Rethinking Politics

97: The Federal Budget & Social Security

In this episode Brad and Dan discuss the current federal budget and the deficit. We focus on why the budget and deficit grow every year and why no reasonable solutions have been successful. One key part of this is the infamous Social security dilemma as well as all the mandatory spending in the entitlement programs.

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

96: January 6th Hearings

For several weeks the United States House Select Committee has been holding public hearings as part of an ongoing investigation into the events of January 6th 2021. In this episode we discuss what these hearings have been about, why they are being held, and how effective they have been so far. We also discuss a couple of news items involving Elon Musk and Hunter Biden. 

 

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: Kurt Kaiser on Wikimedia 

Resources:
WSJ Article
Less Good But Free CNN Article

95: Austrian Economics Part 3

In episode 92 we discussed the rise of the new theory of greedflation and the need for a new economic theory. In the next episode, we examined human action, value scales, and how they applied to free exchange in the economy. In this final part of the trilogy, we discuss production and capital within the context of time preference and how these principles apply when looking at the economy today. 

 

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: carlos aranda on Unsplash

94: The Supreme Court’s Rulings

We promised to finish our discussion of Austrian economics, but first we have to address the rulings of the Supreme Court from this Summer term and consider their ramifications. We discuss the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the striking down of New York gun laws, changes to prayer in school, and a change in criminal appeals. Then we talk about the future and what it may look like under this supreme court.

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

 

Links to discussed primary cases:

Shinn v. Ramirez

Kennedy v. Bremerton School District

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

93: Rothbard & Austrian Economics

We promised a full episode discussing some of the principles and precepts of Austrian Economics. This week we delivered. You're welcome. Austrian economics lays a foundation for understanding the current economy including inflation and the market crash. We start with the basics of human action and go through the logic of free exchange. We also learn all kinds of interesting things like Brad's hierarchy of candy bars, marginal utility, and how to maximize your Halloween candy.

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash

92: Greedflation

In the beginning of 2022 we were told that inflation would be temporary, but it stuck around. Then the Fed jumped in and raised interest rates in order to lower inflation, and that didn't work either. So as pundits and economists struggle to explain, a new theory is being proposed to explain our current situation: greedflation. In this episode we dissect an article about this term and offer our take on the current inadequacy of mainstream economic models to explain the current situation. 

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: fikry anshor on Unsplash

References: Greedflation Article

91: The Uvalde School Shooting

In this episode we discuss the recent horrific school shooting that took place in Uvalde, Texas. In particular we try to answer two questions: 1. Why did this happen? 2. How do we stop it from happening again? We discuss the pros and cons of several possible solutions including gun control, school security, and mental health support. 

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: The Guardian

90: Twitter Exposed & Political Markets

In this episode, Dan discusses the shifting tide of politics in business alone while Brad welcomes his second child. For a few years now, the politics of Ibram X Kendi and others have dominated the business world. Boardrooms have become increasingly "woke" as they capitulate to noisy employees and Twitter users. That tide is changing. We can see it in the success of the Daily Wire at selling razors, the cultural stance of Netflix, and even in the future of CNN. But nowhere is this more clear than in the battle between Elon Musk and Twitter employee culture.

 

References

Twitter
Twitter Senior Engineer
Twitter Lead Client Partner

Netflix
https://jobs.netflix.com/culture

CNN
https://nypost.com/2022/02/26/late-shows-chris-licht-to-replace-zucker-as-cnn-president/
https://nypost.com/2022/04/15/david-zaslav-wants-to-set-cnn-apart-from-advocacy-networks/


Credits
Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash

89: Are Things Just Really Bad Right Now?

In this episode we look at frightening trends and problems in the US. While there are always problems in the world, some of these problems group together in frightening ways. Baby formula shortages, the stock market tanking, inflation still going up, crime rates going up, and much more. 

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

88: The Overturning of Roe V. Wade

Earlier this week there was a leaked opinion that indicated that the Supreme Court is going to overturn the landmark abortion case Roe V. Wade. We take a look at what this decision would actually do if it remains unchanged. We also look at how people have responded to this news, and how it is already being weaponized in the ongoing war of party politics. We also discuss how this leak is a manifestation of the increasing degradation of institutions in favor of ideology.

If you want an in depth discussion of our views on abortion itself, go check out our podcast Episode 58.

ABC Article suggesting polling beats history of law
New York Post Polls by Andrew Feinburg

Music: Beauty Flow by Kevin Macleod
Photo: Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash