Words & Numbers

James and Hillsdale history professor Brad Birzer, talk about what it means to be a conservative, and if there is actually much left to conserve.00:00 Introduction and Guest Brad Birzer00:44 Foolishness of the Week: James Makes a Six-Year-Old Mistake03:54 What Does It Mean to Be a Conservative Today?06:41 How MAGA Changed the Meaning of Conservatism09:28 Why James Rejects Political Labels12:28 Republicans, Libertarians, and the Conservative Tradition15:06 Is Trumpism Really Conservatism?19:20 How Political Discourse Lost Its Decency22:37 Ronald Reagan and the Lost Art of Statesmanship25:40 What Are Conservatives Actually Trying to Conserve?27:59 Human Dignity, Compassion, and the Principles of Conservatism31:01 The Importance of Community and Local Responsibility33:29 Is America a Nation of Shared Principles or Shared Identity?36:07 The American Founding and the Ideals Worth Preserving41:03 Why America’s Founders Designed an Inefficient Government43:21 Conservatism as the Politics of Restraint and Decency45:01 Public Service, Political Power, and Humility47:46 How Government Power Has Undermined Conservatism50:10 Machiavelli, Political Power, and Moments of American Unity53:01 Can American Conservatism Be Reborn?53:53 Closing Thoughts: The Importance of Kindness

James and Ant predict the near-present. Who's gonna win in this hot mess of an election? They also talk a bit about who's gonna lose.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview00:26 Listener Feedback: The Death Penalty and Inalienable Rights02:18 Does Imprisonment Violate the Right to Liberty?04:09 Can You Forfeit Your Inalienable Rights?06:25 Punishment, Rehabilitation, and the Purpose of Prison08:42 Elizabeth Holmes, Fraud, and Criminal Justice10:22 Should Criminals Be Forced to Repay Their Victims?12:07 Pete Hegseth’s Political Future in Tennessee13:48 Foolishness of the Week: Nicki Minaj for White House Press Secretary?17:19 Political Spam and the 2026 Midterm Elections18:49 Midterm Election Predictions: Polls vs. Betting Markets25:51 Will Democrats Take Control of Congress?28:10 Could Trump Face Another Impeachment?31:50 The Odds of Democrats Winning the House and Senate34:03 Texas Senate Race: Ken Paxton vs. James Talarico35:35 Trump’s Approval Ratings and the Midterms37:13 Ohio Governor’s Race: Vivek Ramaswamy’s Declining Odds39:00 Alaska Senate Race: Mary Peltola vs. Dan Sullivan41:51 Maine Senate Race: Can Susan Collins Survive?44:43 Tariffs, Inflation, and Republican Voter Discontent46:44 Michigan Senate Race: Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike Rogers49:04 What Happens if Trump Is Removed From Office?57:05 Which Is More Reliable: Polls or Prediction Markets?1:02:24 Redistricting Battles in Texas and California1:04:21 The Political Consequences of Redistricting1:05:15 Be Nice to Each Other and Closing Thoughts

James and Ant talk about Ant’s long-ass walk, and what that means about how we think.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview00:20 Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos Documentary05:02 Listener Stories and Words & Numbers Down Under07:11 Gun Control, Self-Defense, and an Australian Home Invasion11:02 Concealed Carry and the Value of Firearms Training16:18 Tesla’s Flying Car and the Future of Transportation18:08 California’s Racism Lawsuit Against Tesla22:40 Foolishness of the Week: Chicken McNuggets Delivered to Prison by Drone27:50 Flock Cameras, Surveillance, and Halloween29:39 Ant’s 125-Mile Walk Through England32:33 Is Constant Noise Making It Harder to Think?39:28 The Disappearance of Peace and Quiet41:06 Walking, Meditation, and Where Ideas Come From49:38 Are National Cultures Becoming Homogenized?54:48 How American Craft Beer Changed in 45 Years57:41 Why European Trains Work Better Than American Trains1:00:42 A Regulation Even Libertarians Might Support1:03:58 How Rich Are Americans Compared to Britain?1:05:50 Closing Thoughts: Be Nice Without Anyone Knowing

Ant and James go a little further than most in discussing the death penalty as we brace ourselves for the first public execution in the US since 1936.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview01:13 MIT’s Certificate in Piracy03:59 Political Arguments, Social Media, and the Electoral College07:30 Chuck Grassley, Aging Politicians, and Age Limits12:28 Foolishness of the Week: Arrested Over a Shrek Meme14:06 Political Speech and the First Amendment16:56 Free Speech, Government Censorship, and Public Figures19:51 The Death Penalty and the Right to Life22:04 Can the Government Be Trusted With Capital Punishment?25:02 Nidal Hasan and the Case for Public Execution28:06 Should Executions Ever Be a Public Spectacle?32:38 The Morality of Taking a Human Life35:43 Public Executions, War, and the Slippery Slope38:20 Are These Signs of a Dying Political Regime?41:25 Principles, Revenge, and the Death Penalty44:19 Closing Thoughts and Words & Numbers Backstage

David Friedman joins us once again to discuss differing legal systems (and Renaissance fairs).00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview01:14 Furries, Renaissance Fairs, and Pittsburgh Subcultures06:42 Rethinking the Social Security Retirement Age10:46 Foolishness of the Week: The BBC Loses Its Mind17:02 David Friedman on Alternative Legal Systems17:58 Renaissance Fairs vs. Historical Recreation23:04 Competing Legal Systems Throughout History28:15 Benefit of Clergy and Medieval English Law30:29 How Multiple Legal Systems Can Coexist32:06 Order Without Law and Enforcing Social Norms35:27 Civil Asset Forfeiture and Incentives in Punishment36:45 Amish and Romani Legal Systems39:50 How Romani Communities Enforce Their Own Laws46:11 Sharia Law and Islamic Legal Systems in America53:08 When Crime Is Against the State vs. the Victim55:17 Private Justice and Compensation in Iraq57:46 Tribal Responsibility and Saudi Legal Traditions59:09 David Friedman’s Current Projects and What’s Next1:00:11 Climate Change, Population Growth, and Economic Orthodoxy1:02:39 Where to Find David Friedman’s Work

James and guest co-host Tom Krannawitter try to figure out (and explain) what the normative standard of nature is.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview01:08 Trump, the Midterms, and the Future of the Republican Party06:27 Colorado Republicans and the Changing Conservative Movement09:42 What Does It Mean to Be a Conservative?16:02 Aristotle, the American Founding, and the Role of Virtue18:58 Foolishness of the Week: Mike Johnson and the $5,000 Checks21:46 The New Deal, Government Spending, and Buying Votes26:57 Why Culture Matters More Than Politics30:13 The Normative Standard of Nature32:50 Natural Law, Human Nature, and Right and Wrong34:41 Aristotle on Virtue and Friendship38:46 Can Morality Exist Without Religion?40:04 Learning from Experience, Age, and Human Nature44:29 Can Political and Cultural Norms Be Unjust?46:42 The Declaration of Independence as a Moral Standard47:54 The Intellectual Origins of American Progressivism49:05 Hegel, John C. Calhoun, and the Rejection of Natural Rights50:33 How the German Model Transformed American Education52:56 Progressivism and the Rejection of Nature

James and Tom Krannawitter, who is pinch-hitting for Ant this week, discuss the differences between the Greek and German educational methods, and why we should care.00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview01:17 Trump’s Triumphal Arch, Snipers, and Government Militarization05:25 When Police Destroy Your Property and Don’t Pay for It09:07 Qualified Immunity and Holding Police Accountable12:32 Could Insurance Help Police the Police?17:27 Foolishness of the Week: Homeschooling Disqualifies a Firefighter20:19 Homeschooling, Accreditation, and the Education System23:12 Classical Education vs. the Modern University25:22 How Accreditation Reshaped American Higher Education28:33 What a Real College Education Looks Like33:21 Socrates, Classical Education, and the Pursuit of Truth36:04 The Greek vs. German Models of Education41:01 Methodology, Old Books, and the Modern University43:16 How to Pursue a Real Education in College45:17 What Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and Plato Have in Common45:59 The Intellectual Origins of Progressivism47:25 Machiavelli, Technology, and Conquering Nature50:00 Social Engineering and the Progressive Project52:30 Natural Rights, Human Will, and the Limits of the Enlightenment54:35 Closing Thoughts

Ant and James dissect the constant involvement of government in "emergencies," which seem to happen once a decade. For some reason.0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview0:50 The Ig Nobel Prize: Are Rich People More Selfish?5:13 Rising Oil Prices and the Real Cost of Policy Decisions7:20 Trump’s $5,000 Checks and the Inflation Problem10:22 The Lindsay Clancy Trial and a Bizarre Jury Split12:22 Foolishness of the Week: A Five-Year-Old, a Pond, and CPS15:32 Foolishness of the Week: Punished for Stopping a Mass Shooter18:17 The Affordability Crisis and Government Intervention19:58 The Ratchet Effect: Why Government Power Never Shrinks21:15 From the Great Depression to COVID: A Century of Expanding Government24:14 The 2030s: Social Security and the Coming Wealth Tax25:50 The 2040s: The Debt Crisis and a Digital Dollar32:27 The 2050s: Population Decline and Universal Basic Income34:11 How Temporary Government Powers Become Permanent35:27 Socialism, the Berlin Wall, and North vs. South Korea40:11 Social Security Insolvency and America’s Growing Debt42:11 Property Taxes, Ownership, and the Erosion of Economic Freedom47:01 How Young People Can Prepare for Social Security’s Future50:21 Retirement Savings and the Coming AI Bubble54:32 AI Regulation, Government Protection, and the Ratchet Effect

Ant and James reflect on 9/11, both the day and its legacy.0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview0:24 Citizens United, Super PACs, and Money in Politics6:48 Corporate Donations, Trump, and Political Influence10:50 AI Is Putting an Entire Industry Out of Business13:56 AI, College Cheating, and the Future of Education17:28 Foolishness of the Week: Trump Threatens to Halt Trade20:48 Why Trade Deficits Aren’t What Politicians Think22:24 25 Years Later: Remembering 9/1125:25 Where We Were When the Attacks Happened29:03 How 9/11 Changed America Overnight31:39 Fear, Terrorism, and the Wars That Followed 9/1134:22 How 9/11 Changed the Nature of War35:17 The War on Terror and America’s “Wars on Nouns”42:28 TSA, Security Theater, and the Post-9/11 Surveillance State44:30 The Militarization of American Law Enforcement46:06 Did Americans Trade Freedom for Security?48:31 Fear, Crime, and the Lasting Legacy of 9/1150:32 Closing Thoughts: Have Some Charity in Your Heart

What's the deal with bonds and interest rates? Find out on Words & Numbers, where we will use both words and numbers to get to the bottom of things.0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview0:42 Free Speech and the First Amendment7:45 Rutgers Dean Caught Recording Students09:55 Renaming the Great Lakes “Lake America”11:41 Foolishness of the Week: George Santos Gets Banned From Kalshi14:27 Is the Government Running Out of Places to Borrow?20:24 Why Treasury Investors Are Demanding Higher Returns22:10 The Federal Debt and the Interest Rate Spiral24:06 Can the Government Tax Its Way Out of the Deficit?26:24 Will the Government Eventually Monetize the Debt?27:43 The Federal Reserve vs. the Treasury33:05 Scott Bessent’s Plan to Push Interest Rates Down36:42 Is the Treasury Gambling on Short-Term Debt?41:37 Is the Treasury Trying to Conduct Monetary Policy?44:38 Are We Seeing the Beginning of a U.S. Debt Crisis?49:03 Can Social Security Force Congress to Confront the Debt?51:35 Closing Thoughts: Find an Excuse to Be Nice