Words & Numbers

Something odd is happening among Americans. People are generally quite nice to each other. Historically, Americans have been a generous people, and most have a good sense of civic duty. Yet, Americans on both the left and the right are angry about our politics. Both sides are coming to view the other as “the enemy.” It’s possible that we’ve reached a point where the best way forward is to go our separate ways. And we might not have reached this point at all if we had taken our founding principles more seriously.   Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick HitsFoolishness of the Week Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on T

Even in the absence of inflation, a dollar in the future is less than a dollar today simply because it exists in the future. Humans have figured out how to use this fact to invent things like mortgages, installment payments, and subscriptions. We talk about the implications of the time value of money, then segue into virtual reality and the future of labor markets, then into the service the rich perform for the rest of us as first adopters. This is what happens when you don’t have a script. Get a 20% discount on the mask not named in the episode by clicking below and using the coupon code wordsandnumbers. https://www.getunmask.com/?ref=8Dgb483n98NjG Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/05/maryland-couple-schmidt-baking-company-virginia-i-95/9110543002/ https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/01/uber-rider-stuck-on-i-95

Goods appear to be randomly missing in stores, and prices seem to be rising. Much of what we're seeing is due to disruptions in the supply chain. This week, we talk with industry insider Mikhail Rasner about what's going on. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1064855510/kraft-cream-cheese-20-dollar-website https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-10/supply-chain-latest-cream-cheese-is-the-latest-casualty-of-cyberattacks https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-with-the-supreme-court-lurching-right-state-courts-offer-liberals-hope/ar-AASaLg5 Foolishness of the Week https://nypost.com/2022/01/02/australian-man-self-immolates-after-ranting-against-covid-vaccines/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.y

Phil Magness joins us to discuss critical race theory: what is it, and why is it controversial? Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1064855510/kraft-cream-cheese-20-dollar-website https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-10/supply-chain-latest-cream-cheese-is-the-latest-casualty-of-cyberattacks https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-with-the-supreme-court-lurching-right-state-courts-offer-liberals-hope/ar-AASaLg5 Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/fauci-says-domestic-travel-vaccination-rule-should-be-considered/ar-AASbcTj https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/10/world/covid-omicron-vaccines Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-

We had such good feedback from last week's live tradeoffs episode that we're including the audience Q&A session for this week's episode. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.npr.org/2021/12/18/1063205596/housing-cash-offer-home-buyer-seller https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/giant-rave-in-saudi-desert-pushes-kingdoms-changing-boundaries Foolishness of the Week https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-says-he-will-pay-more-than-11-billion-in-taxes-this-year-11640001132 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://t

What do climate change, the covid lockdowns, taxing billionaires, free college, and free healthcare have in common? In each case, politicians would prefer that voters ignore the reality of tradeoffs. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.mediaite.com/tv/end-of-an-era-chris-wallaces-departure-from-fox-news-sets-off-a-media-and-political-firestorm/ https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127245863/covid19-man-receives-up-to-10-vaccines-in-one-day Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan  

As events point to the possibility of a second lockdown, we ask what we have learned from the last one.  Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers This Week’s Topichttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

In response to record-breaking deficits, politicians, pundits, and concerned voters are discussing new sources of tax revenue. Unfortunately, they often conflate wealth, income, and unrealized capital gains. This week, we clarify some of the confusion. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers This Week’s Topichttps://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/#Burdens https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFSD https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GNP https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFR https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-do-us-taxes-compare-internationally https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html https://www.investopedia.com/how-much-does-health-insurance-cost-4774184 https://ips-dc.org/u-s-billionaire-wealth-surged-by-70-percent-or-2-1-trillion-during-pandemic-theyre-now-worth-a-combined-5-trillion/ https://www.fed

This week, we answer listener questions that cover a gamut of topics.   Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/technology/personaltech/iphone-upgrades-cost.html Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan  

This week, we answer listener questions that cover a gamut of topics. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-monday-edition-1.5868846/how-tiktok-users-designed-a-better-pill-bottle-for-people-with-parkinson-s-1.5868848 https://nypost.com/2021/11/15/kamala-harris-sidelined-amid-tensions-with-president-biden/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

David Card recently won the Nobel Prize in economics for his contributions to the study of labor markets and natural experiments. Some minimum wage proponents confuse these excellent contributions with a particular application of his contributions to a study he conducted of a hike in New Jersey’s minimum wage. We discuss the flaws in that oft-cited study, and the distinction between his contributions and the study.   Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/11/buffalo-election-2021-results-india-walton-defeated.html https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/580322-democrats-brace-for-flood-of-retirements-after-virginia-rout https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/07/biden-approval-falls-38-midterms-loom-usa-today-suffolk-poll/6320098001/ Foolishness of the Weekhttps://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/annual-microsoft-ig

The combination of property rights and a profit incentive yields good outcomes. Elephants provide an excellent example.   Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hitshttps://www.techspot.com/news/91430-bitcoin-mining-company-buys-pennsylvania-power-plant-meet.html https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-actually-consume https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/after-san-francisco-shoplifting-video-goes-viral-officials-argue-thefts-n1273848 Foolishness of the Weekhttps://www.the-sun.com/sport/3969736/colin-kaepernick-nfl-draft-slavery-netflix/ Topic of the Week https://www.npr.org/2021/10/22/1048336907/elephants-tuskless-ivory-poaching-africa https://www.amazon.com/Free-Our-Markets-Essential-Economics/dp/098442542X Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www

Politics, not partisanship, and economics are linked because both emerge from humans attempting to employ their abilities to satisfy their needs. In this episode, we explore the connection. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/10/13/norway-kongsberg-bow-arrow-attack/ https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/09/china/china-knife-attacks-mic-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/25/tech/blue-origin-space-station-jeff-bezos-scn/index.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/tom-brady-s-historic-day-took-a-backseat-to-his-encounter-with-a-9-year-old-cancer-survivor/ar-AAPVYUj Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What Y

Corey DeAngelis, who has made himself the public gadfly of teachers unions, joins us to talk about how Americans’ attitudes about funding public schools changed with covid. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-and-building-inspectors.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/diagnostic-medical-sonographers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiation-therapists.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/elevator-installers-and-repairers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/airline-and-commercial-pilots.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/air-traffic-controllers

Money is an excellent tool for facilitating exchange. It solves problems like how to save while avoiding spoilage and how to exchange with people who don’t want what you’re offering. But we’ve come to rely so heavily on money that we’ve forgotten what exchange really is. In this first of two episodes, we discuss the nature of exchange.   Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/a-checkout-line-where-slower-is-better-supermarket-jumbo/ https://gizmodo.com/9-horrifying-facts-from-the-facebook-whistleblowers-new-1847791184 Foolishness of the Week https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/psaki-unfair-and-absurd-to-say-companies-would-raise-prices-in-response-to-tax-increases/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com

Money is an excellent tool for facilitating exchange. It solves problems like how to save while avoiding spoilage and how to exchange with people who don’t want what you’re offering. But we’ve come to rely so heavily on money that we’ve forgotten what exchange really is. In this first of two episodes, we discuss the nature of exchange.   Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/a-checkout-line-where-slower-is-better-supermarket-jumbo/ https://gizmodo.com/9-horrifying-facts-from-the-facebook-whistleblowers-new-1847791184 Foolishness of the Week https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/psaki-unfair-and-absurd-to-say-companies-would-raise-prices-in-response-to-tax-increases/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Storieshttps://www.youtube.com

People who are pro-market often complain about unions. But unions are associations of people, just as corporations are associations of people. If it is people’s right to form one, then it is also their right to form the other. But, as it is bad for government to protect corporations from competition, so too is it bad for government to protect unions from competition. In this episode, we take a look at unions separate from government protection.   Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_4613 https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/27/fed-chair-powell-to-warn-congress-that-inflation-pressures-could-last-longer-than-expected.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/federal-authorities-safety-box-seizures-owners-fight-back Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.fa

As politicians run out of revenue sources, they increasingly turn their attention from the rich to the middle class. Congress is considering a tax plan that effectively imposes a death tax on the middle class. Interestingly, politicians are calling it "a capital gains tax." Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13012-017-0637-1 Foolishness of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/20/ivermectin-shortage-horse-owners-covidhttps://www.aier.org/article/a-subtle-catastrophe/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.

This episode is a potluck. There's no specific topic, we're just discussing things in the news that caught our interests. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/top-earning-new-yorkers-could-face-61point2percent-combined-tax-rate-under-house-plan-californians-may-face-59percent-rate.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.aier.org/article/a-subtle-catastrophe/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smoke & Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILow4-ZJpBV-NnmSusZJ_vCuzKUJ4Ig Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan  

In an interesting twist of economics, it turns out that governments have no control over who ultimately pays a tax. Politicians can say they’re taxing consumers or taxing producers or taxing anyone else, but the market decides who ultimately pays the tax. And there’s nothing politicians can do to stop it.   Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/03/tech/apple-child-safety-tools-reversal/index.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-virgin-plastics-tax-could-help-save-the-oceans/2021/06/18/3ecb9cde-cd8d-11eb-8cd2-4e95230cfac2_story.html https://www.atr.org/democrats-eye-national-plastic-tax Foolishness of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/05/covid-coronavirus-work-home-office-surveillance Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ More James at Smo