal purposes, there is an on-going talk debate about if public policy should determine what pleasures are okay to indulge in and which ones are not. Jeff Miron joins us today to discuss drug prohibition actually hurts the naive drug user the most. Are drugs an economic good? What is the economic logic of prohibition? How much does drug prohibition cost? Did alcohol use go down during prohibition? Are drug companies trying to make their products more addictive in order to drive revenue?Further Reading:The Budgetary Effects of Ending Drug Prohibition, written by Jeffrey MironData Confirm That Marijuana Decriminalization is Long Overdue, written by Jeffrey Miron and Sietse GoffardRelated Content:Is the DEA Trippin’?, with Rick Doblin, Free Thoughts PodcastHow Drug Prohibition Caused the Opioid Crisis, Free Thoughts PodcastThe Case for Legalizing Hard Drugs, written by Jarrett Wollstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Van Doren argues that consumers correctly consider fuel costs when making vehicle-buying decisions. However, CAFE standards cannot be justified as correcting some sort of consumer failure to appreciate fuel savings. The idea that CAFE reduces carbon emissions is slightly more reasonable, but it is a very indirect, inefficient and regressive method. For these reasons, it is difficult to not side with Trumps’ negative view of CAFE.What is CAFE? How does regulation affect markets? How did Richard Nixon use price controls? Is Trump the great deregulator?Further Reading:Regulation without Results, written by Peter Van DorenCAFE Standards, written by Peter Van DorenRelated Content:Regulations Gone Wrong, Free Thoughts PodcastThe Implications of Behavioral Economics, Free Thoughts PodcastWhat Role Should Science Play in Public Policy?, Free Thoughts Podcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prior to the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve had a long-standing policy of maintaining a minimal footprint on the credit system. According to Selgin, the Fed use to be a “lean and mean” player in the credit system. However, on the eve of the 2008 financial crisis they made some changes to decades’ old policies that they believed would aid the financial instability of the country at the time. In retrospect, we can now deeply analyze where the Federal Reserve misstepped. What is the Federal Reserve? What are mandatory reserves? What is the chevron deference? What did emergency lending have to do with the 2008 financial crisis? Is the Fed more constrained than private banks?Further Reading:Floored!: How a Misguided Fed Experiment Deepened and Prolonged the Great Recession, written by George SelginAnniversary of a Fed Blunder, written by George SelginInterest on Excess Reserves: The Hobie Cat Effect, written by George SelginThe Fed’s Recent Defense of Interest on Reserves, written by George SelginRelated Content:How the Federal Reserve Works, Free Thoughts PodcastThe Gold Standard Won’t Be Coming Back, Free Thoughts Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.