Ep. 405 Sorry MAGA, the GDP Report Doesn't Bode Well

Adam Haman returns to help Bob navigate through yet another Twitter battle, this time on Darwin's theory of evolution vs. simulation theory (i.e. the notion that we are all in a giant simulation). Lots of interesting fodder to make you think.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this conversation.Bob's battles after his jab at the Carl Sagan account's tweet.BMS ep 303 featuring Jonathan Bartlett, explaining that standard evolutionary theory uses non-random mutations all the time.BMS ep 358 in which Adam and Bob discussed Nick Bostrum and simulation theory.The HamanNature substack.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Bob analyzes the GDP report for Trump's 1st quarter, which was characterized by a surge in imports and private inventories, and a drop in government spending. Although the conventional discussion of these topics is confused, the fall in real GDP does indeed signify a weak economy.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The BEA GDP report.Peter St. Onge's rosy analysis.Bob's article (from 2010) about quirks in the standard approach to inventory in GDP.The link for Monetary-Metals.com.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Adam Haman returns to discuss perhaps the most difficult problem in libertarian legal theory: the treatment of children. The discussion then spills over onto the treatment of animals and even AI.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this conversation.BMS 182 which laid out the trust approach.Bob (and Gene Callahan)'s critique of Hans Hoppe's argumentation ethics.The HamanNature substack.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Bob covers some loose ends on the Douglas Murray / Dave Smith debate, then analyzes how a libertarian legal system would handle the thorny problem of human shields.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:Bob's journal article on libertarian law and military defense.Sam Harris interviews Douglas Murray on the JRE debate.Previous BMS episodes on the Murray/Smith debate (here and here).John Spencer's twitter essay critiquing Dave Smith's views on war.The link for Monetary-Metals.com.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Bob responds to a Heinlein quotation (from Starship Troopers) that claimed violence had settled more issues in history than any other factor. Bob relies on Mises and Jesus to argue the contrary.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:Jeremy Kauffman's tweet that prompted this episode.Bob on why the AI won't wipe us out.The link for Monetary-Metals.com.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Adam Haman returns to analyze the continued fallout from the Murray/Smith debate on the Joe Rogan podcast. As always, Adam and Bob have unique video and insights that other commenters have overlooked.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this conversation.The full Murray/Smith debate on Rogan.Douglas Murray on Australia's Sky News. His NY Post op ed.Konstantin Kisin's article.A Spiked analysis of the debate.Pat Buchanan's C-SPAN debate on Churchill.The HamanNature substack.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Adam Haman returns to dissect the Douglas Murray / Dave Smith debate on Joe Rogan. Adam and Bob present evidence--including an old clip of Murray talking about Iraq--that other commentary has missed.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this conversation.The full Murray/Smith debate on Rogan.The UNICEF fact sheet on the Gaza blockade.Murray talking to Lex Fridman on "lived experience."Murray talking about his visit to Iraq.The HamanNature substack.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Chris Barnard is president of the American Conservation Coalition, which has some 75,000 members. He joins Bob to discuss the unfortunate pattern of ceding concern for the environment to the political left, and what the ACC is doing (especially on college campuses) to shatter that stereotype.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this interview.Chris Barnard's bio at American Conservation Coalition.The Market Environmentalism Academy.Bob's article showing that Naomi Klein supported the Green New Deal for non-climate reasons.The link for Monetary-Metals.com.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Adam Haman returns to discuss the hot topic of the day: Trump's tariffs! In particular, Adam helps Bob to analyze the justifications for the tariffs given by MAGA fans, and how free trading libertarians should respond.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this conversation.The single best video summarizing Bob's points on the trade deficit debate, pushing back against the left and right.Bob on Trump's tariffs and income taxes.Leonard Read's, "I, Pencil."The HamanNature substack.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.

Adam Haman and Bob interview Domenic Scarcella (author of Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen) on the events leading up to the Crucifixion of Jesus. The conversation includes Domenic's unorthodox take on Judas.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this conversation.Domenic Scarcella's substack.Scarcella's earlier appearance on BMS ep. 310, arguing that Jesus was a good neighbor but bad citizen.The HamanNature substack.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.