Another great show is ready for a listen! This past week’s topic was Free-Rider Friday.
Ed’s Topics
Texas Board of Plumbing Examiners fell victim to sunset legislation, slated to be abolished in 2020, as the Texas state legislators adjourned without renewing the law.
Tom Woods did a show with Richard M. Gamble on the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Gamble wrote A Fiery Gospel: The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the Road to Righteous War.
“We suck at prediction, whether it’s economics or climate change.”
New announcement by Trump on tariffs on Mexico, slated to go up 5% per month until they deal with their immigration policy. “How Stunningly Stupid Is Trump’s Tariff Threat Aimed at Mexico? Let’s Count the Ways,” May 31, 2019, Reason, Eric Boehm.
The Conversation, May 23, 2019, Beth Daley, “Facebook doesn’t fool me—but I worry how it affects you.”
Ron’s Topics
“Happiness economics,” The Economist, March 23, 2019. “In total the world’s population looks roughly equally divided between places where happiness and incomes have moved in the same direction over the past ten years, and places where they have diverged.”
We have done a show on Generational Astrology (Episode #142). It’s also a bugaboo of Jonah Goldberg’s, as discussed in his article, “The Silliness of the Generation Conflagration,” National Review, May 24, 2015.
Volkswagen, the largest car company in the world, has made the biggest commitment to manufacture battery powered cars, larger than any other car company. Yet VW’s profits and productivity remain woeful, with Porsche and Audi accounting for the bulk of its profits. In the past, it’s been all about saving jobs, with labor unions controlling a lot of corporate decisions. But electric vehicles require 30% less effort, so jobs may be lost anyway. “New wave,” The Economist, March 16, 2019.
From National Review on libraries, an interesting analogy: “Assembling a library is a physical act, like gardening. One cannot cultivate flowers and vegetables online without a marked diminution in the experience.”
Listener Question
Ron received a great question from Robert Allender in Hong Kong:
Dear Ron,
I'm a few episodes behind so just today listened to you telling about your brother. My condolences. Given what you said about his public speaking prowess, I immediately wondered if there were any videos or audios of him speaking. I also wondered if you might have in the past penned anything about the specific knowledge he imparted to you on the subject of public speaking, or if you planned to in the future. Either way, thanks for sharing your memories of Ken with us.
Robert C Allender
Managing Director