Making Sense - #329: What Happened to the Republican Party?
I agreed more with Bret Stephens than Sam Harris!
The Reason Interview - Rob Long: Welcome to the Age of Blunder in Public Health, Foreign Policy, and Hollywood
Bryan Cranston's speech made him sound like a Luddite.
The Economics of Everyday Things - #14: "Happy Birthday to You"
Unspecific details had filtered through to me before, and I enjoyed receiving a more complete version of the song's history.
Making Sense - #330: The Doomsday Machine
Sam spoke with Carl Robichaud, who I recently saw in conversation with Alex O’Connor. Despite my blasé disposition, I can accept the seriousness of our nuclear situation.
EconTalk - Adam Mastroianni: The Brain, the Ears, and How We Learn
Our minds fiercely protect long and deeply held beliefs - learning from one another isn't as simple as sharing information.
Cautionary Tales - General Ludd's Rage Against the Machines
The story of the Luddites is violent, understandable, and all too applicable to today's economic ignorance. I disagreed with Tim Harford's framing, personally seeing creative destruction as a crucial part of progress.
Why We Can't Have Nice Things - Jones Act Traffic Jam
The US make it illegal to ship anything within the US using anything other than US-built, manned, and owned ships, rendering it unprofitable.
The Reason Interview - Eric Boehm: How Protectionist Trade Policies Screw Us All
Eric's podcast is my new favourite.
Freakonomics Radio - #553: The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel
The Emanuel family are eccentric and passionate - I think Steven gets the best of them in these interviews. I love hearing that Japan are US' number-one ally, even as a Brit.