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  • Can Libertarians Win? Hope for Liberty in Our Lifetime Revisited, with Jacob Huebert

    Can Libertarians Win? Hope for Liberty in Our Lifetime Revisited, with Jacob Huebert
    2026/04/10
    Can libertarians win meaningful victories for liberty in our lifetime? Jacob Huebert, revisiting his 2011 Mises Circle presentation "Is There Hope for Liberty in Our Lifetime?", delivers a clear verdict: not through the paths most people chase. Electoral politics poisons principles and delivers more statism, grassroots populism like the Tea Party is less interested in freedom than its proponents suggest, and it fizzles without real change, and pushing for freedom in the courts can offer beneficial but limited results. Yet hope exists through quieter, surer means—the remnant strategy of personal improvement and idea-spreading leads to incremental gains in personal and societal freedom. For Christians committed to a free society, this conversation offers a principled alternative to short-term political fixes: focus on becoming the change, draw the receptive, and trust ideas to bear fruit when crises demand them.Huebert's update shows why libertarians should reject the lesser-evil trap and embrace long-term fidelity to individual rights and sound economics. The episode argues that true progress comes not from capturing power but from changing minds among those who think independently.Who Jacob Huebert Is and Why His Perspective MattersJacob Huebert serves as senior litigation counsel at the New Civil Liberties Alliance, which fights administrative state overreach—most notably contributing to the Supreme Court case that overturned Chevron deference. As a Mises Institute associated scholar and author of Libertarianism Today, Huebert brings a rare combination: deep theoretical grounding in Austrian economics and libertarian philosophy, plus practical courtroom wins for liberty. His 2011 talk captured pessimism amid Ron Paul and Tea Party optimism; now, with hindsight including Trump-era disappointments and recent freedom trends, he sharpens the case for why libertarians win by refusing to play the conventional political game.Why Electoral Politics Cannot Deliver LibertyElectoral politics consistently fails libertarians because it rewards compromise, short-term thinking, and team loyalty over principle. The Tea Party promised anti-federal backlash but delivered standard Republicans with mild rhetoric—not radical reduction in government size or scope. Polls showed less than half of Tea Partiers even angry at federal power, and mainstream exploiters quickly co-opted it. Fifteen years later, the pattern repeats: libertarians who backed Trump as the "lesser evil" against perceived leftist threats rationalized away his statist actions, accelerating government growth instead of reversing it. Even bright spots like Javier Milei prove exceptions, not the rule—politics attracts few consistent principled voices like Ron Paul or Thomas Massie, who remain isolated outliers rather than catalysts for systemic change.Grassroots Populism Lacks the Clarity for Lasting FreedomMovements like the Tea Party or MAGA surge on unfocused rage against elites but lack a coherent vision of a freer society. They attract liberty-curious people yet funnel them toward conventional Republican figures who preserve the status quo. True liberty requires rejecting collectivism—whether left-wing central planning or right-wing racial or national collectivism that creeps in among some libertarian-adjacent circles. Populism exploits frustration without building the intellectual foundation needed for real reform, leaving participants more prone to statism when the pendulum swings.Courts Offer Discrete Wins—but Are Not the Whole SolutionLegal activism through groups like NCLA yields tangible liberty expansions where public opinion already leans that way. Overturning Chevron constrained unelected bureaucrats, Heller affirmed individual gun rights nationwide, and other rulings erode old censorship norms. These victories matter because they protect rights concretely and shift cultural recognition of those rights. Yet courts cannot impose libertarian limits against majority will or entrenched political demands for spending and intervention—the Constitution itself permits far more than a free society demands. Sustainable freedom requires a critical mass of people who understand government action as immoral when private actors would face condemnation.The Remnant Approach: The One Reliable Path to Advance LibertyAlbert Jay Nock's "Isaiah's Job" provides the blueprint libertarians need: stop chasing mass conversion and focus on improving yourself—deepening knowledge of morality, economics, and liberty. This draws the "remnant"—independent thinkers scattered everywhere who sense the status quo's failures and seek better answers. They approach receptive, not resistant, because they ask first. When crises expose statism's bankruptcy (as in Argentina's turn toward Austrian ideas), prepared remnant ideas stand ready. Christians especially grasp this: faithfulness to truth persists even without immediate societal transformation, much like ...
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    51 分
  • Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations at 250, with Eamonn Butler

    Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations at 250, with Eamonn Butler
    2026/04/03

    Cody Cook welcomes Eamonn Butler, British economist and co-founder/director of the Adam Smith Institute, for a timely discussion marking the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith's seminal work, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (published March 9, 1776). Butler, author of primers on Hayek, Friedman, and Mises, shares insights from his work studying and promoting the ideas of Adam Smith.

    The conversation explores Smith's enduring legacy as the father of modern economics, rooted in the Scottish Enlightenment. Butler explains how The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Smith's earlier work on virtue, sympathy, empathy, and justice) underpins The Wealth of Nations, showing that self-interest in markets—when guided by moral foundations like trust and honesty—produces social harmony via the famous "invisible hand." Rather than benevolence alone, we get our bread from the baker's self-interest, yet this serves society beneficially.

    Smith's revolutionary ideas shine through: the division of labor (illustrated by his pin factory example boosting productivity dramatically), national wealth as productive capacity (not hoarded gold), the benefits of free trade, opposition to tariffs, monopolies, and mercantilism (which he saw as cronyism enriching the few at others' expense), and limited government to prevent corruption and rent-seeking.

    Butler also addresses common misconceptions: early capitalism Smith opposed slavery not just morally but economically, arguing it stifles incentives and efficiency. He contrasts this with critics like Thomas Carlyle, who dubbed economics the "dismal science" in defense of hierarchy and authoritarianism. The episode tackles modern critiques from both left and "new right," defending self-interest (prudent and long-term) against charges of short-sighted selfishness, and refuting claims that markets idolize materialism or erode meaning—pointing to how prosperity enables philanthropy, education, leisure, and cultural flourishing.

    Smith's framework rejects the "man of system" (central planners treating people like chess pieces), favoring emergent order from individual actions under justice. Butler highlights real-world successes: globalization and market liberalization since the 1990s have nearly eradicated extreme poverty for billions, far outperforming decades of socialism.

    The discussion ties Smith's ideas to Christian liberty, noting his deistic leanings, regular churchgoing, and emphasis on virtue. It compares the 1776 publications: The Wealth of Nations (providing a blueprint for prosperity and freedom) vs. the Declaration of Independence (asserting independence), with Butler arguing Smith's work has greater long-term impact on liberty.

    This episode offers a refreshing, faith-informed defense of free markets, countering cronyism and statism while celebrating Smith's vision of human flourishing through competition, trust, and voluntary exchange. Perfect for libertarians, Christians, and anyone interested in economics' moral foundations—especially timely in 2026.

    Links:

    The Adam Smith Institute

    The Wealth of Nations

    The Theory of Moral Sentiments

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    55 分
  • From Evangelical to Eastern Orthodox, with Mike Maharrey

    From Evangelical to Eastern Orthodox, with Mike Maharrey
    2026/03/27

    Mike Maharrey has been in the libertarian Christian space for a long time. In this episode he steps back from politics entirely and talks about his own story: a decades-long journey through evangelical Protestantism that eventually landed him in Eastern Orthodoxy. What drove the move, what he found when he got there, and what he'd say to other Christians who feel spiritually restless.

    Check out Mike's show on the Christians for Liberty Network:

    The Godarchy Podcast


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    1 時間 1 分
  • A Missing Piece of the Pro-Life Argument, with Jacqueline Isaacs

    A Missing Piece of the Pro-Life Argument, with Jacqueline Isaacs
    2026/03/20

    Adoption belongs at the center of the pro-life conversation, not on its periphery. Yet Christians who can speak fluently about abortion policy often go quiet when the topic turns to adoption -- what it means theologically, what it demands practically, and why it is one of the most concrete pictures of the gospel available to the church. In this episode of the Libertarian Christian Podcast, host Doug Stewart and guest Jacqueline Isaacs make the case that the theology of adoption is not a sentimental add-on to Christian ethics but a load-bearing wall.


    Jacqueline serves as managing editor for the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics, president and chief content officer of Bellwether Communications, and adjunct professor of business at Cumberland University. She and Doug both have personal stakes in this conversation: Doug is himself an adoptee, and Jacqueline and her husband completed the adoption of their son about two and a half years ago. What makes this episode work is that the theology flows from lived experience, not from abstract argument.

    The episode moves through the personal stories, the economic and demographic realities of adoption in America, the church's specific calling to support adoptive families, and the rich Pauline theology that makes adoption more than a social good -- it makes it a sign of the gospel itself. Here is the argument the episode builds.

    Additional Resources:

    Libertarian Christian Podcast:

    • Ep. 436: Sympathy for a Scrooge, with Jacqueline Isaacs -- Jacqueline's previous appearance on the show; a natural companion for listeners who want more from this guest.

    External Reads:

    • "The Joy of Our Adoption" by Jacqueline Isaacs, Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics -- Jacqueline's personal account of her family's adoption journey, referenced in the episode. Available at tifwe.org.

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    49 分
  • Should We End Food Stamps TOMORROW? with Patrick Carroll

    Should We End Food Stamps TOMORROW? with Patrick Carroll
    2026/03/13
    Host Cody Cook sits down with Patrick Carroll, a sharp libertarian opinion journalist based near Toronto whose writing appears in outlets like the Mises Institute, Libertarian Institute, AIER, and FEE (where he once served as managing editor). Carroll's Substack, Against the Left, regularly dismantles progressive arguments from a free-market vantage point—and this conversation dives deep into one of his most provocative pieces: “Why SNAP Spending Should Be Cut Even If Charity Doesn’t Replace It.”The episode centers on the dramatic events of late 2025, when a record-breaking U.S. government shutdown stretched into its second month. By early November, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) faced a funding lapse. The Department of Agriculture announced that the roughly $100 billion annual program—serving about 42 million Americans, or one in eight—would not issue full November benefits. Chaos ensued: food banks reported overwhelming demand, long lines formed, and media stories highlighted desperate families suddenly without their usual grocery support.Left-leaning commentator Carl Beijer seized on the crisis in a Jacobin piece, declaring it definitive proof that private charity cannot substitute for state welfare. Overwhelmed pantries and panicked recipients, he argued, exposed the fantasy of market-based solutions replacing government safety nets.Carroll pushes back hard. He concedes the short-term strain on food banks but argues the episode reveals more about SNAP’s overreach than charity’s inadequacy. With little advance certainty (the shutdown’s duration remained a day-to-day uncertainty), private organizations had scant time to scale. Yet many still responded impressively—businesses like DoorDash offered free meals, churches and local groups rallied, and some food banks pivoted quickly. Had there been months of clear notice, Carroll contends, the charitable response would have been far stronger.More controversially, he challenges the scale of need SNAP addresses. Citing a 2021 USDA study, he notes that 39% of recipients are obese, 26% overweight, 33% normal weight, and only 3% underweight. This, he says, shatters the media stereotype of widespread starvation and suggests the program subsidizes far beyond genuine hardship—often enabling poor lifestyle choices rather than preventing famine.Carroll proposes an initial 50% cut, returning spending to roughly 2007 levels after years of ballooning budgets. He acknowledges “food insecurity” statistics (around 13% of Americans) but critiques their definitions, which can include anyone who occasionally buys cheaper groceries or skips a preferred item—hardly a crisis justifying $100 billion annually.The discussion turns philosophical and theological. Carroll invokes the “negative contact hypothesis”: while meeting marginalized groups often reduces prejudice, direct exposure to many in poverty can erode naive sympathy when observers see patterns of self-inflicted hardship—addiction, unwise relationships, financial irresponsibility. Anecdotes from YouTuber Caleb Hammer’s Financial Audit series reinforce this, as do studies showing that more well-off people’s support for redistribution weakens after real contact with the poor.From a Christian libertarian perspective, Carroll emphasizes voluntary generosity over state coercion. Jesus warned against lording authority over others (Matthew 20); early Christians practiced communal sharing without petitioning Caesar for taxes. He praises historical mutual-aid societies and modern examples like Mormon welfare systems as superior, more personal, and non-coercive alternatives to centralized bureaucracy.Addressing bleeding-heart objections, Carroll entertains the sequencing argument: enact free-market reforms (deregulation, free trade, ending occupational licensing and minimum wage barriers) first to boost opportunity and reduce poverty, then phase out welfare. He’s sympathetic but rejects indefinite delay—some cuts can and should happen now without catastrophe, especially given SNAP’s questionable targeting.This episode is bold, data-driven, and unapologetically challenging. It refuses easy compassion narratives, forces listeners to grapple with uncomfortable stats, and calls Christians to prioritize peaceful, voluntary charity over state redistribution. Whether you bristle or cheer, it’s a thought-provoking case for rethinking welfare in a free and faithful society.Links:Patrick's SubstackPatrick's piece Why SNAP Spending Should Be Cut Even If Charity Doesn’t Replace ItPatrick’s Twitter/X: https://x.com/PatrickC1995David Beito's book From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com Use code LCI50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings and also support LCI!Full Podsworth Ad Read BEFORE & AFTER ...
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    1 時間
  • Viewpoint Diversity, with Jennifer Townsend

    Viewpoint Diversity, with Jennifer Townsend
    2026/03/06

    Jennifer Townsend—adjunct instructor, death-and-dying scholar, and Heterodox Academy campus co-chair at Western Michigan University—challenges the ideological monoculture dominating higher education. Awarded for promoting open inquiry and viewpoint diversity, she shares how she openly defends free speech on a left-leaning campus without hiding her views. The conversation dives into Jonathan Haidt's moral foundations theory, the limits of identity-based diversity, the value of listening to understand (not just to win), and why free inquiry remains essential—even when bad ideas persist. Townsend also critiques credential inflation, encourages trades over debt-laden degrees, and describes classroom strategies that shift students toward nuanced, less knee-jerk thinking.

    Books and resources mentioned:

    Heterodox Academy website: heterodoxacademy.org

    Jennifer's Substack on death and dying: The End

    Jennifer's Instagram accounts (death education, death book club)

    The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt

    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

    Don't Label Me: How to Do Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Without Sacrificing the Truth or Your Own Soul by Irshad Manji

    How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay

    The Three Languages of Politics: Talking Across the Political Divides by Arnold Kling

    On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

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    55 分
  • You Have No Right to Your Culture, with Bryan Caplan

    You Have No Right to Your Culture, with Bryan Caplan
    2026/02/27

    Economist and author Bryan Caplan returns to discuss his latest book, You Have No Right to Your Culture. Bryan explains why genuine “cultural preservation” would require totalitarian control over children and future generations, why most cultural change comes from generational shifts rather than immigration, and why appeals to a “right to culture” only seem to appear when immigrants are involved.

    Doug and Bryan dig into Western civilization’s global influence (“Westtoxification”), the rapid cultural transformations in places like the UAE and Japan, and whether Western culture is really “under attack” or simply winning the world by passing the market test. They contrast perceived threats from immigration with the rise of critical theory and “wokeness,” and Bryan lays out his famous “Caplan compromise” on open borders—keyhole solutions like limiting welfare and voting while radically expanding migration.

    The conversation also covers:

    • What Bryan actually means by “culture” and why you don’t have a right to others practicing yours
    • Why true cultural preservation implies a deeply totalitarian mindset
    • Western civ, liberalism, and how the Enlightenment reshaped both
    • Colonialism, anti‑colonialism, and why peace often matters more than political control
    • Why fears of a coordinated partisan “open borders” plot are largely fantasy
    • Cohesion, “turning the other cheek,” and how to actually build social peace in a diverse society
    • Bryan’s debate strategy as the “passive‑aggressive Jesus”
    • Lightning round: best meal, most overrated destination, surprising cultural practices, and dream dinner guests

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    57 分
  • The Jesus Invasion: Paul's Apocalyptic Theology, with Nicholas Quient

    The Jesus Invasion: Paul's Apocalyptic Theology, with Nicholas Quient
    2026/02/20

    In a more theology-heavy discussion, the Libertarian Christian Podcast welcomed guest Rev. Nicholas Quient, pastor and New Testament PhD candidate, for a deep dive into apocalyptic theology in Pauline studies.

    Quient contrasts the traditional Lutheran/Reformed view of Paul (individual justification and guilt), the New Perspective (covenantal nomism and Jew-Gentile unity), and the apocalyptic Paul—which sees the Christ event as God's invasive victory over enslaving cosmic powers, sin, and death, ushering in new creation amid the overlapping present evil age.

    This episode explores how this framework emphasizes liberation, principalities and powers, and Christ's sovereignty, as well as its implications for libertarian thought: Paul's sharp distinction between the church (allegiant to King Jesus) and the wicked worldly powers.


    Nick's book: https://amzn.to/4sySXzL

    Nick's X profile: @nickquient

    Nick's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nttheologist

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NickQuient

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    1 時間