The Tom Woods Show

Libertarian podcaster and successful entrepreneur Jason Stapleton joins me for a discussion not just of entrepreneurship, but of how it is that some people manage to build followings of rabid, unfailingly loyal fans. What are they doing right? What do they know that others don't? The market economy rewards people who produce great products, but remember: sometimes you are the product. They want to buy from and interact with you. How do the masters create that kind of following? Sponsor: Policy Genius Show notes for Ep. 1523

The parental custodianship case of James Younger -- the 7-year-old boy whose mother wants to "transition" into a girl named Luna -- generated much heat, particularly last week. Some people tried to claim that there was really nothing to the case, that it was all overblown, that the boy is too young for medical procedures anyway, and the whole thing was probably hysteria fueled by "transphobia." Madeleine Jacob, a reporter who observed the entire proceeding, joins me to set the record straight. Show notes for Ep. 1522

It's fashionable to like Karl Marx again, so it's worth remembering that economists dismissed him from the beginning. The Marginal Revolution of the early 1870s upended the foundations of Marxism, and Marx himself never seems to have recognized what happened. Phil Magness, editor of a new volume of Marx's writings, joins me to discuss this. Sponsor: Kettlebell Kitchen Show notes for Ep. 1521

Joshua Smith, At-Large Member of the Libertarian National Committee, is seeking to become the party's chairman. We discuss his background, lessons learned from 2018, whether the party is on the right track (it did get a bunch of votes in 2016, after all), and more. Show notes for Ep. 1520

Peter Schiff interviews me on economic history, Keynesianism, and state nullification. Show notes for Ep. 1519

The official line of the regime and its media accomplices is that presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is a "Russian asset." Isn't it funny how all the Respectable People suddenly and in unison all have the same opinions about everything, down to the lingo and the talking points? I discuss this creepy phenomenon. (And yes, I know, Tulsi is not a libertarian.) Show notes for Ep. 1518

Madison biographer Kevin Gutzman joins me for a discussion of the Madison nobody knows. Show notes for Ep. 1517

Sheldon Richman, author of the new book Coming to Palestine, joins me to discuss the rights and wrongs of Israel and the Palestinians. Show notes for Ep. 1516

Twelve Democrats debated in Ohio last night, and as usual Lew Rockwell and I watched so you didn't have to. We cover the lowlights as well as who's up, who's down, and more. Sponsor: Skillshare Show notes for Ep. 1515

In this highly unusual but weirdly compelling episode in the wake of World Mental Health Day, Michael and I discuss how we've dealt with difficult personal struggles. Show notes for Ep. 1514

User-friendly cryptography has dramatically altered the world by enabling secure communication and commerce via the Internet. But this is only the beginning: by applying cryptography to the control and ownership of digital assets we can return power to the individual and finally build a world where individual sovereignty is feasible. The biggest challenge that remains is to hide the technical complexities from the average user -- and Jameson Lopp joins me today to discuss exactly how that's being done. Sponsor: Honey Show notes for Ep. 1513

Lindsey Graham and Bill Weld have been accusing Donald Trump (and Barack Obama) of "isolationism." This is such a deranged thing to say that I had to make an episode about it. Show notes for Ep. 1512

Kevin Gutzman joins me for some historical/constitutional background on impeachment, how strong the case against Trump is, and what is likely to come of Trump's refusal to cooperate. Sponsor: Blinkist Show notes for Ep. 1511

The hysteria reached a fever pitch with Trump's recent announcement about American withdrawal from northern Syria. Scott Horton joins me to explain the real situation, and how a satisfactory arrangement might have been reached had the U.S. government not prevented it. Show notes for Ep. 1510

Gerard Casey joins me to discuss free speech, why we should be absolutists on it, the perils of "hate crime" laws, and much more. Sponsor: Harry's Show notes for Ep. 1509

In this episode I talk a bit about episodes in my own evolution, including the big turning point that red pilled me, how I went from vice president of the Harvard Republicans to (eventually) a libertarian, my first battle with the neocons, and the people the Libertarian Party should appeal to but won't. This episode is taken from my recent appearance on the Death to Tyrants podcast. Show notes for Ep. 1508

We conclude Dave Smith Week with questions drawn from the Tom Woods Show Elite, which you can join at SupportingListeners.com. How has he navigated a comedy world and a city that are unsympathetic to his views, to say the least? What libertarian positions does he find most challenging to defend? What is the movement's most effective potential strategy? And a lot more. Show notes for Ep. 1507

The new rule, evidently, is that if you joke about anything our overlords have told us is Not Funny, or if you are found to have said something naughty on Twitter ten years ago, you are to be destroyed and all ties with you are to be cut. Natch, if you're just a warmonger, nothing happens to you at all. Dave Smith joins me to sort this all out. Sponsor: Skillshare Show notes for Ep. 1506

Here Dave takes us into the weeds of comedy itself. How to write a joke (more or less), who's on Dave's Mount Rushmore of comedy, who his influences are, and a lot more. Also whether there's a line, in terms of subject matter, that Dave just won't cross when it comes to comedy. Possibly my favorite episode of the week. Sponsor: Away Show notes for Ep. 1505

The second episode of Dave Smith Week covers the libertarian movement itself, with Dave's recent Soho Forum debate against Libertarian National Committee chairman Nick Sarwark the springboard for discussion of larger issues. Sponsor: Simple Habit Show notes for Ep. 1504