Ep. 116 Libertarian NYC Doctor Explains the Physiology of the Coronavirus
Levi Machado is a Brazilian pathologist who trained and now works in the NYC hospital network. As a fan of libertarian writers, Levi recognizes the problems with coercive “solutions” to a pandemic. However, Levi explains in the discussion what COVID-19 actually can do to the body, and why it’s not really comparable to the flu. The…
Ep. 114 Dave Smith Interviews Bob Murphy on Stimulus and Dropping the Hammer
The hilarious stand-up comic and Rothbardian Dave Smith invites Bob onto his show, “Part of the Problem,” to talk about the government’s response to the coronavirus. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Dave Smith’s YouTube version of this interview. A great summary of the academic literature on whether face masks prevent the…
Ep. 115 Understanding the Coronavirus Alarm and Practical Steps to Weather the Storm
Bob urges skeptics not to dismiss the panic over the coronavirus as merely due to anti-Trump fear-mongering. Although government coercion is not justified, the underlying health crisis is very real. Bob also explains the economics of the toilet paper shortage, and gives practical tips he is using to try to keep his own household safe.…
Ep. 113 Oren Cass and the Conservative Critique of Pure Laissez-Faire
Oren Cass is the executive director of American Compass, a conservative think tank that stresses the importance of family and domestic industry, in opposition to a singleminded devotion to economic efficiency. Cass was previously a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and was the domestic policy director for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. Bob…
Ep. 112 Commentary on the Politics and Economics of the Coronavirus Response
Bob comments on various aspects of the response to the coronavirus. Although many libertarians are accusing the authorities of exaggerating the threat, it would also be a “libertarian take” to accuse them of downplaying the threat early on, misleading the public on how to stay safe. Bob also tries to clarify thinking about the Fed’s…