The Tom Woods Show

Patreon is a platform that a lot of content creators use to raise money from appreciative fans who want to support them. But Patreon has joined the purge bandwagon, too. What alternative do people have? It turns out that cryptocurrency, and a brand new platform, are major pieces of that puzzle. Naomi Brockwell joins me to discuss. Show notes for Ep. 1305

Stephan Kinsella, the libertarian theorist and author of "Against Intellectual Property", asked me the other day about my college admission experience. He and I each have a child in the tenth grade, so the topic of college comes up in our households. I didn't think I had much interesting to say about it, but we decided he would in effect host this episode and ask me questions. The resulting conversation turned out to be great! Show notes for Ep. 1304

Jason Manning, a professor of sociology at West Virginia University, has accomplished a feat I could never have matched: he's co-authored a scholarly and dispassionate overview of what he calls "victimhood culture," particularly as manifested on college campuses. He traces the origins of the phenomenon and the hysteria, exaggeration, one-sidedness, and intolerance that accompanies it. And he takes the discipline of sociology itself -- at least as studied and promoted today -- for cheerleading for a point of view rather than offering dispassionate analysis. Show notes for ep. 1303

The social media purge continues: Sargon of Akkad was just removed from Patreon despite not being an extremist by any definition. Today Michael Malice and I discuss the ongoing case of Gavin McInnes, who was just banned from YouTube after having been removed from other platforms. (His Proud Boys, critics claimed, was an extremist group.) Show notes for Ep. 1302

Feminist author Meghan Murphy, who had a large following on Twitter, was recently removed from that platform because of what appear to be fairly innocuous Tweets related to transgenderism, and even lost a book contract as well. The incident highlighted divisions among feminists regarding transgender issues. Show notes for Ep. 1301

In this episode I talk a bit about Trump, then about the cause of the boom-bust cycle, then entrepreneurship, and then public speaking. Quite a potpourri -- and a darn good one, if I may say so. This episode is drawn from my recent appearance on the Justin Mohr Show. Show notes for Ep. 1300

David Stockman, who served as director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan, shares reflections and anecdotes about the late George H.W. Bush. We then discuss how the Fed, rather than trade deals, has been harming America. (And also: why I won our gentlemen's bet....) Show notes for Ep. 1299

With the passing of former president George H.W. Bush, we've heard much talk of his having been an underrated president. Daniel McCarthy joins me to offer his assessment. Show notes for Ep. 1298

Allen Mendenhall holds a Ph.D. in English from Auburn University as well as two law degrees (from Temple and West Virginia). He is an associate dean at Faulkner University's Thomas Goode Jones School of Law and executive director of the Blackstone & Burke Center for Law & Liberty. Show notes for Ep. 1297

Leah Farrow and Josh Griffin, co-hosts of the No Regerts podcast, join me to discuss the history of tattoos and the state, regulation and self-regulation, and a lot more. Show notes for Ep. 1296

This week David Stockman, director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan, made some comments about the problems with what he called Donald Trump's "statism," and with Federal Reserve policy. He was immediately barraged with criticism from Trump supporters who thought he was a "liberal" (as if liberals are concerned about statism or Fed policy). In this episode I discuss what it all means, particularly in light of what Scott Adams told us two episodes ago. Show notes for Ep. 1295

Jordan Page, musician of the Ron Paul Revolution, just released "The Ballad of Lavoy Finicum," about a man who was shot and killed by Oregon state troopers in 2016 (Jordan tells the story). We also take a few moments to discuss Jordan's appearance at the #WalkAway march in Washington. Show notes for Ep. 1294

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, joins me to discuss the Trump phenomenon and what people missed about it (and therefore why they didn't see his victory coming), plus democracy, persuasion, debating, Hillary Clinton, and plenty more. Show notes for Ep. 1293

James Tooley has both chronicled and contributed to the extraordinary phenomenon, unknown to almost everyone, of low-cost private schools in the developing world. He's now bringing this model to England itself, his home country, and he's already got people talking. Of course, the usual suspects are trying to throw obstacles in his way, because his low-cost model is obviously an embarrassment to them. A truly wonderful discussion. Show notes for Ep. 1292

Scott Horton and I discuss World War I and its hideous legacy. Also: why the Progressives favored intervention, what the Social Gospel clergy had to say, where Hitler came from, and a lot more. This episode is drawn from my recent appearance on on the Scott Horton Show. Show notes for Ep. 1291

A 9-year-old boy wrote me a letter not long ago, part of which asked me about politics, because he describes himself as "very interested in running for president someday." Jeff Deist and I discussed the kind of things children that age might want to think about when it comes to politics, without turning them into 9-year-old cynics. Show notes for Ep. 1290

In this episode my colleague Bob Murphy interviews me about everything from public speaking (and my tips) to my resentments (and how I overcame them), our religious differences, my major contribution to the historical profession (not a joke!), and a lot more. One of my all-time favorite episodes. This episode is drawn from my appearance on the very first episode of the Bob Murphy Show. Show notes for Ep. 1289

In recent years researchers have discovered therapeutic uses for psilocybin mushrooms where the results have been extraordinary. Kevin Matthews of Decriminalize Denver joins me to discuss these findings, current law, and what the law should be. Show notes for Ep. 1288

Mance Rayder's second book is like a bazooka aimed at the leftism that is de rigueur in academia, entertainment, and culture. Using well-chosen memes, Mance demonstrates the double standards and inconsistency that characterize so many leftist arguments, and makes the case for the free society -- the missing option in our political discussion.   (Also in this episode, Mance finally drops the pseudonym and reveals his real name.) Show notes for Ep. 1287

You know you've really mastered a topic if you can explain it to a complete beginner and be understood. You've truly mastered it if you can convey the basic idea even to a child. And that's precisely what the Tuttle Twins book series accomplishes. The most recent volume in the series takes Murray Rothbard's classic essay "The Anatomy of the State" and presents its basic ideas to a young audience. Show notes for Ep. 1286