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The lockdowns are beginning to end around the country, yet there's still a strong push for a so-called health passport. As Jenin Younes points out, you have a right to refuse such a passport. But you'd better prepare yourself for some pushback. Some of the greatest damage--economically and psychologically--done over this past year has been related to the fallout over authorities deeming some workers non-essential. As John Stossel explains, every worker is an essential worker. I've been beating the drum of personal preparedness for a long time now. What exactly are we supposed to be preparing for? Life, of course. Kent McManigal has a well-reasoned plea to start getting prepared for emergencies before the next crisis hits. Kids like me who struggled with math would love to have had an excuse not to have to wrestle with learning it. What a shame my teachers didn't realize that objective math is a form of white supremacy. Kerry McDonald has a great article on the latest madness making its way through the ranks of our current educators.  Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Pure Light HSL Ammo Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

The good news is that lockdowns are beginning to end in some states. The bad news is that the authoritarians who have thrived during this past year are angry and desperate to hold onto their power over the populace. Anders Koskinen explains how a complicit MSM is doing its best to sow seeds of fear and doubt about the reopenings. These aren't exactly the golden days of free speech in America. Why do people in power try to silence those with whom they disagree? Judge Andrew Napolitano has some answers. The amount of money being spent by American politicians is staggering. If you find yourself wondering where all that money is going, Words & Numbers hosts Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan document how government is taking care of itself first rather than the citizenry that they claim to be "helping." Do you find yourself struggling to have conversations with people who see things differently than you do? You're not alone. Kent McManigal has a helpful essay on the wisdom of knowing when to keep quiet. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Pure Light HSL Ammo Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Ammon Bundy is speaking throughout the state of Utah on the need to get to know your neighbors well enough that you can stand up for each other. He joins us to talk about why he's helping people organize wherever they happen to be. The best thing that's happened recently is the growing return to sanity on the part of (some) public officials in regards to COVID. As the scales begin to fall from the public's eyes, Jeffrey A. Tucker says, lockdowns could end up reshaping American politics for a generation or more. It's good that the citizenry is catching on the reality that too many officials overreacted to the coronavirus. As Mike Maharrey explains, it's a good time to ask ourselves, why do we trust these people to run our lives? Few things will bring the muddy boot of government down on your neck like the desire to simply be left alone. The story of what happened to a Polk County, Georgia family is as infuriating as it is illustrative of what unchecked government will do--at any level. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Pure Light HSL Ammo Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

If you've found yourself wondering how politics can make people so divisive and angry, Kent McManigal has some answers. In a nutshell, politics destroys civility by calling for government violence against anyone who doesn't see things the way we do. Those who are pushing the "woke" agenda don't seem all that concerned that you and I may not be buying what they're selling. As Annie Holmquist explains, that's because they're focusing their efforts on creating a brave new world of woke children. You're likely hearing more about critical race theory these days than you'd prefer. Far from correcting actual wrongs, CRT is being used to divide and conquer our society. As Stella Morabito explains, this is a classic Marxist tactic at play.  Texas just announced that it was lifting its COVID restrictions and mask mandates. This is bringing swift condemnation and accusations of "recklessness" from lockdowners. Donald J. Boudreaux shares the story of Vicky to illustrate what happens when we lose all perspective in a quest to avoid something that we fear. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Pure Light HSL Ammo Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Political consultant Gary Welch joins me to explore the following topics: Is Donald Trump the savior of conservatism? Did CPAC accomplish anything substantial? We just passed 500K in deaths. US is the worst in the world in per-capita deaths. What did we do wrong? Did we do anything right? Would certain alternatives (i.e. do nothing) would have turned out better? Why do we spend trillions more every year and nobody cares? Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Eric Peters from Eric Peters Autos drops by to catch up on the latest developments in clown world. We talk about adulterated gasoline, the latest COVID drama and how the principled difference can make all the difference. It's common for the political class to insist that every program, policy or law they create is for the purpose of "helping" us. As Brian Balfour notes, they are definitely helping to keep poor people poor. During times such as these, being a wrongthinker is a necessity for anyone who is serious about maintaining his or her autonomy. Jeff Minnick has some helpful advice on thinking free while living with the establishment. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

You don't have to be a pessimist to recognize that liberty is in eclipse right now. Having said that, Joakim Book has a terrific essay that illustrates how we are far from finished and how the 21st Century could be a century of liberty. And unlike politics, this is a place where we have more control than we think. Paul Rosenberg's essay series on fallacies is a very worthwhile tool in learning how to spot rhetorical sleight of hand when it's being used against you. His latest essay is on Fallacies of Elimination and it's super timely for some of the issues we're currently facing. Those who actively recognize the ongoing loss of individual freedoms in so many areas of our lives may wonder exactly how we got here. As Ethan Yang explains, the danger of the administrative state has been greatly underestimated. We see it in the damage done by the lockdowns and the unchecked growth of government. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

One of the biggest risks our kids face in state-run schools is indoctrination into so-called "woke" culture. Kerry McDonald explains how today's woke classrooms show why parents should be free to choose on schools. How bad is the public school indoctrination into critical race theory becoming? Even Bill Maher and his audience agreed it's out of control when Megyn Kelly was his guest recently. Maybe that's a hopeful sign that there are still pockets of sanity remaining. Though we have many ongoing challenges as a society, it's also safe to say that some of them are monsters of our own creation. Annie Holmquist makes a solid case that the problem isn't systemic racism, it's systemic victimhood.   Efforts to purge spirituality from our culture are giving rise to a notion that human beings are little more than highly evolved animals. Anders Koskinen says, not so fast. Humans are better than animals and are called to do higher and better things. You don't have to be a pessimist to recognize that liberty is in eclipse right now. Having said that, Joakim Book has a terrific essay that illustrates how we are far from finished and how the 21st Century could be a century of liberty.  Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

There are lots of crazy, unpredictable things happening on a daily basis. But the stuff that's most deeply concerning is rooted in the public's gullibility towards the politicians and bureaucrats who are removing our most basic rights. Joakim Book has a spot on essay describing why this matters and what we can do about it. If the January 6 clash at the Capitol were a gallon of milk, it's probably safe to say that  its sell-by date passed some time ago. Thomas L. Knapp wonders why the political class is urging us to take a big slug of it, straight from the jug.  Whatever policy is coming out of Washington D.C. these days, it's a pretty safe bet that its official name depicts the exact opposite of what it will actually do. Take, for instance, the current push for Congress to pass the so-called Equality Act. As Christopher Bedford explains, this act would create coercive new obligations that could gut religious freedoms. The new administration has wasted no time getting its hands bloody by ordering air strikes in Syria. And right on cue, Twitter is now banning users who question the imperial actions of the U.S. national security apparatus by claiming they "undermine faith in NATO." Nebosja Malic notes that certain kinds of politics have become a sort of religion. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Over time, I've been impressed by Brandon Smith's take on current events. This is a particularly powerful essay given the rising tide of totalitarianism. He clearly outlines how societies are imprisoned and how the whole world will one day be like Hollywood. As a proud member of the gig economy, I have the utmost respect for those who choose this entrepreneurial path. Brad Polumbo has a great article on Dolly Parton's recent commercial and how it has drawn the ire of those who oppose the gig economy. One of the greatest dangers of what we've seen happen at every level of government over the past year is that the Covidocracy might become permanent. Michael Fumento spells out the risk and also advises what we can do to beat that system. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

We tend to underestimate how dangerous political power actually is. That's why Bill Sardi says the main lesson we learned over the past year is: Politicians shouldn't be managing pandemics--they will bend science to fit their political objectives. Here's another question to ponder: who owns your face? Judge Andrew Napolitano explains why decisions about what your face looks like are protected by substantive due process. Why does it seem like the ramp up to a war against "extremism" seem to be aimed at anybody who believes in individual autonomy? Aaron White says it's because it's really an attack against non-conformity.  If you're not down with living your life as a politically correct label, Jeff Minnick has some very good advice. He says throw those labels in the trash where they belong and stop listening to the people who are so eager to apply them to others. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

So much public policy is predicated on the premise that without lots of centralized control, we'd resemble the Lord of the Flies pretty quickly. Here's a story to restore some of your faith in humanity. When the power was out in Texas, a grocery store let their customers leave without paying. Why would they do that?  Might we do better if our politicians conducted themselves like Mandalorians? Robert E. Wright has a timely piece about the importance of consistency and accountability for the political class. Was it really an insurrection on January 6? If it was, why has no one been charged with such since then? Jacob Hornberger gives an accurate accounting of what happened and how politicians and media are blowing it out of proportion. What does authentic learning look like? As parents we watch for it in our kids but we should also be well aware of our own intellectual trajectory as well. Annie Holmquist has advice on how to recognize 3 elements of true learning. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Have you noticed that we are moving toward political enslavement even as our culture warriors are feverishly working to cleanse American society of any reminders of chattel slavery? Allan Stevo has a great article on what our new slavery will look like and how to resist it. One of the most effective ways to free your mind from the control of our ever-present spinmeisters and fact-checkers is to simply choose to unplug. As David Perez explains, unplugging is a form of liberation. If you have a slightly warped sense of humor and can handle some stinging parody, Mike Judge's 2006 film "Idiocracy" is remarkable. Here's a fascinating article in Revolver that makes a pretty good case that the dumbed down world of Idiocracy is still a better place than our current clown world. Most of us have lived under a left vs. right political paradigm for most of our lives. Nicholas Baum notes that once we strip away the labels, however, it's clear that most every conflict before us has its origins in individualism vs. collectivism. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Political consultant Gary Welch joins me to talk about the following subjects: What can we expect when our state level officials are scrambling to show how "woke" they are? Spencer Cox is adamant about vetoing a bill that would restrict biologically born males from competing in women's sports as a transgender.  Can we handle 1 more year of masks and social distancing?  Is there such a thing as COVID Derangement Syndrome? How does all of this end? Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Eric Peters joins me for a conversation about current events. One of the questions we examine is why so many people choose not to see what is happening right before them. The essence of wrongthink is found in independent thought. Unfortunately, a sizeable portion of society is more comfortable with a hive mind or collective approach. Few people summed up this difference as eloquently as the late Joseph Sobran did. Once we are on the path to thinking for ourselves, we have a duty to share what we know with those who are searching. Annie Holmquist underscores the importance of arming our children for the battle of pre-packaged thinking. Paul Rosenberg's latest essay on logical fallacies is worth your time. He explains the appeal to binaries and how to recognize it and counter it in your discussions. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Dr. Shanon Brooks from Monticello College joins me to discuss what Georgics are and why each of us would be well-served to start growing a portion of our own food. Once in a great while, government regulation makes our lives better. A lot of the time, however, it leaves us with inferior products that are mandated by the bureaucracy. Gas cans are a great example of this. Clyde Wayne Crews has a great take on the epic failure of the gas can spout designed by EPA regulators. It's so easy to take freedom for granted. We'd be wise to listen when people who have actually lived under oppressive regimes warn about what led them to that place. As Ethan Yang explains, human nature is where the desire to dominate others originates. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

The attacks on free speech are intensifying. And Congress is once again summoning the leaders of Big Tech to do their bidding in tamping down voices of dissent. Glenn Greenwald called this several weeks ago and he appears to be right on target. The danger to free speech isn't just limited to America. Brendan O' Neil points out how neither side in our current culture war seems to understand how crucial this liberty is to human flourishing. He says it's time to get real about freedom of speech. Over the weekend, I once again experienced a few brief moments of pre-COVID life. Mask neutral policies and hugging one another and shaking hands again was reminder of a better time. As Jenin Younes explains, the ZeroCovid movement has come to resemble a cult dressed as science.  As overwhelming as many of the recent societal shifts may seem, we are far from helpless. While our ability to affect public policy may be limited, our capacity to help one another is still very much in play. Kerry McDonald has an eye-opening piece about the epidemic of loneliness that is spreading across America. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Once upon a time, the rule of law was part of what made America exceptional among the world's nations. Today, however, we live under a pro-tyranny legal system. Martin Armstrong has a fascinating breakdown of why this is so and what we might do about it. Political cartoonists were the original meme makers. More and more, satire and lampooning of officialdom are becoming the only ways in which we are allowed to critique those in power. As Anders Koskinen explains, even that might be changing as diversity among political cartoonists is becoming an issue. What is the greatest fear of those who would rule us? Jeff Minnick says it's the fear that we have caught on to their manipulations and that we are beginning to see through their corruption and opportunism. The sense that our freedoms are steadily slipping through our fingers is pretty hard to deny. Now, we're left with the question of what do to about it. Jacob Hornberger explains that a return to the principles and practices of liberty requires that we clearly distinguish between mere reforms and strictly limiting the power of the state. You've heard the phrase "vote with your wallet" as it applies to supporting or boycotting a particular business. Interestingly, it also has relevance in our efforts to perpetuate and defend freedom. This is especially true when it comes to supporting sites that provide value to us through the dissemination of credible information. Free isn't freedom.  Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron  

Is our language becoming corrupted to the point of being meaningless? Consider how many seemingly innocent things people now arbitrarily label as "racist" or "sexist" and you'll have your answer. Jeff Minnick says we're well on our way to creating our own Tower of Babel. What is your privacy worth? Most of us probably say it matters but we don't want to put in the time and effort to protect ourselves--particularly online. John Stossell has a great article about how NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden makes the case for taking our privacy more seriously. A common dilemma for people who have begun thinking for themselves is how to manage the desire to share what we know with others. Is it a good idea to chase them down and rhetorically wrassle them into acceptance? Kent McManigal has some great ideas on how to share what you think is important without becoming an ideologue. I've beat the drum for personal preparedness for a long time now. As much as I've tried to persuade others to take their self-reliance seriously, there's nothing like a good object lesson to demonstrate why such things matter. As the Bionic Mosquito reports, what's happening in Texas right now is a huge object lesson for anyone who's paying attention. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron 

As we approach the one year mark of the COVID crisis, there are a number of lessons to be gleaned from how most authorities have responded. As Robert E. Wright explains, it's also becoming clear that the most lasting damage we've seen is the result of a pandemic of ignorance. Be honest with yourself, how often do partisan reasons guide your decisions in how you choose your job, your brands and your friends? J.D. Tuccille says politics is seeping into our daily life and ruining everything. Fortunately, that's something each of us can solve for ourselves. The practice of civil asset forfeiture is functionally no different than armed robbery. As Jacob Sullum points out, it doesn't reduce crime or drug use. It just allows the state's agents to steal money or property--without due process--from people who have not been convicted of any crime whatsoever. It doesn't exactly make it easy to trust the state either. Sponsors:  Landmark Risk Management & Insurance Monticello College Rio Del Sion home lots Subscribe to the podcast  Support this program by becoming a Patron