Words & Numbers

James and I were invited to kick off UNC Wilmington’s annual Business Week with a live recording of Words & Numbers. The talk was loosely based on our book, Cooperation & Coercion. If you’ve read the book, you’ll still find fresh material in these episodes. The first part of this two-part episode is the presentation. The second part is the audience Q&A. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences. Topic of the Week https://www.wilmingtonbiz.com/insights/robert__burrus/csb_business_week_2022_-_connecting_uncws_cameron_school_of_business_to_its_powerful_network/3365 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most of what the public knows about economics is really macroeconomics - the field of economics that deals with interest rates, inflation, unemployment, and GDP. Economics is really about human behavior, and there’s a lot more to it than simply macroeconomics. Economist Matt Ryan joins us this week to talk about his work in applying economics to interesting topics from sports betting to police making traffic stops. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences. Topic of the Week https://www.duq.edu/academics/faculty/matt-ryan Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Congressional Budget Office is the government entity that produces forecasts about the effects of new taxes and spending on the economy and the federal budget. Four years ago, we did an episode in which we showed that the CBO had a track record of under-estimating future spending and over-estimating future tax revenues. With four years behind us, we revisit the topic and ask whether the CBO has gotten any better and what it’s now forecasting for the future. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences. Topic of the Week Historical CBO forecasts https://www.cbo.gov/about/products/budget-economic-data#3 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are some things that people have an emotional reaction to buying and selling: sex, body parts, votes. There are other things whose quality people aren’t able to judge. Is it possible that markets shouldn’t or can’t handle these things? Philosopher James Stacey Taylor joins us to discuss his latest book, Markets With Limits. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences. Topic of the Week Markets With Limits by James Stacey Taylor https://www.amazon.com/Markets-Limits-Merits-Market-Critical-Arguments/dp/1032171480/ref=sr_1_1 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are some things that people have an emotional reaction to buying and selling: sex, body parts, votes. There are other things whose quality people aren’t able to judge. Is it possible that markets shouldn’t or can’t handle these things? Philosopher James Stacey Taylor joins us to discuss his latest book, Markets With Limits. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits and Foolishness of the Week Quick hits and the foolishness of the week have gone on vacation for a few weeks. In their places, we’ll be talking about unintended consequences. Topic of the Week Markets With Limits by James Stacey Taylor https://www.amazon.com/Markets-Limits-Merits-Market-Critical-Arguments/dp/1032171480/ref=sr_1_1 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Humans have dual natures. We are, simultaneously, individuals and members of a shared society. That each of us should be free arises from our status as individuals. But, what arises from our status as members of a shared society are obligations to one another. What economists call “economic freedom” is really the encoding of the appropriate balance of our two natures into the rule of law. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2022/happiness-benevolence-and-trust-during-covid-19-and-beyond/#ranking-of-happiness-2019-2021 https://www.fraserinstitute.org/economic-freedom/map?geozone=world&page=map&year=2018 https://nypost.com/2022/04/14/biden-shakes-hands-with-thin-air-after-north-carolina-speech/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/decade-high-mortgage-rates-pose-threat-to-spring-housing-market-11650101401 Foolishness of the Week https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article260445977.html Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the final installment of our talk with the economics students of Mount Hebron High School. The students have won the state economics championship 16 times, the national championship six times, and recently won the international championship for the first time. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/income/ https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2019/may/how-much-us-households-employer-insurance-spend-premiums-out-of-pocket https://www.fox5ny.com/news/chipotle-tests-chip-making-robots Foolishness of the Week https://www.statista.com/statistics/253743/academy-awards--number-of-viewers/ Topic of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F79X_-PwKhg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke38g7fFvtk Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we talk with the economics students of Mount Hebron High School who have won the state economics championship 16 times, the national championship six times, and recently won the international championship for the first time. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.wsj.com/articles/oberlin-college-loses-appeal-ohio-gibsons-bakery-v-woke-pc-cancel-culture-crt-critical-race-theory-libel-emotional-distress-racial-profiling-higher-education-11648829090?mod=hp_opin_pos_1 Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-historic-all-black-town-wants-reparations-to-rebuild-as-a-e2-80-98safe-haven-e2-80-99/ar-AAVKiWv Topic of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F79X_-PwKhg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke38g7fFvtk Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we talk with the economics students of Mount Hebron High School who have won the state economics championship 16 times, the national championship six times, and recently won the international championship for the first time. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.thedrive.com/news/44445/canada-has-a-railroad-for-fish-thats-only-200-feet-long-heres-why https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bayside+Canadian+Railway/@45.1588746,-67.1399627,156m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x4ca6016202a5eb6f:0xdd7c0d6ee9b1c34a!8m2!3d45.1586153!4d-67.1396707 https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/599768-biden-is-planning-a-new-digital-currency-heres-why-you-should-be-very-worried Foolishness of the Week https://thehill.com/regulation/599821-thomas-scrutiny-intensifies-after-latest-revelations Topic of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F79X_-PwKhg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke38g7fFvtk Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that a decade has passed since the Affordable Care Act reached full implementation, it’s a good time to look back at what we were promised, what we got, and what we didn’t get.. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://advisor.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-biggest-u-s-tax-expenditures/ https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-approves-bill-that-would-make-daylight-savings-time-permanent-2023-2022-03-15/ Foolishness of the Week https://reason.com/2022/03/04/d-c-managed-to-lose-4-million-on-its-own-sports-betting-app/ Topic of the Week https://www.thebalance.com/causes-of-rising-healthcare-costs-4064878 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Catholic Church likes subsidiarity. Politicians like federalism. Economists like free markets. It turns out that, if you can adequately define “the common good,” the three - subsidiarity, federalism, and free markets - pretty much boil down to the same thing. This week is the first half of a four-way discussion with two Catholic theologians, a political scientist, and an economist on subsidiarity and the common good. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://nypost.com/2022/03/04/hundreds-of-people-are-booking-airbnb-rentals-in-ukraine-heres-why/ https://scoop.upworthy.com/polish-moms-leave-baby-strollers-at-train-station-for-ukrainians-moms-who-need-them https://www.cato.org/commentary/pick-time-stick-it Foolishness of the Week https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/california-lawmaker-proposes-25-tax-on-real-estate-investors-to-level-playing-field/2834287/ Topic of the Week https://stvincent.academia.edu/JasonKing/CurriculumVitae https://stvincent.academia.edu/ChristopherMcMahon/CurriculumVitae Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is there a massive class action suit awaiting colleges and universities that promise certain educational outcomes and don’t deliver? Colleges and universities are admitting students they know won’t succeed and happily cashing their tuition checks. There are scary parallels here to bankers who gave mortgages to borrowers the banks knew couldn’t afford to repay those mortgages. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/INDPRO https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MANEMP https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/USMINE https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES1021100001 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IPUCN2211W200000000 https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/politics/biden-buy-american-domestic-manufacturing/index.htmhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/andrew-cuomo-chris-cnn-cancel-culture-pc-political-correct-sexual-harrassment-accusation-new-york-governor-church-speech-11646599202l Foolishness of the Week https://www.fox5ny.com/news/sony-unveils-new-gold-plated-walkman Topic of the Week https://www.npr.org/2022/02/16/1081107925/education-department-devry-university-borrower-defense-student-loan-relief https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=73 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Politicians often argue the benefits of raising taxes to pay for sports stadiums, citing all the economic benefits that accrue from attracting major sports teams. But if there were significant economic benefits, wouldn’t private investors have an incentive to pay for the stadiums on their own? Why do we need tax revenues to fund them? This week, economist Lauren Heller joins us to talk about the economics of sport stadiums. Get a 20% discount on the mask not named in the episode by clicking below and using the coupon code wordsandnumbers. https://www.getunmask.com/?ref=8Dgb483n98NjG Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://russiandefpolicy.com/2021/12/27/russian-military-pay-still-lags/ https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/when-do-economic-sanctions-work-best https://www.wsj.com/articles/self-driving-trucks-start-to-propel-land-rush-near-major-cities-11646053200 Foolishness of the Week https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2022/02/25/mask-mandate-travel-cdc-guidelines/6938530001/ Topic of the Week https://www.berry.edu/academics/fs/lheller Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The life cycle of birth, maturation, death, and new life plays out in markets in the same way and for the same reasons. Entrepreneurs come up with new ideas. If customers like those ideas better than they like dollars in their pockets, they pay the entrepreneurs and the new ideas mature. But with maturation comes some ossification as once nimble companies get bogged down by their own bureaucracies. This creates opportunities for new entrepreneurs to come along and replace the old. Amazon, once the nimble upstart that gave customers what they wanted at prices they were willing to pay, may be showing signs of its oncoming and inevitable decline. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.facebook.com/HistoricPhotographs/posts/2026578217515918 Foolishness of the Week https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2022/02/21/report-apple-store-employees-want-to-unionize-use-android-phones-to-avoid-tim-cooks-snooping/ Topic of the Week https://www.salesforce.com/blog/jeff-bezos-lessons-blog/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Friedman joins us to talk about the gold standard: why one existed at all, why we went off it, and what would happen if we reinstituted it. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/02/03/betty-whiteout-ctrl-salt-delete-top-winners-in-mndot-nameasnowplow-contest https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/northwest-territories-looking-for-new-name-bob-need-not-apply-1.319749 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/world/europe/boaty-mcboatface-what-you-get-when-you-let-the-internet-decide.html https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/taxes/irs-backlog-hits-nearly-24-million-returns-further-imperiling-the-2022-tax-filing-season/ar-AATKL3A Foolishness of the Week https://reason.com/2022/02/10/ohio-mayor-warns-that-ice-fishing-will-lead-to-prostitution/ Topic of the Week http://www.daviddfriedman.com Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The federal debt recently crossed the $30 trillion mark, making the debt 50% larger than the entire US economy. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.wsj.com/articles/belarusian-officials-charged-with-aircraft-piracy-for-diversion-of-ryanair-flight-11642723692 https://www.itv.com/news/2022-02-07/scientists-create-spinal-cord-implants-that-could-allow-paralysed-people-to-walk Foolishness of the Week https://www.claimscon.org/study/ Topic of the Week https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disposable_household_and_per_capita_income Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Americans are so used to having goods available to them at low prices, in expansive variety, and in apparently limitless quantities that sporadic shortages are shaking up our lives. Yet, what we experience as an inconvenience, others in the world experience as starvation. Humans’ default condition is not one of plenty, but one of poverty. What stands athwart any society and poverty is good governance and a free economy. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.artforum.com/news/ireland-to-launch-universal-basic-income-program-for-artists-87612 https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/31/europe/ireland-fishermen-russia-navy-intl/index.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/he-e2-80-99s-declining-a-coronavirus-vaccine-at-the-expense-of-a-lifesaving-transplant-e2-80-98i-was-born-free-i-e2-80-99ll-die-free-e2-80-99/ar-AATkeOa Topic of the Week https://www.unitlife.org/impact-of-covid-19-on-malnutrition https://www.statista.com/statistics/269924/countries-most-affected-by-hunger-in-the-world-according-to-world-hunger-index/ https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Chosen is a remarkable TV series on two counts. It is the largest crowdfunded effort of its type, having raised more than $10 million and attracted over 150 million downloads over its two seasons. It also manages to depict stories from the New Testament in a way that is attractive to atheists and people of faith alike. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://katu.com/news/nation-world/students-at-no-2-business-school-struggle-to-identify-the-average-americans-salary https://mcdc.missouri.edu/help/measures-of-income/ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/college-mobility/university-of-pennsylvania https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abd0380 Foolishness of the Week https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-21/bezos-loses-20-billion-in-brutal-week-for-tech-billionaires Topic of the Week https://www.amazon.com/The-Chosen-season-1/dp/B091D6KCBS https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen https://derraleves.com/certified-youtube-consultant/ https://www.316tees.com/blogs/316/the-chosen-highest-crowd-funded-media Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Something odd is happening among Americans. People are generally quite nice to each other. Historically, Americans have been a generous people, and most have a good sense of civic duty. Yet, Americans on both the left and the right are angry about our politics. Both sides are coming to view the other as “the enemy.” It’s possible that we’ve reached a point where the best way forward is to go our separate ways. And we might not have reached this point at all if we had taken our founding principles more seriously. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick HitsFoolishness of the Week Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even in the absence of inflation, a dollar in the future is less than a dollar today simply because it exists in the future. Humans have figured out how to use this fact to invent things like mortgages, installment payments, and subscriptions. We talk about the implications of the time value of money, then segue into virtual reality and the future of labor markets, then into the service the rich perform for the rest of us as first adopters. This is what happens when you don’t have a script. Get a 20% discount on the mask not named in the episode by clicking below and using the coupon code wordsandnumbers. https://www.getunmask.com/?ref=8Dgb483n98NjG Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/05/maryland-couple-schmidt-baking-company-virginia-i-95/9110543002/ https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/01/uber-rider-stuck-on-i-95-hit-with-600-bill/ Foolishness of the Week https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2022/01/08/houston-teacher-accused-of-locking-son-in-trunk-of-car-to-avoid-covid-19-exposure/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan TAOlFLJq9bgnsgINqcg6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Goods appear to be randomly missing in stores, and prices seem to be rising. Much of what we're seeing is due to disruptions in the supply chain. This week, we talk with industry insider Mikhail Rasner about what's going on. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1064855510/kraft-cream-cheese-20-dollar-website https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-10/supply-chain-latest-cream-cheese-is-the-latest-casualty-of-cyberattacks https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-with-the-supreme-court-lurching-right-state-courts-offer-liberals-hope/ar-AASaLg5 Foolishness of the Week https://nypost.com/2022/01/02/australian-man-self-immolates-after-ranting-against-covid-vaccines/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phil Magness joins us to discuss critical race theory: what is it, and why is it controversial? Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1064855510/kraft-cream-cheese-20-dollar-website https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-10/supply-chain-latest-cream-cheese-is-the-latest-casualty-of-cyberattacks https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-with-the-supreme-court-lurching-right-state-courts-offer-liberals-hope/ar-AASaLg5 Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/fauci-says-domestic-travel-vaccination-rule-should-be-considered/ar-AASbcTj https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/10/world/covid-omicron-vaccines Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We had such good feedback from last week's live tradeoffs episode that we're including the audience Q&A session for this week's episode. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.npr.org/2021/12/18/1063205596/housing-cash-offer-home-buyer-seller https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/giant-rave-in-saudi-desert-pushes-kingdoms-changing-boundaries Foolishness of the Week https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-says-he-will-pay-more-than-11-billion-in-taxes-this-year-11640001132 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do climate change, the covid lockdowns, taxing billionaires, free college, and free healthcare have in common? In each case, politicians would prefer that voters ignore the reality of tradeoffs. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.mediaite.com/tv/end-of-an-era-chris-wallaces-departure-from-fox-news-sets-off-a-media-and-political-firestorm/ https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127245863/covid19-man-receives-up-to-10-vaccines-in-one-day Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As events point to the possibility of a second lockdown, we ask what we have learned from the last one. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers This Week’s Topichttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In response to record-breaking deficits, politicians, pundits, and concerned voters are discussing new sources of tax revenue. Unfortunately, they often conflate wealth, income, and unrealized capital gains. This week, we clarify some of the confusion. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers This Week’s Topichttps://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/#Burdens https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFSD https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GNP https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFR https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-do-us-taxes-compare-internationally https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html https://www.investopedia.com/how-much-does-health-insurance-cost-4774184 https://ips-dc.org/u-s-billionaire-wealth-surged-by-70-percent-or-2-1-trillion-during-pandemic-theyre-now-worth-a-combined-5-trillion/ https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/chart/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we answer listener questions that cover a gamut of topics. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/technology/personaltech/iphone-upgrades-cost.html Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we answer listener questions that cover a gamut of topics. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-monday-edition-1.5868846/how-tiktok-users-designed-a-better-pill-bottle-for-people-with-parkinson-s-1.5868848 https://nypost.com/2021/11/15/kamala-harris-sidelined-amid-tensions-with-president-biden/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Card recently won the Nobel Prize in economics for his contributions to the study of labor markets and natural experiments. Some minimum wage proponents confuse these excellent contributions with a particular application of his contributions to a study he conducted of a hike in New Jersey’s minimum wage. We discuss the flaws in that oft-cited study, and the distinction between his contributions and the study. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/11/buffalo-election-2021-results-india-walton-defeated.html https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/580322-democrats-brace-for-flood-of-retirements-after-virginia-rout https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/07/biden-approval-falls-38-midterms-loom-usa-today-suffolk-poll/6320098001/ Foolishness of the Weekhttps://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/annual-microsoft-ignite-conference-entices-criticism-over-woke-introductions https://freebeacon.com/culture/microsoft-encourages-employees-to-state-race-gender-during-presentations/ https://www.fox5ny.com/news/one-of-worlds-largest-investment-firms-will-need-permission-to-hire-white-men Topic of the Week https://davidcard.berkeley.edu/papers/njmin-aer.pdf https://www.econlib.org/no-krueger-didnt-prove-that-raising-the-minimum-wage-doesnt-increase-unemployment/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The combination of property rights and a profit incentive yields good outcomes. Elephants provide an excellent example. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.techspot.com/news/91430-bitcoin-mining-company-buys-pennsylvania-power-plant-meet.html https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-actually-consume https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/after-san-francisco-shoplifting-video-goes-viral-officials-argue-thefts-n1273848 Foolishness of the Weekhttps://www.the-sun.com/sport/3969736/colin-kaepernick-nfl-draft-slavery-netflix/ Topic of the Week https://www.npr.org/2021/10/22/1048336907/elephants-tuskless-ivory-poaching-africa https://www.amazon.com/Free-Our-Markets-Essential-Economics/dp/098442542X Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Words & Numbers on Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/words-numbers-1WI2qb0cxvW/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Politics, not partisanship, and economics are linked because both emerge from humans attempting to employ their abilities to satisfy their needs. In this episode, we explore the connection. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/10/13/norway-kongsberg-bow-arrow-attack/ https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/09/china/china-knife-attacks-mic-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/25/tech/blue-origin-space-station-jeff-bezos-scn/index.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/tom-brady-s-historic-day-took-a-backseat-to-his-encounter-with-a-9-year-old-cancer-survivor/ar-AAPVYUj Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Words & Numbers on Verbl https://vurbl.com/station/words-numbers-1WI2qb0cxvW/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Corey DeAngelis, who has made himself the public gadfly of teachers unions, joins us to talk about how Americans’ attitudes about funding public schools changed with covid. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-and-building-inspectors.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/diagnostic-medical-sonographers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiation-therapists.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/elevator-installers-and-repairers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/airline-and-commercial-pilots.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/air-traffic-controllers.htm https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58878473 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr_F_XQrukM Foolishness of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/oct/16/figures-of-babylon-oldest-drawing-of-a-ghost-found-in-british-museum-vault Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Money is an excellent tool for facilitating exchange. It solves problems like how to save while avoiding spoilage and how to exchange with people who don’t want what you’re offering. But we’ve come to rely so heavily on money that we’ve forgotten what exchange really is. In this first of two episodes, we discuss the nature of exchange. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/a-checkout-line-where-slower-is-better-supermarket-jumbo/ https://gizmodo.com/9-horrifying-facts-from-the-facebook-whistleblowers-new-1847791184 Foolishness of the Week https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/psaki-unfair-and-absurd-to-say-companies-would-raise-prices-in-response-to-tax-increases/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Money is an excellent tool for facilitating exchange. It solves problems like how to save while avoiding spoilage and how to exchange with people who don’t want what you’re offering. But we’ve come to rely so heavily on money that we’ve forgotten what exchange really is. In this first of two episodes, we discuss the nature of exchange. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/a-checkout-line-where-slower-is-better-supermarket-jumbo/ https://gizmodo.com/9-horrifying-facts-from-the-facebook-whistleblowers-new-1847791184 Foolishness of the Week https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/psaki-unfair-and-absurd-to-say-companies-would-raise-prices-in-response-to-tax-increases/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People who are pro-market often complain about unions. But unions are associations of people, just as corporations are associations of people. If it is people’s right to form one, then it is also their right to form the other. But, as it is bad for government to protect corporations from competition, so too is it bad for government to protect unions from competition. In this episode, we take a look at unions separate from government protection. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_4613 https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/27/fed-chair-powell-to-warn-congress-that-inflation-pressures-could-last-longer-than-expected.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/federal-authorities-safety-box-seizures-owners-fight-back Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As politicians run out of revenue sources, they increasingly turn their attention from the rich to the middle class. Congress is considering a tax plan that effectively imposes a death tax on the middle class. Interestingly, politicians are calling it "a capital gains tax." Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13012-017-0637-1 Foolishness of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/20/ivermectin-shortage-horse-owners-covidhttps://www.aier.org/article/a-subtle-catastrophe/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is a potluck. There's no specific topic, we're just discussing things in the news that caught our interests. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/top-earning-new-yorkers-could-face-61point2percent-combined-tax-rate-under-house-plan-californians-may-face-59percent-rate.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.aier.org/article/a-subtle-catastrophe/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an interesting twist of economics, it turns out that governments have no control over who ultimately pays a tax. Politicians can say they’re taxing consumers or taxing producers or taxing anyone else, but the market decides who ultimately pays the tax. And there’s nothing politicians can do to stop it. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/03/tech/apple-child-safety-tools-reversal/index.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-virgin-plastics-tax-could-help-save-the-oceans/2021/06/18/3ecb9cde-cd8d-11eb-8cd2-4e95230cfac2_story.html https://www.atr.org/democrats-eye-national-plastic-tax Foolishness of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/05/covid-coronavirus-work-home-office-surveillance Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Commonwealth Foundation Vice-President Nathan Benefield disagreed with our take on term limits from a couple of episodes ago. So we invited him to give arguments in favor. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/mcdonalds-others-consider-closing-indoor-seating-amid-delta-surge-us-2021-08-30/ Foolishness of the Week https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The CDC has mandated a moratorium on evictions. Under the CDC’s rules, landlords may not evict renters who haven’t paid their rent. But it is unclear that even Congress would have the constitutional authority to issue such a mandate. How then can the CDC do so? Clark Neily joins us to discuss this interesting question. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Topichttps://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/04/2020-19654/temporary-halt-in-residential-evictions-to-prevent-the-further-spread-of-covid-19 https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20a169_4f15.pdf Quick Hitshttps://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/quentin-quarantino-meme-artist-raises-over-5-million-for-afghanistan/ https://www.nptrust.org/philanthropic-resources/charitable-giving-statistics/ https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go Foolishness of the Week https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/07/27/tn-pastor-greg-locke-says-masks-arent-allowed-bible-church/5385007001/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all have a tendency to repeat things we hear. But when many people start repeating the same thing, we come to believe that the thing must be true. Unfortunately, this happens a lot when it comes to politics and government. This is the first of a two-part episode in which we discuss incorrect things that people tend to think are correct simply because they get repeated. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://reason.com/2021/08/06/apple-will-start-checking-your-messages-for-dick-picks/ https://www.eksposure.com/mobile-photography-statistics/ https://enough.org/stats_exploitation https://www.wsj.com/articles/burial-crypt-for-sale-los-angeles-11628773222 Foolishness of the Weekhttps://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2021/08/12/philadelphia-mask-mandate-vaccine-requirements-businesses/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all have a tendency to repeat things we hear. But when many people start repeating the same thing, we come to believe that the thing must be true. Unfortunately, this happens a lot when it comes to politics and government. This is the first of a two-part episode in which we discuss incorrect things that people tend to think are correct simply because they get repeated. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtbSP3GG_YI https://www.siliconrepublic.com/companies/the-interview-john-beckett-entrepreneur-who-built-the-first-ryanair-website-video https://www.nationalreview.com/news/small-time-landlords-hanging-on-by-their-fingernails-as-eviction-moratorium-drags-on/ https://www.nationalreview.com/news/biden-admin-to-implement-limited-eviction-moratorium/ https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/07/there-are-about-1-million-more-job-openings-than-people-looking-for-work.html Foolishness of the Weekhttps://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/university-wisconsin-removes-rock-sign-racism-79313853https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/read-the-wisconsin-state-journals-original-article-on-chamberlin-rock-1925/article_e4cfcb52-774c-53ab-8b46-34009a0aeb64.html Topic of the Week https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/government-cost-overruns Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all have a tendency to repeat things we hear. But when many people start repeating the same thing, we come to believe that the thing must be true. Unfortunately, this happens a lot when it comes to economics and public policy. This week, we discuss incorrect things that people tend to think are correct simply because they get repeated. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/how-a-wasp-inspired-a-new-tool-for-keyhole-surgery-delft/ https://interestingengineering.com/biomimicry-9-ways-engineers-have-been-inspired-by-nature Foolishness of the Week https://oceansasia.org/covid-19-facemasks/ Topic of the Week https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/government-cost-overruns Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If there’s a single core principle in economics, it’s that people respond to incentives. Whether governments intend to, imposing taxes on people causes those people to change their behaviors. Consequently, governments end up collecting less tax revenue than they anticipated and often cause people to waste their time and money attempting to avoid those taxes. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Lottery and Saving https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/07/22/canada-lotto-OLG-Lotto-Max-Anne-Hickey-five-years/2681626992009/ https://www.olg.ca/en/lottery/play-lotto-max-encore/odds-and-payouts.html Philip Morris https://apnews.com/article/philip-morris-marlboro-britain-496ac5b559d6cfe5b85d56b39f383905 Foolishness of the Week https://www.fox5ny.com/news/san-francisco-considering-congestion-tax-on-high-earning-drivers Topic of the Week https://www.thefemalecompany.com/tampon-book-en/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235989/ https://www.npr.org/sections/ablogsupreme/2013/04/16/177486309/how-taxes-and-moving-changed-the-sound-of-jazz https://www.efile.com/unusual-strange-funny-taxes-throughout-the-world-and-history/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the past century and a half, the federal government has quietly morphed from a government based on a constitution to a government based on a constitutional tradition. As it has done so, the Supreme Court has come to replace the Constitution as the limiting force on government. As the Supreme Court is, itself, part of the federal government, this transformation has fueled a runaway government that only ever gets larger and more powerful at the expense of the state and the people. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/exxons-corporate-coup https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/the-new-real-estate-normal/ar-AAMir6k Foolishness of the Week https://www.reuters.com/world/us/branding-us-left-aoc-makes-push-into-political-merchandise-2021-07-19/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Consumer prices have been rising more than usual since February. James and Ant discuss the nature of inflation, what causes it, and when it is and isn’t a bad thing. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://democracyjournal.org/arguments/ranked-choice-voting-is-not-the-solution/ https://nypost.com/2021/07/11/hotel-maid-prevents-potential-shooting-at-mlb-all-star-game-report/ Foolishness of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGhDkZJkbMI Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clark Neily, Rob McDonald, and Howard Baetjer join us for the second part of a free-wheeling conversation on government, history, and economics. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases https://www.showbiz411.com/2021/07/04/what-year-is-it-the-number-1-and-2-albums-on-itunes-are-40-queen-and-50-joni-mitchell-years-old Foolishness of the Week https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nationals-cancel-freedom-fireworks-fourth-of-july-citys-noise-curfew https://www.federalbaseball.com/2020/4/27/21227988/look-back-when-washington-nationals-wore-natinals-jerseys Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Rob McDonald joins us to answer the questions, how is it that Thomas Jefferson came to be a slave owner and what could he have done to free his slaves. The answer, it turns out, is much more complicated than people tend to appreciate. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Foolishness of the Week https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/06/police-break-up-exorcism-at-pa-home-depot.html Topic of the Week Rob McDonald https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/the-american-revolution-professor-robert-mcdonalds-new-core-document-collection/ Books https://www.amazon.com/Robert-M-S-McDonald/e/B006G5XJK6 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clark Neily, Rob McDonald, and Howard Baetjer join us for the first of a multi-part free-wheeling conversation on government, history, and economics. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/aumf-repeal-congress/2021/06/17/1bd1ec70-cf76-11eb-a7f1-52b8870bef7c_story.html https://www.fox5ny.com/news/crypto-currency-confusion-georgia-man-wakes-up-a-trillionaire Foolishness of the Week https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9704447/Manhattan-City-Council-candidate-26-caught-ex-girlfriend-leaked-dominatrix-video.html Topic of the Week https://www.cato.org/people/clark-neily https://www.westpoint.edu/history/profile/robert_mcdonald http://wp.towson.edu/baetjer/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bob Luddy, founder of Thales College joins us this week to talk about a revolutionary model for higher education that attempts to break the guild system that is holding back innovation. Thales College is refusing to pursue accreditation and will not accept federal funding. This will both keep it out from under the regulatory thumbs of both the government and the existing higher education system. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/p19.pdf https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/incarceration-rates-by-country https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/14/politics/fbi-qanon-threat-assessment/index.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.mediaite.com/tv/lester-holt-challenges-kamala-harris-on-claim-weve-been-to-the-border-you-havent/ Topic of the Week https://www.thalescollege.org https://www.thalesacademy.org/about/founder https://www.neche.org/resources/standards-for-accreditation https://www.msche.org/standards/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://youtu.be/rMIWa-0Woyo Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices