Kibbe on Liberty: Recent Episodes
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The revolution is here. A movement of people free to live, work, and choose. We won’t tell you what to think, we just demand that you think for yourself. This is Kibbe on Liberty. Libertarian Matt Kibbe puts aside politics to have mostly honest conversations with mostly interesting people. Mostly because it’s really hard to be honest and interesting at the same time. Mostly because we want to have some fun, even as we argue about things that really matter—you know, things like beer. Kibbe digs a little deeper with guests from all over the political spectrum: Right, Left, and libertarian; smart, independent people who don’t give a damn about your preferred political tribe. Let’s listen and learn together. Subscribe to Kibbe on Liberty, the counter-counter-revolution of social media. Because endless virtue-signaling is a total buzzkill.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is generally lionized as one of the great American presidents, having been elected an unprecedented four times and seeing the nation through the Great Depression and the Second World War, as well as creating some of the most enduring features of the modern welfare state. But was FDR really a hero of the people, or did his policies irrevocably damage the civil liberties and individual freedoms of American citizens? Matt Kibbe is joined by David T. Beito, author of the new book “The New Deal’s War on the Bill of Rights,” to discuss FDR’s enthusiasm for internment camps for Japanese-Americans, domestic surveillance, and homophobic witch hunts. As Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln fall under the scrutiny of modern-day culture warriors, maybe it’s time we took a second look at the complex legacy of America’s 32nd president.
Following the first Republican presidential debate, it is striking how many libertarian ideas are being aired on major platforms and how popular they appear to be with voters. For example, Vivek Ramaswamy has surged into second place in the Republican polls by opposing war and promising to eliminate multiple federal agencies. Meanwhile, on the Democrat side, RFK Jr. is getting traction with his opposition to COVID lockdowns and vaccine mandates. Matt Kibbe is joined by Jack Hunter, co-founder of Based Politics, to discuss these developments and other current events, including Oliver Anthony’s hit song, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” the return of mask mandates, and of course, wrestling.
The release of the Twitter Files revealed that defense agencies are censoring social media platforms to promote a certain agenda, making the war on so-called COVID misinformation look more like a national security issue than a public health one. But the use of propaganda and attempts to control the media narrative are nothing new. Matt Kibbe is joined by Brandan P. Buck, a writer, historian, and Ph.D. candidate at George Mason University, to discuss the rise of the information state under Woodrow Wilson, who covertly manipulated public opinion in order to get the United States involved in the First World War. It’s a particularly ironic, or perhaps Orwellian, historical fact, given that Wilson campaigned for his second term under the slogan “He kept us out of war.”
The tables are turned as Matt Kibbe becomes a guest on his own show, responding to viewer questions. In this special episode, Kibbe opines on a diverse array of topics from the 2024 elections to state nullification and the Barbenheimer phenomenon. Other issues addressed include the biggest threat to liberty faced by Americans today, the struggle to find optimism after the authoritarian COVID-19 lockdowns, and what Trump’s multiple indictments mean for the future of democracy. If you didn’t get your question answered this time, don’t despair! There will be more opportunities to ask Kibbe anything in future shows.
As political corruption runs rampant in plain sight, it’s becoming more and more clear that the American legal and economic system is rigged against average citizens. Well-connected insiders get away with murder, while a minor infraction can completely ruin the life of an ordinary person. Big bankers benefit from bailouts and expansions in the money supply, while the rest of us get soaked with the costs of inflation and higher taxes. Lars Mapstead, Libertarian candidate for president, talks to Matt Kibbe about his plans to unrig the system and create a level playing field for all Americans.
The World Economic Forum’s infamous prediction that “you will own nothing and be happy” appears to be part of a playbook for elites to replace market economies around the world with something that looks a lot like communism. Matt Kibbe is joined by Carol Roth, author of “You Will Own Nothing: Your War with a New Financial World Order and How to Fight Back,” to talk about Klaus Schwab’s plans for lowly citizens who are better off surrendering their autonomy and property rights in order to eat bugs. Roth’s book exposes what the WEF is actually up to and what the average person can do to fight back against its agenda.
After years of post-pandemic doldrums, people are finally going back to the movies with one of cinema’s biggest opening weekends since 2020. Big-budget movies like “Mission Impossible,” “Barbie,” and “Oppenheimer” are drawing people in, although some, like the new “Indiana Jones” movie, are struggling to make back their budgets. To the surprise of industry insiders, however, “Sound of Freedom,” a film that exposes the global problem of child trafficking, is shattering expectations and filling theaters across the country. And with a budget of just $14.5 million, it’s set to be a huge financial success. Matt Kibbe is joined by Jeffrey Harmon—co-founder of Angel Studios, which is distributing “Sound of Freedom”—to talk about the film’s success and the mystifying attacks from left-wing critics, most of whom haven’t even seen the movie they are decrying.
Joe Biden believes that white supremacy is the greatest threat to America today, and anyone who didn’t vote for him “ain’t black”. But Adam Coleman, founder of Wrong Speak Publishing and author of the book Black Victim to Black Victor, sees it differently. Speaking with Matt Kibbe at FreedomFest in Memphis, Tennessee, he argues that it’s not racism that is holding back the black community, but a lack of strong families. We do a disservice to people when we tell them that they are victims and not in control of their own destinies, creating a defeatist attitude that perpetuates the cycle of poverty and dependence.
The phrase “going medieval” is used to refer to an extreme and brutal reaction to a problem, a colorful figure of speech that can have some sinister implications. With respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, public health authorities explicitly stated their intentions to go medieval on the virus, something that should have alarmed anyone who knows anything about the state of medicine in the Middle Ages. Matt Kibbe catches up with Jeffrey Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, at the 2023 Porcupine Freedom Festival in New Hampshire to talk about the strategic barbarism of the COVID response, a series of plans that have been in the works far longer than most people realize.
Culture is upstream of politics, and while libertarians are great at compiling spreadsheets and writing white papers, they’re a little bit behind when it comes to making compelling art that communicates the benefits of a free society. Pho Chan, who records as the Pholosopher, and producer Jack Lloyd are trying to change that. At the 2023 Porcupine Freedom Festival in New Hampshire, they spoke with Matt Kibbe about how they are using rap music, memes, skits, comics, and other forms of multimedia entertainment to spread their ideas of voluntary cooperation, ethical behavior, and consent culture.
The Deep State, that collection of unelected bureaucracies that run the government and maintain the status quo in spite of what the American people vote for, has been identified as one of the biggest threats to liberty and democracy faced by our country. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy wants to dismantle it. But can it be done? At this year’s annual Porcupine Freedom Festival in New Hampshire, Matt Kibbe caught up with the presidential hopeful, as well as former FBI agent Kyle Seraphin, to find out what the chief executive can actually do to rein in D.C.’s alphabet soup agencies and restore accountability to the American government.
Everyone would like to have access to better, healthier food, but government regulations favor huge factory farms while making it difficult for the thousands of independent farmers across America to reach consumers. Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farm, recently testified at a congressional hearing about letting local producers sell beef and pork products directly to consumers. Government regulators are terrified that loosening regulations on small farmers will result in unsafe food, but there’s every reason to believe that local food is safer and more accountable to the consumers than these large, anonymous producers.
Won’t someone please think of the children? From time immemorial, this has been the battle cry of the moral guardians who want to control what you’re allowed to see, hear, or think. Matt Kibbe talks to Shoshana Weissmann, Digital Director at the R Street Institute, about the ways in which Congress is attempting to regulate speech online. Under the guise of protecting children, there are plans to build permanent databases of users’ private information, strip the anonymity protections from the internet, and centrally control what kinds of content users are allowed to experience. This is nothing more than an emotional manipulation tactic to claim that anyone who still defends freedom of speech must be against children’s safety, which is obviously not the case.
As progressive politics infect more and more sources of popular entertainment, it's becoming increasingly rare to find themes of independence, freedom, and self-determination in movies and television. Matt Kibbe is joined by Reason Magazine's Eric Boehm, who points out that "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is an exception to this rule, containing many of the same elements that define the heroes and heroines in the novels of Ayn Rand. The story about a woman pursuing her dreams to become a stand-up comedian celebrates artistic integrity, personal ambition, and not allowing the petty envy or pessimism of others to stand in the way of a life worth living. At a time when the politicians in Congress are arguing about how many trillions of your dollars they are going to spend next, it's all the more important that we take inspiration from those who, fictional or otherwise, are willing to stand on principle and do the right thing, even in difficult circumstances.
Matt Kibbe talks to Jennifer Sey, former brand president of Levi’s, about how she was pushed out of the company over her views on COVID lockdowns. In this off-the-cuff conversation, Sey is bursting at the seams to explain how she legged it from the jeans giant rather than button her lip, as it became increasingly clear that some political leaders were in the pocket of Big Pharma, telling pants-on-fire lies to the public, and implementing policies that were apparently made up on the fly. Not wanting to feel hemmed in, she buckled down and wrote a book, “Levi’s Unbuttoned,” about her experiences, in which she stitches up those who wanted to silence her and others like her.
Matt Kibbe is joined by the R Street Institute’s Adam Thierer and Wayne Brough to discuss the state of free speech on the internet. With Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, we are in the middle of a national debate about the tension between censorship and free expression online. On the Right, many people are calling for government to rein in what they perceive as the excesses of Big Tech companies, while the Left wants the government to crack down on speech they deem dangerous. Both approaches make the same mistake of giving politicians authority over what we are allowed to say and hear. And with recent revelations about government agents leaning on social media companies to censor speech, it’s clear that when it comes to the online conversation, there’s no such thing as a purely private company.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Jack Hunter, co-founder of Based Politics, to discuss the results of the midterm elections, what we can learn from a lukewarm performance from Republicans, and the state of conservatism in the United States. One clear takeaway is that those Republicans who took a clear stand on liberty issues did better than their less principled counterparts. Thomas Massie, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, and Ron DeSantis won their races because voters recognized leaders who are willing to stand up against the tide of authoritarianism coming from Washington. In other cases, generic Republican candidates simply failed to capitalize on Americans’ widespread feelings of dissatisfaction, with a lack of inspiring candidates or a convincing case for how they would govern more responsibly.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to discuss the results of the recent midterm election. Many people were expecting Democrats to take a beating after COVID lockdowns, a weak economy, and record inflation, but for the most part, this didn’t happen. There are several explanations for this, including a number of lackluster Republican candidates and failure to sufficiently convince voters that Republicans would govern more responsibly. After all, many of the problems Americans now face started under a Republican president. If Republicans want to win in the future, they need to stand for something tangible. This is why Ron DeSantis had a good night, while moderate Republicans like Dr. Oz and Herschel Walker struggled. There’s also a conversation to be had about the role of Donald Trump in the GOP’s future, after many of his endorsements appeared to do more harm than good.
Matt Kibbe talks with economist Per Bylund about his new book, “How to Think About the Economy: A Primer.” Bylund explains what the economy actually is and how it works in terms that are easy for anyone to understand. Economics is not, as many believe, the study of money or finance, but a way of understanding human decision-making given the constraints of scarce resources. Per also explains the basics of the Austrian School of Economics, which differs in several important ways from the Chicago School and the Keynesian School, which are generally more popular with politicians and policymakers. How to Think About the Economy: A Primer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1610167554/
Matt Kibbe sits down with Will Ruger, president of the American Institute for Economic Research, to discuss the theory of foreign policy realism and how we can apply it to international conflicts like the war in Ukraine. Contrary to what critics claim, realists are not isolationists. They recognize a role for the American military on the world stage. But at the same time, they think that involvement should be restrained and always focused on America’s clear national security interests. By contrast, the neoconservative approach imagines that the United States has a duty to order the world as the U.S. government sees fit, engaging in nation-building and taking sides in every conflict around the globe.
Matt Kibbe is joined by comedic magician Doc Dixon to talk about what it was like being an entertainer during the years when live performances were mostly prohibited. As a libertarian, Dixon saw the dangers of lockdowns earlier than most — dangers not only to his ability to earn a living but to the mental health of a nation deprived of human interaction. From there, the discussion swings through a variety of topics, including the business of magic, the healing power of comedy, drug legalization, and the Ron Paul revolution.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Marian Tupy, senior fellow at the Cato Institute and author of “Superabundance,” to talk about the ways in which the standard of living has dramatically increased over the years. It has become fashionable to assert that things are getting worse, wages have stagnated, and prosperity is a thing of the past, but in reality the opposite is true. If you look at the numbers, as Tupy does in his book, it’s indisputable that we’ve made amazing progress as a species, and yet many refuse to recognize it. The reason is that utopian thinking leads to comparing the present not to the past, but to an unrealizable ideal that exists only in the imagination. When you make this comparison, you are bound to be disappointed. A more realistic approach shows that this resentment is misplaced and that in fact we should be grateful for all the wealth and prosperity we now enjoy.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Robert Alt, CEO of the Buckeye Institute, and Eric Flannery, owner of the Big Board, to celebrate the filing of their constitutional challenge against the District of Columbia. After Eric announced that his restaurant would not discriminate against the unvaccinated, the city pulled his liquor license and ultimately shut him down completely. Nine months later, after Eric was forced to burn through his life savings, the Big Board is open and the outstanding fines have been dismissed. But Eric and Robert are fighting on in defense of the fundamentally American principles at stake. Their new legal challenge argues that the D.C. government did not have the authority to issue a string of emergency orders that resulted in the Big Board’s shutdown and that these actions, by seeking to evade congressional review and judicial scrutiny, violated the U.S. Constitution and the Home Rule Act of 1973. Watch Free the People's documentary coverage of this story: Shut Down Indefinitely | Part 1: https://youtu.be/hA-iPTXJfQE Shut Down Indefinitely | Part 2: https://youtu.be/OWAa7P8DmBI
Matt Kibbe sits down with Corey DeAngelis, senior fellow at the American Federation for Children, to discuss the bottom-up revolution sweeping the States, driven by fed-up parents demanding better choices and accountability from failing government schools. While Arizona’s reforms are the new gold standard, and West Virginia is making progress in offering school choice to more students, parents should demand more, especially from Republicans. With students still recovering from COVID lockdowns and long-term school closures, the last thing children need is politics getting in the way of parental rights and much needed reforms.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Carol Roth, author of “The War on Small Business,” to discuss the many ways in which government policy favors huge corporations and makes life hard for the independent business owner. For all the talk about small business being the backbone of the American economy, it would be hard to design a set of policies more hostile to small businesses. Considering everything from COVID lockdowns, to Wall Street bailouts, to Obamacare, to the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve, it’s clear that the rich and powerful have a seat at the table that is denied to the rest of us, and that translates into a playing field that is anything but level. The War on Small Business: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063081415
Matt Kibbe is joined by Stanford University epidemiologists Jay Bhattacharya and John Ioannidis to discuss the interaction between science and health policy. The COVID-19 response was one-sided and dictated from the top down, which not only led to many disastrous policies, but also undermined the public trust in science and medicine as institutions. In the future, what is needed is a more humble approach to policymaking that admits its own ignorance and allows the public more opportunities to participate in the decision-making process.
Matt Kibbe talks with Gene Epstein, director of the Soho Forum, about the economy, inflation, and whether or not the United States is set to experience a severe recession. Kibbe argues that between lockdowns, rampant spending, and an unwillingness of the Biden administration to take its foot off the gas, we could be in the midst of a perfect storm for economic downturn. Epstein, on the other hand, thinks that the economy is more resilient than that — based on the rapid recovery we saw after lockdowns were lifted. While we can certainly expect some degree of economic hardship in the near future, how severe it will be is still very much an open question.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Jenin Younes, litigation counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance, to discuss the lawsuit filed by two attorneys general against the federal government over online censorship. There is a mounting body of evidence that the Biden administration pressured social media companies into removing certain content, and the suit alleges that this is a clear violation of the First Amendment. If major platforms like Twitter and Facebook are acting as an arm of the federal government under threat of punishment if they disobey, the basic principle of freedom of speech and of the press is severely compromised, replaced by a regime of aggressive censorship and propaganda.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Lou Perez, comedian and author of “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore,” to talk about the future of comedy in a world where taking offense has risen to the level of a competitive sport. As comedians abandon college campuses and risk having their social media presence destroyed by saying something controversial, comedy has become the vanguard for free expression and the war against censorship. Without jesters to poke fun at the powerful and cloak important truths in humor, society becomes a stagnant, humorless morass that tends ever closer towards authoritarianism. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637582455
Matt Kibbe sits down with Heather Wilson and Jacob Wells, co-founders of GiveSendGo, a crowdfunding website that doesn’t discriminate based on differences in ideology. After several high-profile cases where crowdfunders have blocked campaigns for the Canadian truckers or businesses refusing to comply with vaccine mandates, people are looking for an alternative solution to support companies that are willing to stand up for their values. As cancel culture and deplatforming are interfering even with people’s ability to make charitable contributions to support freedom, competition and entrepreneurship are more important than ever in providing an escape from the woke mob.
Matt Kibbe sits down with economist David Friedman, one of the original advocates for a stateless society, where all services are provided by markets rather than government. He called this system anarcho-capitalism, and in the nearly fifty years since the publication of his seminal book “The Machinery of Freedom,” his ideas have become extremely influential among the libertarian movement. Friedman discusses his philosophy of a free society and the ways in which he tries to persuade skeptics that his system would be preferable to the one we have now, or to similarly revolutionary proposals by socialists.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Kyle Mann, editor in chief of the Babylon Bee, to talk about the ways in which laughter can cut through the constant anxiety that news outlets and political partisans demand we feel at all times. The evidence that this works comes from the overt hostility displayed to the Babylon Bee’s innocent satire by fact-checkers and social media platforms. The mere act of bringing people together through humor has become a threat to the endless divisions that keep us fighting among ourselves.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Dr. Jay Battacharya, professor of health policy at Stanford University, to talk about the continued hesitancy of the mainstream media and government scientists to acknowledge the immense harm caused by COVID lockdowns. As one of the authors of the “Great Barrington Declaration,” Dr. Battacharya has been subjected to a relentless smear campaign designed to discredit him, yet the evidence is clear to anyone willing to look: Not only did lockdowns throw millions into poverty, but they were made possible by the extremely dangerous gain-of-function research that allowed the virus to spread in the first place. The hostility toward lockdown skeptics is largely an attempt for those responsible for COVID to cover their tracks and shift the blame to others.
Matt Kibbe sits down with three members of the New Hampshire Libertarian Party to talk about the Free State Project and the pro-liberty trend in New Hampshire politics. As members of the Mises Caucus, which recently took over the Party's leadership, they are adamantly opposed to lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and other authoritarian responses to the pandemic. They attribute their success not only to the power of their message, but to the strong community bonds that characterize the libertarian movement in New Hampshire.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Jordan and Daniel Harmon, co-founders of Angel Studios, to talk about their new model for financing and distributing movies and television shows. The Hollywood machine has become so expensive and so difficult to break into that it has become all but impossible for independent filmmakers to find an outlet for their creativity. The problem is compounded when you want to make films with different values from those of the studio elites. Angel Studios is solving this problem through crowdfunding and has already demonstrated success with its popular shows “The Chosen” and “The Tuttle Twins,” based on the successful book series.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Adam Andrzejewski, CEO of Openthebooks.com, to discuss the complex web of payola that exists between major pharmaceutical companies and scientists at the NIH. Many of these government bureaucrats, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, receive royalty payments for products they work on. Now that they are in a position to regulate, and even mandate, the use of certain treatments, this creates a major conflict of interest. We can’t trust those in the government to pick winners and losers in the marketplace when doing so allows them to enrich themselves at the expense of the American taxpayer and even at the cost of public health.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Clint Russell, host of “Liberty Lockdown,” to talk about how the lockdown policies of the last two years have created the infrastructure to implement a nightmarish regime of social control to rival China’s social credit system. Under the guise of promoting environmental protection, social justice, and good governance, those who control the nation’s financial systems will be able to aggressively police individual behavior. Anyone who doesn’t behave “correctly” will find their access to society cut off, including the loss of their bank accounts. And the scariest thing is that it’s not just the government implementing these policies, but nominally private businesses acting on the government’s behalf.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Magno Karl, executive director of Livres, to discuss the recent political changes in Brazil, the country's liberty movement, and the prospects for a freer, more open Brazil in the near future. Karl explains the difference between Brazil's multi-party system and America's two-party one, warns against the dangers of electing a populist strongman, and urges libertarians from all countries to stop bickering with each other in order to more effectively unite in creating a better world free of power-hungry dictators.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Rachel Ferguson and Marcus Witcher, authors of “Black Liberation Through the Marketplace,” to discuss the ways in which free markets and free people have done more for racial justice and equality than any top-down government program. While acknowledging that minorities still face real problems with structural racism in the United States, Ferguson and Witcher point out that in most cases these structures are imposed by the government rather than eliminated by them, and the largest reductions in racist policies have come during periods of deregulation. While the social justice crowds tend to demand more and more intervention by the state, they ignore the fact that slavery, segregation, eugenics, and all of the other racially motivated programs were products of a large central government, not of ordinary people. Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637583443
Matt Kibbe sits down with Leopold Ajami, founder of Novel Philosophy Academy, to talk about the philosophy of Ayn Rand and how it can be applied to improve people’s lives in a tangible way. Rand gets a bad rap for her defense of terms like “selfishness,” but in essence her philosophy is all about self-respect and the pursuit of happiness. In an era when young people are surrounded by prosperity and yet feel miserable and oppressed, Rand’s ideas can perhaps provide an antidote to the pessimism and fatalism that are dominating the culture experienced by America’s youth.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Jesse Ramos, community engagement director for AFP-Montana, to talk about the ways in which individuals can make a difference in local politics. So often, our conversations revolve around national institutions like the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court, but it’s really at the local level where we can best hope to effect real change. Issues like education, property taxes, and the lockdown policies implemented by local health departments can have a dramatic impact on people’s lives, but we can improve those outcomes simply by showing up to city council meetings and getting involved.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Republican congressional candidate Lily Tang Williams to talk about her experiences growing up under Chinese communism and the ways in which the United States is starting to be influenced by the same kinds of authoritarian policies. Mao Zedong’s socialist experiment resulted in 45 million deaths, but young people today have barely even heard of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The lockdown policy during the coronavirus pandemic originated in China, and now the American government is openly pondering a system of vaccine passports that looks a lot like the Chinese social credit system. This is a totalitarian policy that gives the government total control over the degree to which citizens are allowed to participate in their own society.
Matt Kibbe sits down with conservatarian journalist and commentator Olivia Rondeau to talk about the Biden administration’s obsession with fighting alleged disinformation. While lies and propaganda have always been part of public discourse, the sudden focus on policing speech might have more to do with plummeting poll numbers, skyrocketing inflation, the devastation of COVID lockdown policies, shortages, unemployment, and all the other consequences of a backward policy agenda that has left voters high and dry. As a young black conservative woman, Rondeau is in a position to see through all the nonsense of identity politics and game playing leading up to the midterm elections.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to discuss the causes and solutions to the current shortage of baby formula in the United States. It’s mainly the result of an absurd regulatory regime that hinders competition and prevents producers and distributors from meeting the needs of consumers. But rather than dismantling or scaling back those regulations, the administration is engaging in cheap political stunts — including the use of military planes to air drop baby formula from Europe into swing states. The whole incident is a perfect illustration of the inability of a central government to effectively distribute goods in the same way that a free market is capable of doing. The senator also discusses his new book, “Saving Nine,” about the Democratic effort to pack the Supreme Court.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Tony Woodlief, author of "I, Citizen," to talk about how Americans can address political polarization and the increasingly fragmented communities that leave us at each other’s throats. If you only view the country through the lens of social media, you could be forgiven for thinking that the country is on the brink of a civil war. The reality is that we are less divided than we seem. The tendency to break everything down into Left and Right doesn’t actually reflect people’s real attitudes. In reality, most people fall somewhere in the middle, or else have a complex blend of views from both sides of the aisle. The kind of Manichean thinking that reduces everything to red versus blue is what’s dividing us more than our actual views. I, Citizen: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641772107/
While visiting Prague to attend the New Intellectuals Conference, hosted by the Ayn Rand Center Europe and LibertyCon 2022, Matt Kibbe ran into several young persons from Ukraine who were eager to tell the world about what is going on in their country. It’s shocking to hear about the devastation and ruined cities brought about by the Russian forces. Yet, contrary to all expectations, Vladimir Putin is encountering massive resistance not only from the Ukrainian military, but from the ordinary citizens of the country as well. It’s inspiring to hear these students describe their experiences in occupied Ukraine and proclaim their determination to keep their country free and democratic. As they say, freedom is in Ukrainians’ blood.
Matt Kibbe talks with Tom Palmer, executive vice president for international programs at Atlas Network, along with co-conspirators Andreas Jürgens and Tomek Kolodziejczuk about their efforts to transport badly needed supplies into Ukraine during the Russian invasion. Unwilling to wait for governments to act, Tom, Andreas, and Tomek decided to take matters into their own hands, organizing a network of individuals willing to risk their own safety to bring food, transportation, and body armor to the Ukrainian people. Their actions are a testament to the power of voluntary cooperation and personal responsibility at a time when most of the world is looking for someone else to solve their problems for them.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Deirdre McCloskey, distinguished professor emeritus of economics and of history at the University of Illinois in Chicago, to talk about the language we use as advocates of free market economics. McCloskey points out that economics is essentially a series of metaphors, and that we can best explain its concepts through stories rather than the dry language of academia. Meanwhile, certain jargon or stigmatized terms like “capitalism” are doing more harm than good when it comes to helping people understand why the freedom to innovate makes life better for everyone.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Glenn Beck, author of "The Great Reset: Joe Biden and the Rise of 21st-Century Fascism." They talk about the gatekeepers of the internet who suppress ideas, news, and stories that do not fit the mainstream narrative. Glaring similarities can be seen to China’s model of a social credit system—both in free speech online and the pandemic lockdowns, when so many of our freedoms were stolen in the name of safety.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Jeremy Kauffman, CEO of Odysee and LBRY, to talk about how Blockchain can provide a safe haven for free speech online through alternate social media platforms. Because of its decentralized nature, Blockchain-based services can’t be censored or tampered with in the same way that other websites can, with the implication being a freer, more secure internet in the future. Of course, this also means that the government is eager to crack down on this technology, as it poses a threat to its ability to control communications.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Jenin Younes, litigation counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance, to discuss the jarring reversal of the Biden administration and other Democratic politicians regarding COVID-19 and lockdown policies. As empirical evidence and public support for their positions evaporated, the “follow the science” crowd appeared to lose interest in a subject that has preoccupied them for two years, declaring victory over the virus apropos of nothing other than poor polling data and a desire to change the subject prior to the midterm elections.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Dan Caldwell, vice president of foreign policy at Stand Together, to discuss the increasingly fervent calls for U.S. intervention in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Too many armchair pundits fail to realize the catastrophic implications of a conventional war with Russia, or the fact that it is ultimately the Ukrainian people who will pay the greatest price for a prolonged conflict rather than a diplomatic solution. Additionally, calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine fail to take into account what enforcing such a policy would actually mean and how quickly the situation could escalate into an all-out global war. All this goes to show how little politicians in Washington have learned from the country’s costly, multi-decade interventions in the Middle East and that the military-industrial complex will be deterred by neither evidence nor common sense.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Logan Albright, head writer at Free the People and author of Conform or Be Cast Out, to discuss the numerous and varied evils of the nation's least favorite tradition: Daylight Savings Time. Bad for your health and unjustified by any objective metric, the process of springing forward and falling back also demonstrates man's hubris in trying to put a whole nation out of sync with the natural rhythms of the Earth and sun. Meanwhile, a new bill being ushered through Congress, The Sunshine Protection Act, would apparently rid us of this blight once and for all, yet, in typical government fashion, might actually make things even worse. Conform or Be Cast Out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1789048427/
Matt Kibbe is joined by Phil Magness, senior research faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research, to discuss critical race theory, with specific reference to the New York Times’ 1619 Project. The 1619 Project is an effort to frame all of American history as a story of oppression and slavery, yet it’s a mess of sloppy research, poor scholarship, and intellectual dishonesty more concerned with pushing a political agenda than with uncovering the true facts about our nation’s history. The Times has even sunk so low as to alter articles without issuing retraction notices to cover up factual inaccuracies or to remove citations of “problematic” scholars, including Magness’ own work on Abraham Lincoln.
Matt Kibbe and Blockchain technologist Cody Marx Bailey continue their discussion of the secure, decentralized technology that has the potential to change the world. Blockchain provides solutions to major problems in trust and communication for people all over the planet, regardless of what their political or economic situations look like. And while governments tend to be hostile to any system that liberates individuals from their control, from a practical perspective there’s not much they can do to stop it.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Blockchain technologist Cody Marx Bailey to discuss the implications of decentralized Blockchain technology to create a freer, more liberated future. Since no one owns or controls the Blockchain, no one can shut it down. At a time when governments are shutting down individuals’ bank accounts and censoring information on the internet, the potential for a solution that is entirely immune to political power would be a true game-changer.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Phil Magness, senior research faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research, to discuss the rapidly changing narratives on COVID-19. Since the release of the Great Barrington Declaration and all the criticism leveled at it, many of the predictions made two years ago have proved correct. The attempts to suppress misinformation now look incredibly foolish, given that the “misinformation” turned out to be right, and the official narrative turned out to be wrong.
Seventy two hours into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Matt Kibbe checks in with Nataliya Melnyk, Director of Bendukidze Free Market Center based in Kyiv. Nataliya has been in the city since the war began, and she offers a unique boots-on-the-ground perspective of the conflict that now puts her directly in peril. Amid warning sirens heard from her apartment, she discusses the history of Ukraine’s relationship with Russia, what Vladimir Putin is really after, and why the citizens of Ukraine have taken up arms to defend their home from Russian troops.
When Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that restaurants in the District of Columbia would be required to turn away some customers based on their medical history, Eric Flannery told his customers that he would never discriminate against them. As a result, the city revoked his liquor license and ultimately shut down his restaurant entirely. Matt Kibbe sits down with Eric to find out why he was willing to stick his neck out to resist this authoritarian policy. They are also joined by Robert Alt, president and CEO of the Buckeye Institute, who is representing Eric in his case against the city, which has been using emergency powers for nearly two years in defiance of the long-standing legal principle of public accommodation.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Hannah Cox and Brad Polumbo to talk about “Based Politics,” their new venture into libertarian-leaning commentary on the absurdity of woke culture and big government hijinks. They discuss how the political Left has turned its back on formerly liberal principles like free speech and the freedom to protest the government, while pointing out that in most cases, the solution to societal problems can be found in markets and in decentralization rather than in the kind of top-down, bureaucratic planning typically favored by politicians and experts on both sides of the aisle.
In this special bonus episode of Kibbe on Liberty, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) explains to Matt Kibbe why it would be a mistake for the United States to get involved in the mounting conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Too often, our elected officials are eager to start wars on the other side of the globe to distract from problems here at home, without considering the cost in American blood and treasure. While there are seldom good reasons for butting into squabbles among other countries which we know little about, there are plenty of excellent ones to avoid these entanglements, not the least of which is our abysmal track record at competently managing our overseas involvements.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to review some of the predictions the congressman made about the harmful effects of lockdowns at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Massie has checked the receipts and discovered that many things that were dismissed—or outright censored—as dangerous misinformation when he first said them have now become accepted scientific fact, proving the importance of allowing these conversations to play out without dictating what constitutes an indisputable truth.
What motivates a person to want to silence all competing voices? Matt Kibbe is joined by attorney and author Robert Corn-Revere to discuss this question and others. Corn-Revere’s new book, “The Mind of the Censor and the Eye of the Beholder,” elegantly makes the case for free expression while demonstrating that, throughout history, the censors have never been the good guys. Free the People executive producer Matt Battaglia also joins to discuss censorship’s impact on the medium of comics. At a time when free speech is under attack from all sides, it’s more important than ever to remind the world that censorship invariably makes society worse, not better. The Mind of the Censor and the Eye of the Beholder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1107570379/
Matt Kibbe is joined by Jenin Younes, litigation counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance, to discuss the imminent Supreme Court decision on whether OSHA can legally mandate that workers take the COVID-19 vaccine. From a constitutional standpoint, the answer seems obvious, but unfortunately the Court has shown that it is not immune to the propaganda perpetuated by government agencies and the media operating on their behalf. As it becomes more and more difficult to obtain unbiased health care information and the public loses trust in the medical establishment, proposals such as the mandatory vaccination of children become increasingly troubling. But will the Court agree?
Matt Kibbe is joined by Logan Albright, head writer for Free the People and author of “Conform or Be Cast Out: The (Literal) Demonization of Nonconformists.” Together they discuss the ways in which the ruling elites have attempted to enforce conformity on the population using stigma, shaming, and often physical violence. Although the book was written before the outbreak of COVID-19, the cost of being a nonconformist has suddenly become very real to the millions of people threatened with losing their jobs or their access to the basic functions of society. And although a certain amount of conformity is sometimes necessary to maintain harmony, it is ultimately those who dare to be different who move the world forward toward new frontiers.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Brian McWilliams, co-founder of Lions of Liberty, and Calum Nicholson, visiting fellow at the Danube Institute, to discuss the failures of the technocratic state in managing public health during a pandemic, spreading democracy abroad, and just about everything else. While it’s difficult to find a silver lining in the last two years of chaos, one bright spot may be the revelation to many people that those who wish to design society from the top down really have no idea what they are talking about. The people who hold the levers of power imagine that they know enough to understand, and therefore effectively control, the lives of millions of people, but we now have enough empirical evidence to see very clearly that that is simply not the case.
Matt Kibbe is joined by a tired and slightly hungover Free the People staff under the lights of six Christmas trees to discuss some of the projects that have been keeping them going all year, as well as a look ahead at 2022. These include the award-winning “All We Have,” the story of a family struggling to keep their family business under a constantly changing regime of COVID regulations; a series warning people about how far government emergency powers can really go; and a forthcoming documentary about families who have decided to leave the government school system due to intolerable pandemic policies.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Robert Alt, president and CEO of the Buckeye Institute, to discuss whether there are any effective legal mechanisms to limit government power when both federal and state officials are dedicated to expanding it as much as possible under the rubric of “emergency measures.” Alt points to historical examples of temporary programs that became permanent, how the courts can stop certain unconstitutional programs, and the terrible legal precedents that led us to where we are today.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to discuss the bloated end-of-year budget that always keeps Congress in town right up until Christmas. This year, it’s particularly grim, as the bill contains funding to implement the Biden administration’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate. While many Republicans are hoping the courts will strike down the mandate, this creates a dangerous precedent in which Congress abdicates its responsibility to the voters, ceding that power to unelected judges. While there’s a good chance that the vaccine mandate will not be allowed to stand, it doesn’t excuse the legislative branch from properly fulfilling its role to rein in the executive power of the president.
Matt Kibbe sits down with economist Peter C. Earle to discuss all the policy failures that have led to the Christmas season looking less merry, and more expensive, than it should. From runaway inflation to shipping delays and drops in employment, the Biden administration has shown no signs of understanding the first thing about economics — and is more concerned with virtue signaling than with actually solving the problems facing Americans this December.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Matt Ridley, author of “Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19,” to discuss the constantly shifting media narrative surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, including the once taboo “lab-leak hypothesis.” Ridley runs down the evidence for the hypothesis, including why the original story about Chinese wet markets makes no sense, and addresses the controversy about gain-of-function research. He also lays out the costs — in terms of reputation, harassment, and bullying — that he and his co-author have paid for being willing to contradict the scientific and medical establishment on this issue.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Corey Olsen, president of Signum University, to talk about the ways in which higher education has failed to serve students and adapt to a changing economic and technological environment. Signum was one of the first fully online universities, a model that has proved to be ahead of its time in the aftermath of the pandemic. Online education not only solves the problem of physical distance, but also addresses tuition inflation and the resulting student debt crisis. The ability to innovate around traditional universities is far more productive than policies that simply enable a corrupt and outmoded system. Dr. Olsen is also well known online as the Tolkien Professor, leading Kibbe to probe him about the economics of the Shire.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Antonella Marty, associate director of PR and influencer relations at Atlas Network, to talk about Latin America’s struggles with socialism, nationalism, and organized crime. It’s a frustrating and tragic situation because we know that free markets and light regulation will lead to less poverty and more opportunity, but the governments of countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and Argentina keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Meanwhile, politicians and intellectuals in America continue to admire dictators like Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, to the point of even wanting to bring their ideas to our own shores.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Jon Miltimore, managing editor at the Foundation for Economic Education, to talk about the reason why America’s supply chain has broken down and what can be done to fix it. By locking down the economy for over a year, the government artificially changed consumer habits while preventing workers from stepping up to meet the excess demand. Now, out of ideas, the Biden administration is simply pumping money into the economy, which doesn’t solve the problem, but does create inflation that is bad for everyone.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Maria C. Werlau, executive director at the Free Society Project, to discuss the popular mythologies surrounding Cuba and its record on human rights. Although American leftists like Michael Moore and Bernie Sanders praise the Cuban system in everything from health care to education, the reality on the ground is much different from what they are allowed to see as tourists and guests of the Cuban government. Rich capitalists from overseas are indeed treated well, but the two-tiered system that rewards political connections is brutal for ordinary Cuban citizens.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to talk about the ways in which public health officials like Anthony Fauci have misled the American people by refusing to consider natural immunity and alternative COVID treatments, instead focusing entirely on vaccine and mask mandates. Rand is dismayed at all the support these policies have gained from pseudo-libertarians and urges people to take control of their medical care by learning to outsmart the hospital bureaucracy to get the treatment they need. When our leaders prove themselves to be untrustworthy, it is incumbent upon each of us to assume responsibility for keeping ourselves and our loved ones healthy.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Reed Coverdale, host of the Naturalist Capitalist podcast and professional trucker, to talk about the traditional American spirit of liberty and independence and how that has gradually been replaced by desire for short-term comfort over long-term fulfillment. At the same time, we’ve become terrified of experiencing the sort of loss that has been the norm for all of human existence and that goes a long way toward shaping character and inner strength. The country has become so focused on safety and security that no one wants to have adventures any more, but it’s those adventures that make life worth living.
Matt Kibbe is joined by James Harrigan and Antony Davies, economists and hosts of the Words & Numbers podcast. They explain how an objective look at economics reveals a world that is constantly improving, from improvements in technology to increases in lifespan and reductions in extreme poverty. The Americans who complain about their country lack the necessary perspective to see how much better the quality of life is than in any other country or any other time in history. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be worried about the growing threats of inflation and centralized government power, which may reverse some of the gains we’ve made.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) for a conversation that will surely attract the ire of censors everywhere. Massie explains why public health officials are ignoring the evidence for natural immunity acquired through exposure to COVID-19, why we’ve been repeatedly lied to about the effectiveness of face masks, and the subtle political strategy underlying the Biden administration’s planned vaccine mandates. Is it a conspiracy? Is it a cover-up? Or is everybody in power just incompetent? Watch to find out before this show gets scrubbed from the internet.
Matt Kibbe talks to Khalid Ramizy, CEO of the Afghanistan Economic and Legal Studies Organization, about the situation in Kabul during the departure of American forces. Khalid successfully managed to flee to Albania with his family, where he was able to find safety, but it took extraordinary cunning and great risk to escape the country. Khalid was also a particular target for the Taliban as the leader of a free-market think tank in Afghanistan. Those who wish to stand up for freedom in the Middle East are taking their lives into their own hands.
Matt Kibbe sits down with TheBlaze.com founder Glenn Beck to discuss his rescue activities in Afghanistan, as well as the increasingly depressing state of the world. Having seen unspeakable horrors with his own eyes, Beck now understands the magnitude of government’s cruelty and callousness towards ordinary people, even when lives are at stake. That knowledge, combined with the systematic attempts to dismantle the values and freedoms of Western civilization, makes it difficult to be an optimist at this particular time in history, although Kibbe gives it the old college try.
Matt Kibbe sits down with comedian JP Sears to talk about his evolution from a spiritual satirist to a champion of freedom. As the political landscape has shifted, JP saw his liberties legitimately threatened for the first time and was surprised to find how little the rest of his community cared. The generation that grew up with participation trophies has gotten used to never having to deal with discomfort, which leads them to expect someone else to solve all their problems. What they have to realize is that if you want to live free, it’s not always going to be safe or easy, whereas if you want to feel safe, it means giving up most of your personal autonomy.
Matt Kibbe sits down with veteran and congressman Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) to discuss Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. While Rep. Davidson has long advocated ending the war, he views it as unacceptable to leave American soldiers, civilians, and allies behind to fall into the grip of the Taliban. Davidson and a group of Republican veterans in Congress have been asking Nancy Pelosi to reconvene the House of Representative to put pressure on the Biden administration to cut through the diplomatic bureaucracy and make complete evacuation a priority.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Jo Ann Skousen, director of the Anthem Film Festival at FreedomFest in Rapid City, South Dakota. For ten years, Anthem has been a place to celebrate and encourage visual storytelling with a focus on issues of liberty and personal responsibility. Jo Ann explains how she came to find the festival, how it has grown and changed over the years, and why the ability to put together a compelling narrative, either through fiction or nonfiction, is essential to anyone who wishes to reach a broad audience of any kind.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Kelley Vlahos from the Quincy Institute and Matt Purple of the American Conservative for an emergency special edition of Kibbe on Liberty to sort out what is happening in Afghanistan and whether President Biden should be praised for ending the twenty-year conflict or condemned for mismanaging the withdrawal. Americans have voted for anti-war rhetoric in each of the last six presidential elections, and now at last they are seeing some results. Ending the war was never going to be pretty, but it was nevertheless necessary and long overdue.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Gene Epstein, director and moderator of the Soho Forum, to talk about the importance of debating big ideas. The Soho Forum has hosted over 50 debates on a variety of topics of interest to anyone who values liberty, philosophy, economics, public policy, and political science. Epstein offers his opinion on what makes a good debate, and the role that these conversations play in shaping public attitudes toward things like capitalism, socialism, and the role of government. He also explains why debating socialists can be a difficult and dangerous enterprise, primarily when members of the audience become hostile.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Tom Woods, host of the Tom Woods Show, who discusses public speaking, communication, and the importance of communicating complex ideas in simple language. Too many libertarians talk like economists, resorting to obscure and overly specialized jargon. If we want to spread the message of freedom, we need to get better at boiling our ideas down to their essentials. They go on to discuss the insanity of COVID-19 lockdowns, misleading caricatures of libertarians, political strategy, and the future of the movement with young people.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Lily Tang Williams, a survivor of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, to discuss her concerns about the direction America is going. Having fled the horrors of Chinese communism, Williams is dismayed to see public health officials openly admiring the Chinese government’s authoritarian approach to disease control. Not only that, but the type of critical race theory being pushed in American schools resembles Chinese propaganda that seeks to divide people into “oppressor” groups and “oppressed” groups. We see Americans reporting each other to the government, as Mao encouraged his citizens to do, and the proposed vaccine passports resemble China’s social credit system. Mao’s policies ended up killing tens of millions of people; it’s vital that we not repeat his mistakes here at home.
Matt Kibbe sits down with comedian Dave Smith, host of the Part of the Problem podcast, to talk about the diverse ways in which we can communicate libertarian ideas to the broader public. Smith uses humor and satire to skewer the absurdity of big government and its apologists. But in a crowd of 2,500 libertarians at PorcFest 2021, it’s possible to find examples of just about every other strategy you can think of. Both Smith and Kibbe stress the importance of building a community of writers, artists, and public speakers, because your ideas are only as good as your ability to communicate them.
Matt Kibbe talks to Martha Bueno, Candidate for Miami Dade County Commissioner and the daughter of Cuban immigrants, about the developing situation in Cuba, where locals are rising up in protest against government oppression. Bueno recounts the ways in which her whole life has been haunted by the specter of Latin American socialism, and explains what the situation is really like for people living in Cuba today. While American politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continue to apologize for socialist policies, people who have actually lived it know that the answer is freedom, not socialism.
In the first of a series of shows filmed at this year's PorcFest, Matt Kibbe sits down with organizers Carla Gericke and Dennis Pratt to discuss this remarkable gathering of liberty lovers from all across the nation. PorcFest is just one part of the larger Free State Project, an effort to gather libertarians and other freedom-minded folk in the state of New Hampshire to influence public policy and build a community. Whether you want to run for office, start a business, or just live near people who share your ideals, the Free State Project hopes to create an island of liberty apart from the increasingly polarized and authoritarian tendencies gripping the rest of the country.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Ted Mitzlaff from Goodwood Brewing and Oliver Dunford from the Pacific Legal Foundation to discuss the ways in which the capricious mandates from Kentucky’s governor have all but destroyed the state’s brewing industry. After struggling to comply with a series of ever-shifting COVID-19 regulations, the brewery has decided to take Governor Andy Beshear to court, challenging his authority to unilaterally wreak devastation on his citizens’ livelihoods. Goodwood’s situation is one out of thousands of similar businesses driven to the point of bankruptcy by draconian lockdown policies.
Matt Kibbe is joined by professor of economics Christopher Coyne to discuss the new book “Tyranny Comes Home.” Coyne’s thesis is that the abuse of military power works like a boomerang, with our nation-building efforts abroad returning to our shores in the form of police militarization, domestic surveillance, and massive civil liberties violations. It’s not actually possible to have a free and open society at home when we insist on acting as the world’s policemen abroad. Tyranny Comes Home: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084JC1DX2/
Matt Kibbe sits down with Blaze Media founder Glenn Beck to talk about the Great Reset or, as Kibbe calls it, COVID socialism. Under the guise of public health, we’ve seen terrifying expansions in government spending, debt, inflation, and outright authoritarianism. In the midst of all this, we hear President Biden admitting that the democratic process itself is inconvenient to the goals he wants to pursue. China is not only being praised for its handling of the pandemic, but for the top-down way it runs its economy. Basic American values like freedom and responsibility have gone from ends in themselves to problems to be overcome by our supposedly enlightened leaders.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) to talk about where Republicans have strayed from their traditional values. As a high school dropout who turned a bad situation into a phenomenal success story, Rep. Mace stresses the importance of compassion and second chances in politics, crossing party lines to work on issues like ending foreign wars and reforming the criminal justice system. We can create opportunity and lift people out of poverty, but not by mortgaging our children’s futures with irresponsible spending and a one-strike-and-you’re-out prison-industrial complex.
Matt Kibbe talks with Li Schoolland, who grew up in China under Mao Zedong, about the many ways that Chinese communism persecutes individuals and crushes opportunity. As elites in the U.S. increasingly look to China for ideas about economic and social governance, we have to remember that country’s abysmal record of human rights violations and grinding poverty. Not only does communism emphatically not work, but the government knows it doesn’t work, yet clings to it anyway because political power is more important than an improved life for the Chinese people. It’s a road that the U.S. must shun at every opportunity.
Matt Kibbe talks to Gil Dagan, Leadership Outreach Coordinator for Students for Liberty in Israel, about the recent riots and rocket strikes in Jerusalem. In this highly charged atmosphere, Gil attempts to give a balanced take from a libertarian perspective about both the historical roots of the conflict and the situation as it exists today. As extremists on both sides continue to escalate and provoke violence for political reasons, ordinary Israelis and Palestinians generally just want to live their lives in peace and freedom.
Matt Kibbe sits down with blues guitarist Tommy Z to talk about the hazards of living in a blue state, with a governor bent on destroying the live music industry and stoking public fears. Being a musician in the time of COVID is hard, especially when you’re a freedom-loving Ron Paul acolyte trying to promote a new record. Tommy Z’s album “Plug In and Play” will be released on May 28, and you can listen to it as long as Andrew Cuomo doesn’t make it illegal. Get "Plug In and Play": https://tommyzband.com/pre-order-plug-in-and-play
Matt Kibbe sits down with Mark Pellegrino, a film and television actor who’s had roles in such successful projects as “The Big Lebowski,” “Lost,” and “Mulholland Drive.” They talk about Mark’s devotion to Ayn Rand and the philosophy of freedom, cancel culture in Hollywood, postmodernism, and how dignity comes from autonomy and self-worth, not a government handout.
Matt Kibbe sits down with economist Peter Boettke to discuss his new book, “The Struggle for a Better World,” about the hope that comes along with the vision of a free society. Too often, economists are seen as raining on the parades of the do-gooders who want to fix injustice in society. Boettke argues that we can be just as positive and inspiring as progressives, only instead of depending on privileged elites to solve our problems for us, we can recognize that a truly great society comes from ordinary people being allowed to pursue happiness in their own individual ways.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Stephen Kent, author of “How the Force Can Fix the World,” and Free the People executive producer Matt Battaglia to discuss the valuable moral and political lessons of the world’s most popular movie franchise. The Star Wars saga contains deep and highly relevant truths to help us repair much of what is wrong with the world today, starting with the need to reject fear and embrace hope. At a time when it seems like every aspect of society is dominated by the fear of what might go wrong, we are desperately in need of a moral compass that points toward redemption, forgiveness, and a future that can be better and brighter than today.
Matt Kibbe sits down with economist Phillip Magness, who has been documenting the historical record of America’s most powerful bureaucrat, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Although we’re supposed to trust everything Fauci says on faith, it turns out he has a long record of flip-flopping, baseless assertions, and just plain incompetence. In the 1980s, Fauci speculated wildly about the possibility of transmitting the HIV virus through casual contact, leading to persecution and social stigma for homosexuals. And last year, he freely admitted that lockdowns and mask mandates don’t work before realizing that it was in his political interest to claim the opposite. We should stop treating him like an expert and start treating him like a power-hungry political hack.
Matt Kibbe is joined by civil rights attorney Matt Larosiere to talk about the government’s various attempts to restrict our access to firearms. As is the case with most regulations, gun control doesn’t eliminate guns; the rich, the powerful, and the criminal will always be able to get them. Instead, what these laws do is prevent the poorest and most vulnerable citizens from being able to defend themselves. Anyone concerned with systemic racism and violence against minorities should oppose rules that disarm working Americans.
Matt Kibbe talks to former Libertarian vice presidential nominee Spike Cohen about government fearmongering and the threat of vaccine passports to liberty. They also discuss how living with a chronic illness can be surprisingly motivating and what the Libertarian Party needs to do to get its house in order and start attracting voters. Cohen argues that Libertarians need to be better at addressing the practical concerns of real Americans and stop their bad habit of gatekeeping the movement.
Matt Kibbe sits down with U.K.-based rapper Zuby to talk about coronavirus lockdowns in Britain, cancel culture, censorship, and the role of the arts in speaking truth to power. As bad as things have been in the U.S., Britain lacks a Bill of Rights and has a more centralized government, meaning that musicians and artists are even more afraid to speak out against the political class and stand up for free expression. The threat of cancellation helps keep performers silent even as lockdowns cost them their livelihoods.
Matt Kibbe talks with journalist Nancy Rommelmann about her experiences covering Antifa and the riots in Portland, Oregon. From a beautiful cultural center, the city has devolved into violence and chaos over a few short years. Frustration with lockdowns, anger at injustice, hatred of Donald Trump, and the complete absence of any tools to make things better have led to young people being romanced by a nihilistic desire to tear down the whole system, including commerce, police, and even the city government itself.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Marc Clair, host of the Lions of Liberty Podcast, to talk about their common medium of podcasting and how it’s transforming the way that people get their information. Kibbe recalls how traditional media forced you to compress your message into a 15-second sound bite and focused on scoring points off an opponent rather than listening and learning. Podcasts, on the other hand, prioritize long-form conversations that give people the space to think out loud and explore ideas without the need to be combative or overly simplistic, and that can only be a good thing for our culture.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Kara Jones, vice president of FREOPP, to discuss practical solutions to America’s ongoing health care crisis. Republicans have basically given up on repealing Obamacare, and the Democratic majority in Congress has no interest in revisiting the issue anyway. So we need to find solutions that both parties can agree on and that actually have a chance of passing the legislative process. Jones and her organization are devoted to finding market-based fixes that will not alienate Democrats but will also not cave to their disastrous notions of a single payer system or Medicare for All.
Matt Kibbe talks to Kelley Vlahos, senior adviser for the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, about the Biden administration’s foreign policy, which is already looking a lot like Barack Obama’s foreign policy. A month into his presidency, Joe Biden is already bombing Syria, and he shows every sign of continuing the policy of endless wars in the Middle East and elsewhere. We can see this both in Biden’s historical record as a senator and vice president and in the people he’s surrounding himself with now that he’s the commander in chief.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Scott Horton, editorial director of Anti-War.com, to talk about why peace is such a difficult sell in Washington, D.C. While politicians like Barack Obama and Donald Trump campaign on a platform of non-intervention, once they get into office, very little seems to change. Part of the reason for this is a military-industrial complex dating back to World War II, with strong incentives to keep growing the military forever. In a sense, it no longer matters what the American people want or how they vote, because Congress answers to a higher authority—the Pentagon.
Matt Kibbe is joined by economist Donald Boudreaux to try to come to grips with the complete lack of rational risk assessment Americans have displayed with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of responding to the virus proportionally to its risk, we’ve chosen to ignore the existence of tradeoffs and take unprecedented measures to lock down the economy. Even many libertarians, who tend to be skeptical of government power and sensitive to unintended consequences, have seemingly forgotten their principles due to a fear that is wildly disproportionate to the actual danger.
Matt Kibbe sits down with author and economist Peter Schiff to talk about why Donald Trump lost, what to expect from the Joe Biden administration, and the dangers of unconstrained government spending. With fewer people willing to purchase government bonds and more debt than ever, the Federal Reserve will have no choice but to print more money than ever before. In addition to being a hidden tax on the poor, this could well lead to the kind of runaway inflation that has destroyed countries like Venezuela. Schiff explains what you can do to protect yourself from the coming currency crisis.
Brad Polumbo, opinion editor at the Foundation for Economic Education, joins Matt Kibbe to assess Joe Biden’s first speech as president and the policy agenda he has laid out so far. Unsurprisingly, Biden is signing a flurry of executive orders to undo much of what the Trump administration accomplished, and this reveals the pitfalls of governing unilaterally rather than working with Congress to pass legislation. Anything Trump did by executive order can be just as easily undone by Biden, just as anything Biden does now can be reversed by the next president. The result is an unstable and unpredictable regulatory environment, and that’s no way to run an economy.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Corey DeAngelis, director of school choice at the Reason Foundation, to discuss the shocking failure of government schools to meet the needs of parents and students during the coronavirus lockdowns. The result has been a surge in support for school choice programs, allowing tax dollars to follow the students directly rather than being tied to institutions that, for the most part, refuse to open. DeAngelis explains why teachers’ unions and education bureaucrats are so dead set against allowing any form of choice for America’s students. It’s not about what’s good for the children; it’s about maintaining a government monopoly.
Matt Kibbe sits down with economist Robert Lawson to talk about his Economic Freedom Index, an annual ranking of the world’s freest — and most unfree — economies. Lawson has discovered over the years that countries with lots of economic freedom tend to have better civil liberties and political freedoms as well. While oddballs like Hong Kong and Singapore do exist, the correlation is quite strong, meaning that if you care about free speech, democracy, and the ability to marry who you want, it’s a good idea to support low taxes, light regulations, and free trade as well.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) to talk about the deep political and social divisions running through the country that erupted into violence last week at the U.S. Capitol. Roy argues that frustration over the election is partly a proxy for a whole range of other frustrations Americans are feeling—and that the only solution is federalism and decentralization. As long as one side is trying to impose its will on the other from the top down, polarization, extremism, and even violence will only get worse.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Brian Nichols, host of The Brian Nichols Show, to discuss the failures of libertarians to effectively market ideas. In his day job as manager of a sales team, Nichols has learned that the best way to communicate with people is not to tell them what you think they should know, but to listen to their problems, answer their questions, and establish yourself as a source of trusted information others can turn to in times of doubt. By becoming less aggressive and more open, libertarians could go a lot farther towards making inroads with the average American looking for answers to problems, like government lockdowns, that are actively affecting their ability to live and prosper.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to discuss their bipartisan bill to repeal the Patriot Act and enact major reforms to protect Americans’ privacy rights. The legislators from both parties recognize the need to safeguard against intelligence agencies that operate in secret without respect for the Fourth Amendment and other important constitutional protections that stand between us and tyranny.
Matt Kibbe is joined by the entire Free the People staff to celebrate another year fighting for freedom. The group discusses work they have done on criminal justice reform, pushing back against critical race theory and, most importantly, combatting the narrative of authoritarian lockdowns that have dominated 2020. Despite recommendations from Fauci and others, it’s never been more important to gather with your loved ones to rejoice that this miserable year is finally ending.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Matthew Crawford, author of “Why We Drive: Toward a Philosophy of the Open Road,” to discuss driving as a metaphor for American individualism, independence, and competence. Crawford is concerned that as fewer young people learn to drive and traditional cars are replaced with driverless ones, we’re in danger of losing something fundamentally human. There comes a point when we value safety and convenience so highly that we abandon much of what makes life worth living in the first place. Why We Drive: Toward a Philosophy of the Open Road: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062741969
Matt Kibbe is joined by BackWordz frontman Eric July to talk about a whole slate of government policies that are proving unbelievably destructive for the black community. From pandemic lockdowns that drive artists and small business owners out of business to the explicitly racist history of labor regulations like the minimum wage, big government always oppresses those with the least power in society.
Economists Deirdre McCloskey and Alberto Mingardi sit down with Matt Kibbe to discuss their new book, “The Myth of the Entrepreneurial State.” In everything from pandemic management and trade agreements to public investment in art and science, we see again and again that the government is no substitute for the spontaneous order of motivated and visionary entrepreneurs. People tend to assume that government action will be more effective because it’s organized by experts and coordinated from the top down, but everything good about society actually comes from the more organic process of people working together to solve problems voluntarily. The Myth of the Entrepreneurial State: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1630692093
Matt Kibbe is joined by the Cato Institute’s Ilya Shapiro, a legal scholar and author of the new book “Supreme Disorder,” to talk about how and why the Supreme Court has become so relentlessly politicized and dangerously powerful over the years. As the two major political parties engage in an arms race to weaponize the court against each other, we’ve forgotten that the proper role of the judiciary is as a third coequal branch of government, designed to check the other two from running rampant over the Constitution. Instead, we now have a political football that has broad implications for how ordinary Americans are allowed to live their lives.
Matt Kibbe is joined by biochemical engineer Ivor Cummins, who has been studying the science behind the COVID-19 lockdown mandates that have been the defining feature of 2020. His conclusion? There is none! Cummins shows that there is no evidence of lockdowns reducing virus transmission or death rates, while there is plenty of data showing that depression, suicide, domestic violence, and substance abuse are all way up as a result of government “helping.” There’s a stubborn refusal among policymakers to acknowledge that tradeoffs exist and the cure can be worse than the disease, even when countries like Sweden show us that this particular cure appears to be wholly ineffective.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), author of the new book “Bigfoot... It's Complicated,” to get to the bottom of what underlies belief in this majestic, mythical beast. In addition to outlining the four major theories on the nature of Bigfoot, Riggleman explains how belief systems can be weaponized and lead to disastrous outcomes. As a former intelligence analyst, he has personally seen the bloodshed resulting from dogmatic beliefs and conspiracy theories that, in some ways, resemble the mindset of the Bigfoot true believers. Bigfoot... It's Complicated: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1478751258
Matt Kibbe is joined by Patrick Byrne, founder and retired CEO of Overstock.com, to hear his shocking insider’s perspective on how senior officials in the Obama administration orchestrated the “Russiagate” narrative starting in 2015. Strap in for a wild ride, including an attempted sting operation targeting Hillary Clinton’s alleged acceptance of bribes from foreign governments. In an eyewitness account that seems stranger than fiction, Byrne blows the whistle on the deep state, declaring: “We need to unf**k our government.”
Matt Kibbe sits down with Father Robert Sirico, president of the Acton Institute. There’s a lot of talk lately about giving workers “dignity,” as if a higher minimum wage or government-run health care can accomplish this. Father Sirico points out that respect for individual liberty and self-determination is the only way to allow people to realize the intrinsic dignity that exists in every person. It’s not something that can be granted by a government agency. Through a series of colorful anecdotes, Father Sirico shows that while collectivist governments can trample on our rights, they can’t offer us something we already possess by the very nature of our humanity.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Kelley Vlahos, senior adviser with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, to talk about the military-industrial complex and its commitment to permanent war. Vlahos gives a rundown of all the key players advocating for more foreign intervention and resisting efforts to bring our troops home and out of harm’s way. They also discuss whether Donald Trump’s professed desire to get out of Afghanistan is genuine and realistic or whether it’s just another political ploy.
Matt Kibbe talks with Todd Hagopian, Libertarian candidate for Oklahoma corporation commissioner, about the increasingly fractured nature of America’s political parties. The nastiness of primary contests and the rise of different factions within the Republican and Democrat Parties points toward a seismic shift that could be coming in the near future. At the same time, third parties are getting marginalized and excluded from debates and even polls, as the political duopoly tries to retain its power.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Hanna Waugh, Libertarian candidate for Lake County Commissioner, to talk about politicians' abusive relationship with the American people. We excuse their bad behavior, put them on a pedestal, and continue to vote for them even as they break their promises, lie to us, and disrespect the Constitution. Waugh also talks about the importance of transparency, accountability, and respect in political campaigns.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Libertarian presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen to talk about the dumpster fire debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden and find out why third parties aren’t allowed to share the stage. Jorgensen argues that the two major parties are threatened by competition, since they each have little to offer the American people. They also discuss political tribalism, media bias, and why vodka doesn’t taste like anything.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Nobel laureate economist Vernon Smith to talk about how the market process is not only efficient, but also encourages communities to peacefully cooperate. The misconception about laissez-faire economics is that it’s ruthless and Darwinian, but Smith shows through his own experimental work that free markets foster morality and consideration of others far more than top-down systems like socialism. They also dig into the legacy of Adam Smith, the first person to fully explain these ideas to the Western world.
Matt Kibbe sits down with P.J. O’Rourke, author of “A Cry from the Far Middle,” to talk about the polarization of 21st-century America. O’Rourke’s brand of commonsense centrism holds that it’s bad to give anyone too much power, especially the government, but that we’ve lost these basic truths as we spend more time on social media playing politics as a team sport. The problems that George Orwell warned us about have ultimately become self-inflicted, but that also means that we can reverse them if we put our minds to it. A Cry from the Far Middle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802157734
Matt Kibbe sits down with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to discuss the upcoming series, “The Constitution: Line by Line.” Everywhere we look, we see government exceeding its authority, imposing harmful regulations, and delegating power to unfireable bureaucrats, or as the senator calls it, “emergency socialism.” As a scholar and student of the Constitution, Mike Lee is the perfect person to point out the importance of our nation’s founding document in defending liberty in 2020.
Hannah Cox, conservative commentator and writer, sits down with Matt Kibbe to talk about criminal justice reform, the 2020 presidential election, and the Black Lives Matter protests. Although everybody’s talking about fixing problems with police and the justice system in general, no one is actually doing it, with both parties fielding candidates apparently uninterested in creating real solutions.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Gary Collins, author of “The Simple Life,” to figure out why people are struggling to find happiness in 21st-century America. Since our immediate needs for food and shelter have been met, we must dig a little deeper to find our place in life. From his off-the-grid home, Collins argues that all you really need is to stay healthy, get out of debt, and find a purpose that gets you out of bed in the morning. He also shares Kibbe’s passion for the music of Rush and the inspirational lyrics of Neil Peart.
Dr. Ron Paul sits down with Matt Kibbe deep in the heart of Texas to discuss his intellectual influences and his political history. He talks about his education in Austrian economics, which explains why government intervention in the economy, particularly through the Federal Reserve, makes us all poorer and less free. He also turns his attention to current events, explaining why the U.S. can’t seem to get out of any wars and why the government’s coronavirus response has been worse than useless.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Patrick Mardini, founder of the Lebanese Institute for Market Studies, to talk about the recent explosion that rocked the port of Beirut, killing hundreds. It turns out that a big part of the problem was mismanagement by the Lebanese government, which at the same time has created a massive recession, incurred huge amounts of debt, and devalued the currency to the point where 80 percent of locals' savings have been wiped out. Mardini concludes with some free market reforms that could start to improve the country's long-term outlook.
Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss his book, “The Freedom Movement: Its Past, Present, and Future.” He argues that we need to take the ideas of socialism seriously and address them with the same passion against injustice that those on the Left do. This means talking about inequality of opportunity, systemic injustices, and the way authoritarianism abroad robs individuals not only of their freedoms, but of their lives and their dignity.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to talk about trillion-dollar bailouts, the science of the coronavirus pandemic, violence in Portland, police reform, and a host of other issues. While many bemoan the lack of bipartisanship in Washington, Sen. Paul points out that every compromise between Republicans and Democrats ends up spending money we don’t have, putting our country further in debt, and creating inflation that hurts us all. The only time your wallet is safe, the senator argues, is when Congress is out of town.
Simon Lee, freedom protester fighting for Hong Kong’s independence, sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss China’s increasingly aggressive posture toward Hong Kong. While its status as an important trading port and a gateway to the rest of the world once made Hong Kong a beacon of economic freedom, perceived weakness in the West is now emboldening the Chinese Communist Party to ramp up censorship and oppression of the people in Hong Kong.
This week, Matt Kibbe is joined by Brad Polumbo, journalist fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and writer at the Washington Examiner. They discuss America’s broken justice system, look at how political tribalism skews people’s views, and dive into the violent protests happening in Portland, Oregon.
Matt Kibbe catches up with Maj Toure, founder of Black Guns Matter, at the Libertarian National Convention in Orlando. They talk about third parties, Black Lives Matter, police reform, and what to do with statues of problematic figures. Maj argues that much of the tribalism we now see comes from the government pretending to help us, while actually dividing us.
Matt Kibbe talks to Spike Cohen, the Libertarian Party’s nominee for vice president, about values, culture, and the political process. Cohen argues that there’s very little difference in policy between Republican and Democrat politicians, but that the media keeps Americans divided and hating one another. The Libertarian platform is profoundly different, but struggles to be heard due to election rules that limit access to ballots and to the debate stage.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Thaddeus Russell, founder of Renegade University, to discuss the contributions made to American culture by libertines, lawbreakers, troublemakers, and miscreants. They also talk about how the progressive movement was built on many of the problems progressives are protesting today, including imperialism, police militarization, and racism.
Matt Kibbe sits down with the Libertarian presidential nominee, Jo Jorgensen, to talk about the issues, the two-party duopoly, and how Libertarians hope to make inroads with voters. As a trained psychologist, Jorgensen emphasizes the importance of persuasion as a campaign tactic, arguing that you don't have to compromise on principle to get Americans to embrace a third option.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Clark Neily, vice president for criminal justice at the Cato Institute, to discuss a few of the many problems with America’s criminal justice system. Neily addresses overcriminalization, asset forfeiture, qualified immunity, and the disturbing fact that so many Americans are harassed, bullied, and coerced into giving up their constitutional right to a trial by jury.
Brewer, entrepreneur, and Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso sits down with Matt Kibbe at his brewery to talk about his passion for free speech and personal responsibility. Caruso points out that you can't separate your ethics from the way you run your business, and that's why he has fought so hard to protect the First Amendment and the right to express himself through the art of beer.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Maj Toure, founder of Black Guns Matter, to talk about lockdowns, protests, riots, and police reform. Maj argues that tyranny is always justified “for your own good,” and the phenomenon of the coronavirus lockdowns comes from the same place as police brutality. It all stems from a policy of government paternalism.
Rapper and Blaze contributor Eric July joins Matt Kibbe to talk about the tragedy of George Floyd's death, the ensuing protests, and the need for police reform. July points out that tribal divides are holding us back from solving some of society's most urgent problems. Libertarians are in a unique position because they are not on the Left or the Right, but have a principled position about the abuse of power. This gives them an opportunity to lead the way on police reform.
Venture capitalist and Draper University founder Tim Draper joins Matt Kibbe to talk about lockdowns, free speech, regulation, and the proper role of government. Draper argues that when the government gets involved with telling people how to live, it creates more problems than it solves. Instead, the government should inform and educate citizens to make their own decisions.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Matt Ridley, author of “How Innovation Works,” to talk about the mysterious process of economic and technological progress. Ridley points out the futility of trying to engineer innovation from the top down, when we should instead focus on policies that get government out of the way and allow innovators to flourish. Buy How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062916599/
While it’s important to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we can’t forget about the other health care issues people are dealing with. Pat Basu is a medical doctor and the CEO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, an organization dedicated to helping cancer patients for over 35 years. Together with Matt Kibbe, he talks about the dangers of delaying treatments for cancer patients, as some governors have ordered in states across the country.
Matt Kibbe sits down with self-described Lunatic Farmer Joel Salatin and Rep. Thomas Massie to talk about the food shortages Americans are experiencing as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. The complex interactions that allow food to make it from farm to table have been disrupted by central planners who think they know better, with disastrous results. Rep. Massie has introduced legislation to help fix the problem, but as long as the lockdowns continue, the food supply will suffer.
Dave Rubin, host of The Rubin Report and author of “Don’t Burn This Book,” sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss the political Left’s response to the coronavirus. Rubin points out that the lockdown has revealed a unification on the Right around states’ rights and individual freedom, but that the only thing leftists have in common is a race to demand ever more government and further concentration of political power. Buy Don't Burn This Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609625/dont-burn-this-book-by-dave-rubin/
Matt Kibbe is joined by Kathleen McGoey, executive director of the Longmont Community Justice Partnership, and police Chief Mike Butler, to discuss how one Colorado city is revolutionizing the criminal justice system. Restorative justice focuses on restitution rather than retribution and forces offenders to take accountability for their actions. It may sound touchy-feely, but the data so far shows that restorative practices create safer communities with happier, more law-abiding citizens.
Matt Kibbe is joined by economist Antony Davies and political scientist James Harrigan, hosts of the popular Words & Numbers podcast. They point out that coercion is a blunt instrument that, although sometimes necessary, can often do more harm than good. This happens because coercion is the product of a small number of minds enforcing one solution, while cooperation allows many millions of minds to come up with a wide variety of solutions, some of which might just work.
Still on COVID-19 lockdown, Matt Kibbe is joined by Kerry McDonald, author of “Unschooled,” to talk about alternative education strategies during the coronavirus quarantine. As parents are struggling to deal with the stress of having their children home full-time, McDonald suggests that the process can be made easier by letting go of the traditional schooling mindset and taking the opportunity to let your children explore their own interests.
Matt Kibbe is joined via Skype by Glenn Jacobs, the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, to discuss how his state is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. While recognizing the severity of the virus, Jacobs has serious concerns about the economic damage being caused by the lockdown, as well as the loss of civil liberties that comes from sweeping government mandates. Most problems are better dealt with on a local level, using the unique knowledge of people on the ground.
As the quarantine continues, Matt Kibbe is joined by Phillip Magness, a senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. Magness applies his expertise in economics and econometrics to analyze the government response to the COVID-19 virus and determine which measures make sense and which could end up being worse than the disease itself.
In this bonus episode of Kibbe on Liberty, Rep. Thomas Massie joins Matt Kibbe to give a play-by-play of his stand against the COVID-19 bailout bill. This is the largest wealth transfer in history. Massie gives the details on how the entirety of Congress avoided accountability for the decimation of the future fiscal safety of regular Americans, and he outlines what he wishes Congress had done instead.
In this special quarantine edition of Kibbe on Liberty, Matt Kibbe is joined via Skype by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky) to discuss the COVID-19 virus and the government’s response to it. Massie points out that no amount of money can stimulate an economy that has been put on pause and that if there isn’t some regulatory relief for farmers and other workers soon, we could start seeing food shortages as well as all the other economic damage this response is causing.
Michael Abramowitz of Freedom House joins Matt Kibbe to talk about the need to support democratic movements springing up around the globe, from Hong Kong to Sudan. Freedom House publishes an annual report on political freedom in the world, and this year’s scorecard focuses on how these movements are largely without leaders. Instead of being led by a charismatic figure like Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jr., the current geopolitical situation shows that individuals are capable of organizing themselves and demanding change from the bottom up.
Free-Range Kids founder Lenore Skenazy sits down with Matt Kibbe to break down the reasons why parents are so much more afraid for their children’s safety these days. In short, it comes down to increased media coverage, a more litigious society, the rise of expert culture, and the fact that fear sells. The result is helicopter parents who are robbing children of the opportunity to learn important lessons about courage, independence, and most importantly, the freedom to fail.
Former New York state gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe joins Matt Kibbe to discuss a wide variety of issues from the War on Drugs to why Republicans and Democrats can’t unite the country. Through his experience with addicts, Sharpe explains how prohibition laws are actually responsible for most overdoses. He also weighs in on how Millennials view work differently from their parents and the appeal of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Libertarian Party presidential candidate Jacob Hornberger to discuss the future of freedom in America. Hornberger talks about how he discovered the ideas of liberty, the philosophy of libertarians today, and how these ideas can be applied to build a better, more prosperous country. In the midst of an election in which both major parties are campaigning to hurt people and take their stuff, he argues that the Libertarian Party offers something completely different.
Economist Max Gulker sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss some of the big ideas coming out of the Democratic primary. From Yang’s universal basic income to Elizabeth Warren’s technocratic plan for everything, Max points out that top-down solutions from the presidency are almost guaranteed not to work because of the way complex economies operate in the real world.
Iranian writer and activist Ladan Boroumand sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss her fight for human rights in Iran. She points out that the Iranian people have a yearning for personal liberty, rule of law, and economic freedom, but they fear to speak out against the tyrannical, theocratic government.
Reason editor at large Matt Welch joins Matt Kibbe to discuss Bernie Sanders and the 2020 presidential campaign. The guys rail on Bernie, but worry about his populist, anti-establishment qualities, similar to those that propelled Donald Trump in 2016. They touch on international trade, foreign policy, health care, and other issues likely to surface as the campaign unfolds.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Nikki Goeser of the Crime Prevention Research Center to discuss how gun laws have impacted her personally. After she had to watch her husband get gunned down in a supposedly gun-free zone, Nikki wrote a book about how gun laws designed to keep us safe actually make us all potential victims.
Author and biochemistry professor Terence Kealey joins Matt Kibbe to discuss how the religion of science is misleading the public. Government funding and the peer review system have created a bubble that refuses to be challenged, and in areas such as nutrition, the resulting groupthink has literally been killing people.
In the wake of the killing of Qasem Soleimani, everyone is worried about war with Iran. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution states that Congress has the power to declare war or authorize military action. Rep. Thomas Massie joins Matt Kibbe to explain how Congress has abdicated that responsibly, giving more power to unelected Deep Staters who always choose war.
Matt Kibbe sits down with Troy Lanigan, president of Canada’s Manning Center, to talk about what Canadian health care is really like. At a time when everyone in America is talking about Medicare for All, it’s important to puncture the misconceptions about socialized medicine in countries like Canada and point out how such systems would harm patients in the United States.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Prof. Randy Barnett to talk about the Constitution and how it should be interpreted. Barnett’s new book, “An Introduction to Constitutional Law,” highlights 100 Supreme Court cases that everyone should know to understand how the law of the land has evolved over the course of America’s history.
An Introduction to Constitutional Law: 100 Supreme Court Cases Everyone Should Know: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1543813909
In this special Christmas episode of Kibbe on Liberty, Matt Kibbe is joined by the motley Free the People staff, Terry Kibbe, Matt Battaglia, Kara Pally, Sam Martin, Logan Albright, and Joel Davis to talk about video storytelling and conveying the message of liberty to a younger generation. The gang dives into some of their exciting new projects on the horizon for 2020, and wishes season's greetings to all viewers young and old.
Find the projects mentioned in this episode at https://freethepeople.org or https://youtube.com/freethepeople.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Lee Bishop and Cyan Banister, two of the voices behind the NBA protests in support of a free Hong Kong. They explain their motivation for getting involved and why Americans owe it to themselves to support Hong Kong's struggle for the same types of freedom and democracy we enjoy at home.
Free Hong Kong - 香港人加油 美國支持你: https://youtu.be/teL5pNEw-dI
Comedian Andrew Heaton sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss the perils of Scottish soil, science fiction, and the incipient dark-horse presidential campaign of Baby Yoda. It’s a whirlwind tour through all the hard-hitting issues, and it’s as weird as it sounds.
Free the People writer Logan Albright joins Matt Kibbe to discuss his new book, “Our Servants, Our Masters.” He outlines how a huge number of so-called public servants, from the education system to health care, are actually more about reducing your options and telling you what to do than offering the help they promise. The guys also learn a thing or two about Irish whiskey.
Our Servants, Our Masters: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1630691887
Steve Forbes, editor of Forbes Magazine and two-time presidential candidate, sits down with Matt Kibbe to explain where the Republican Party is going wrong in trying to hold the line against democratic socialism. The problem, Forbes says, is that Republicans focus on how much the Democrats’ proposals will cost, instead of explaining how they will make life dramatically worse for ordinary Americans. A positive vision of more choice, more wealth, and more opportunity is the only way to win this political game.
Virginia Delegate Nick Freitas sits down with Matt Kibbe to talk about his successful write-in campaign and the empty promises of mainstream politicians. As a former Green Beret, Freitas recognizes that everyone is responsible for his own safety and that anyone who promises to protect you is really just disguising his urge to control you.
Chinese expatriate Li Zhao talks to Matt Kibbe about her experiences growing up under the communist regime of Chairman Mao Zedong. Between her grisly stories of starvation and totalitarianism, she explains why it's so important to continue fighting for worldwide freedom and to resist the allure of democratic socialism today.
Matt Kibbe sits down with John Wood Jr. from Better Angels USA to talk about political polarization in America and the importance of listening to each other. They discuss Wood’s effort to unseat Rep. Maxine Waters, the influence of the intellectual dark web on free speech, the problem of identity politics, and how jazz is a perfect metaphor for how society functions.
Economist and social activist Gloria Alvarez sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss the popularity of Marxist ideas in Latin America. She explains how young people are indoctrinated into feeling like victims and associate the free market with corruption and imperialism. She articulates her vision for a big-tent libertarianism that embraces anyone who is skeptical of authoritarianism and top-down control.
Matt Kibbe and Rep. Justin Amash team up at America’s Future Foundation’s Laissez Fair for a special live edition of Kibbe on Liberty. Amash discusses his break from the Republican Party, Donald Trump’s impeachment, whether or not Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian spy, and his potential run for president.
Matt Kibbe talks to Sen. Rand Paul about his new book, “The Case Against Socialism.” In it, Paul takes on the myth of kinder, gentler socialism from progressives like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pointing out that the ideology is, and has always been, one that leads to poverty, suffering, and death.
Author and celebritarian Julie Borowski sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss her new children’s book, “Nobody Knows How to Make a Pizza.” Inspired by Leonard Read’s classic essay “I, Pencil,” the book is a concise and fun explanation of economic cooperation and collaboration. Julie also reflects on the disintermediating influence of the internet and how anyone can reach out and find an audience without having to appeal to government gatekeepers.
Nobody Knows How to Make a Pizza: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578558564
Matt Kibbe is joined by Lyn Ulbricht, CEO of freeross.org, to discuss the cruel and unusual punishment inflicted on her son by the criminal justice system. After founding Silk Road, a free market trading website, Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to more than two life sentences in prison despite not having hurt a single person. After seven years, she continues to ask anyone with a sense of justice to step up and help free Ross.
Sign the petition to free Ross Ulbricht: http://freeross.org/petition
Alexandre Pesey, founder of Institut de Formation Politique, joins Matt Kibbe to talk about the state of liberty in France. In their conversation, Pesey reveals the truth about the Yellow Vest movement, why the government is cracking down on free speech, and how some of America’s worst ideas originated with French thinkers.
Venezuelan expatriate Daniel Di Martino talks to Matt Kibbe about what it was like to grow up under the government of Hugo Chavez. While young people in America are flirting with democratic socialism, Martino explains how these same policies catapulted his country from prosperity to almost unimaginable poverty and oppression. Will America learn this lesson before it’s too late?
Reason magazine's Elizabeth Nolan Brown joins Matt Kibbe to discuss presidential candidate Kamala Harris' fluid understanding of her own time as a California district attorney. Despite what she may say in presidential debates, the former DA has a clear record of viciously prosecuting victimless crimes and lobbying to keep the innocent in prison, giving rise to the popular "Kamala is a cop" meme.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Naomi Brockwell, Avens O'Brien, and Free the People CEO Terry Kibbe, three of the leading lights in the modern liberty movement. Together, they discuss the potential of blockchain technology to change the world, the power of storytelling, and how education doesn't have to take place in a classroom. Oh yeah, and they also all happen to have red hair.
Jeffrey Tucker from the American Institute for Economic Research sits down with Matt Kibbe to debunk the idea that the free market is shallow and impersonal. On the contrary, his new book, “The Market Loves You: Why You Should Love It Back,” posits that markets are really about love and that giving people more freedom inspires more love and mutual respect.
Elected Libertarian Jeff Hewitt teaches Matt Kibbe how people like him can succeed in local politics through a combination of hard work and smart messaging. Instead of always shooting for the presidency, libertarians should be populating state and local governments. Only then can they change the world.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Cliff Maloney, the head of Young Americans for Liberty. Cliff explains his strategy for building a bench of young liberty legislators at the state level, recruiting persuasive communicators, and dealing with PC culture on college campuses.
Matt Kibbe is joined in Las Vegas by Glenn Beck and Penn Jillette. Together, they discuss their unlikely friendship, libertarianism, their changing attitudes towards religion, and the importance of tolerance and communication in modern America. Glenn and Penn show how it’s possible to approach freedom from radically different directions while maintaining mutual respect and good manners.
President Trump has enlisted the help of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to negotiate a new deal with Iran. The libertarian-leaning senator sat down with Matt Kibbe to discuss whether a diplomatic solution exists and whether the economic sanctions many in the GOP want are actually a good idea.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Jason Stapleton, host of Wealth, Power, and Influence, to discuss the future of the American Dream. In a country that’s never been richer or more prosperous, why do so many people feel left behind, and what can they do about it? Jason argues that it’s all about taking responsibility for your own life and not expecting anyone else to do it for you.
Economist Dr. Edward Lopez joins Matt Kibbe to discuss the fundamental insights of Nobel laureate James Buchanan and his public choice theory, namely that politicians are just as self-interested as anyone else. Lopez goes on to explain why government assistance programs so often fail, why elected officials don’t keep their promises, and why some regulations actually benefit the corporations they are supposed to restrain.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Maj Toure, founder of Black Guns Matter and Libertarian candidate for city council. The product of a tumultuous youth in north Philadelphia, Maj discovered that most government policies designed to help minorities actually hurt them, the origins of gun control are racist, and the benefits of liberty are for everyone.
Comedian Andrew Heaton joins Matt Kibbe to discuss safe spaces, two-party tribalism, and whether comedy might actually save the world from the enemies of free expression. Over a glass of whiskey and an outrageously loud tie, Heaton ponders whether there’s an audience for thoughtful conversation on the internet and why we can’t all just get along.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Dr. Robert Lawson and Dr. Benjamin Powell, two thirsty economists who have learned firsthand about surviving socialism in Cuba, starving socialism in Venezuela, and the collectivist black hole of North Korea. They also correct the record on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ darling Nordic countries, which turn out to be almost as capitalist as the United States.
Order "Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World": https://amzn.to/2GQgWFr
Matt Kibbe is joined by the iconic George Will, syndicated columnist at the Washington Post and author of "The Conservative Sensibility." The two discuss protesting speakers on college campuses, censorship on social media, and the contradiction of progressives who admire Woodrow Wilson. How can we help young people learn from history and move past the identity politics that divide our nation?
Matt Kibbe is joined by the Atlas Network’s Dr. Roberto Salinas León to discuss the future of Mexico and its relationship with the United States. The conversation covers immigration, free trade, drug cartels, and why Mexico’s new president has a grudge against cold beer. With all these challenges, can Mexico avoid going down the same populist road as Venezuela?
Matt Kibbe sits down with Chad Prather, host of The Chad Prather Show and Humor Me on BlazeTV. They talk about Texas, stereotypes in comedy, the difference between libertarianism and conservatism, and whether the Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot for 2020.
Think all college professors are socialists? You’re in for a shock with guests Peter Boettke and John B. Taylor, professors of economics at George Mason University and Stanford University. Matt Kibbe asks tough questions on how we can educate young people and reclaim words like “liberalism,” “democracy,” and “capitalism.” The three discuss influencers like Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Adam Smith, and the mysterious Mont Pelerin Society.
Think all musicians are progressive? Meet Eric July, frontman for BackWordz and an uncompromising defender of liberty. In this episode, Matt Kibbe and Eric July discuss why the Left tends to dominate the cultural conversation. July explains how he uses music to connect with the subculture he’s already part of. Influenced by Thomas Sowell and Walter E. Williams, July writes lyrics about liberty and limited government to show his listeners an alternative to the progressive mainstream music they’re used to.
Matt Kibbe is joined by Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor-in-chief of Reason, to discuss how government and tech companies form an unholy alliance to restrict our speech online. In this libertarian nerd-fest, they also talk sex work, the War on Drugs, and capitalism, and as a bonus, you’ll get an answer to the burning question of whether Mark Zuckerberg is a lizard person.
Dave Rubin joins Matt Kibbe to defend the "Star Wars" prequels, talk about his return to stand-up (and why he doesn't do sets drunk or stoned), and ask the age-old question: Are people having enough sex?
Patrick Byrne, CEO and Founder of Overstock, joins Matt Kibbe to discuss the revolutionary potential of blockchain technology to lift entire nations out of poverty, fix voter fraud, and make government middlemen irrelevant. Also, the early days of the Grateful Dead and novelist Ken Kesey.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) joins Matt Kibbe to talk about his new book, Our Lost Declaration. The guys also discuss the revolutionary populism of Thomas Paine and the 1993 Mike Myers classic “So I Married an Axe Murderer.”
Medical doctor Jeffrey Singer of The Cato Institute sits down with Matt Kibbe to discuss the many misconceptions surrounding drug policy, and makes the radical suggestion that reducing harm, not putting people behind bars, should be our goal.
Rep. Justin Amash (MI-3) joins Matt Kibbe to talk about Twitter wars, his family’s immigration to the US, and how to deal with the tribal warfare going on in our country right now. The guys geek out on Friedrich Hayek and find some hope for the future.
Citizen University's Eric Liu sits down with Matt Kibbe for an across-the-aisle discussion of liberty, equality, power, and responsibility, proving that we can disagree without being disagreeable.
Matt Kibbe gets pickled with so-called Dark Money ATM Lawson Bader, who explains why donor privacy is crucial to a functioning democracy.
Senegalese entrepreneur Magatte Wade sits down with Matt Kibbe to tell how she discovered why some countries are rich, why others are poor, and why the French are the worst.
Comedian Lou Perez joins Matt Kibbe to talk about the need for humor in an increasingly humorless political environment, and why polar bears are evil monsters that must be stopped.
Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-4) joins Matt Kibbe to talk science fiction, economics, and the Green New Deal. He also admits to a couple of libertarian heresies, but we won’t hold that against him.
Off the Grid with Thomas Massie: https://youtu.be/18_yXt1s2yc
Robby Soave joins Matt Kibbe for a discussion on identity politics. Is the new radical Left’s trigger warning culture imploding? Plus the Jussie Smollett scandal, only on Kibbe on Liberty.
Matt Kibbe offers Glenn Beck a peek behind the libertarian curtain, where they discuss the War on Drugs, socialism, and why some libertarians keep driving potential allies away.
The Kibbe on Liberty studio is still under construction. The production team is still working out kinks. Nothing is perfect, but we’re leaking this bonus episode anyways. Don’t mind the cats (or the whiskey)—Kibbe on Liberty is back! Welcome to the counter-counter-revolution in this special bonus episode featuring host Matt Kibbe and executive producer Matt Battaglia.
Kibbe on Liberty is back with a whole new show, starting February 18 everywhere you get podcasts! Matt Kibbe puts aside politics to have mostly honest conversations with mostly interesting people. We’re having fun even as we argue about things that really matter — you know, things like beer. Subscribe to Kibbe on Liberty, the counter-counter-revolution of social media. Because endless virtue-signaling is a total buzzkill.