Libertarians are the real liberals | Nate Silver | The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
"People are not in politics for truth-seeking reasons," argues the data journalist and author of "On The Edge: The Art of Risking Everything."
0:00- The difference between liberals and the left.
11:00- Is progress slowing?
14:57- Is the two-party system dead?
20:00- The future of journalism
27:44- Free speech is in trouble
30:07- Is Biden too old?
35:57- Silver's new book, "On the Edge"
45:00- Questions from the live audience.
https://reason.com/podcast/2024/03/06/nate-silver-libertarians-are-the-real-liberals/
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Journalist Nate Silver burst onto the national scene in 2008, when he correctly predicted 49 out of 50 states in that year's election, outstripping all other analysts. His former website FiveThirtyEight became a must-visit stop for anyone interested in political forecasting and helped mainstream the concept of "data journalism," which utilizes the same sort of hard-core modeling and probabilistic thinking that helped Silver succeed as a professional poker player and a staffer at the legendary Baseball Prospectus. Reason's Nick Gillespie talked to Silver about the 2024 election, why libertarian defenses of free speech are gaining ground among liberals, his take on the "crisis" in legacy media, and his forthcoming book, "On The Edge: The Art of Risking Everything."
Photo Credits: Brian Cahn/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Sandy Carson/ZUMA Press/Newscom; 157014269 © Ilnur Khisamutdinov
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Can this rich transhumanist beat death? | Bryan Johnson | Just Asking Questions
Bryan Johnson, venture capitalist and founder of Blueprint, discusses his $2 million a year effort to reverse aging on Just Asking Questions.
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Text and links to sources available here: https://reason.com/podcast/2024/02/27/bryan-johnson-can-this-rich-transhumanist-beat-death
0:00- A day in the life of a transhumanist trying not to die
3:18- How important is our sleep cycle?
8:30- Humanity's imminent "evolutionary transition"
14:02- How close are we to finding the real "Fountain of Youth"?
16:30 - Do genetics trump lifestyle?
22:30- Self-experimentation and scientific progress
24:50- Why Bryan Johnson measures his nighttime boners
35:01- Liz reacts to Bryan Johnson's daily meal plan
48:00 - Coping with the "existential crisis" of AI
1:00:00- In defense of blood boys
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Bryan Johnson made his fortune when he sold his company Braintree to PayPal for $800 million, netting about $300 million for himself. He spends about $2 million a year creating a system to reverse his "biological age." He's 46 years old, chronologically, but claims he's de-aged himself following a program he's branded "the Blueprint protocol."
"I wanted to pose the question in this technological age: Can an algorithm, paired with science, in fact, take better care of me than I can myself?" Johnson tells Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.
They talked with Johnson about his daily routine, the results he's published including measurement of his nighttime erections, the transhumanist philosophy he outlines in his free e-book Don't Die, the role that artificial intelligence is likely to play in prolonging human life and health spans, and the value and limitations of self-experimentation in an era of pharmaceutical stagnation.
Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or on the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher.
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The 'Coolest' Dictator?
The Nayib Bukele model in El Salvador means security without liberty.
https://reason.com/video/2024/02/27/the-bukele-model-means-security-without-liberty/
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"They were delicious," said a woman about the pupusas she received after casting her vote in El Salvador's recent presidential election. The stuffed corn tortillas, the country's best-known dish, were handed out courtesy of the federal government and its incumbent President Nayib Bukele, who was running for reelection despite a constitutional ban on serving consecutive terms. Giving out food at polling stations might qualify as illegal voter interference. Bukele was undeterred.
Bukele ended up winning 85 percent of the popular vote, and his New Ideas party held on to its majority control in Congress. The 42-year-old president called the landslide victory "a record in the entire democratic history of the world."
El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America with a population of about 6.3 million, but Bukele has made himself one of the best-known political leaders in the world. His outsized public profile stems from his public embrace of bitcoin and the staggering decline in crime and violence in El Salvador since he took office.
Bukele's gang crackdown suspended constitutional protections and drew allegations of human rights abuses. People were arrested without a judicial order or access to a lawyer. Arrest quotas were handed out and thousands were wrongfully detained. Mass hearings are being held for as many as 300 defendants at a time. There are reports of over 250 people being placed in a single prison cell, and inmates are often denied food for extended periods. There are allegations of torture. And Bukele's government is accused of secretly negotiating a truce with gang leaders, buying their support with financial benefits and special privileges.
But Bukele remains incredibly popular thanks to the dramatic improvement in public safety. According to a recent poll, he has the support of 70 percent to 90 percent of the country.
Bukele brushes aside claims that he is forming a single-party state, pointing to his landslide victory and broad support. There's an understandable tendency to overlook rule-bending for expedience in deeply troubled nations, but if robust institutions don't constrain El Salvador's political majority, it could become yet another Latin American dictatorship.
Music Credits: “Eyes on the Ball” by Sémø via Artlist; “Yelema” by Captain Joz via Artlist; “Piki Piki” by Captain Joz via Artlist; “CloudCity” by Out of Flux via Artlist.
Photo Credits: Valter Campanato/ABr, CC BY 3.0 BR, via Wikimedia Commons; nicolas genin from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Dilma Rousseff, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Alexander Pe?a / Xinhua News Agency/Newscom; La Prensa Gráfica, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Salvador alc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; MPfoto71/Newscom; Camilo Freedman/dpa/picture-alliance/Newscom; 總統府, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Franklin Reyes from La Habana, Cuba, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; The photographer is Carlos Granier-Phelps., CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons; Alexander Pe?a / Xinhua News Agency/Newscom; Camilo Freedman/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; DPST/Newscom; Album / Oronoz/Newscom; Claudia Guadarrama/Polaris/Newscom; La Prensa Gráfica, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Joka Madruga, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Fernanda LeMarie - Cancillería del Ecuador, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Cancillería Ecuador, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Camilo Freedman/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Camilo Freedman/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Jonathan Alpeyrie/SIPA/Newscom; Joel Alvarez (Joels86), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Russian Foreign Ministry/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; RICARDO BARBATO / BlackStar Photos/Newscom; Eneas De Troya, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; LEONARDO GUZMAN / GDA Photo Service/Newscom; Prensa Miraflores; Darafsh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Secretaría de Prensa El Salvador; Javier Campos/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Francisco Arias/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Notimex/Newscom; Allison Dinner/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Jimmy Villalta/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Cindy Miller Hopkins / DanitaDelimont.com / "Danita Delimont Photography"/Newscom.
Producer: Katarina Hall
Video Editor: Regan Taylor
Graphics: Adani Samat
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Brian Riedl: Who Bankrupted Us More—Trump or Biden?
"I'm concerned about a Trump-Biden rematch," argues Riedl. "You have two presidents with two of the worst fiscal records of the past 100 years."
reason.com/video
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You probably already know that the national debt is bigger than our whole economy. But relax, because things can always get worse! And they will, regardless of whether Biden or Trump gets elected in the fall. Each has a proven track record of spending like a drunken sailor and most projections show that debt will grow to between 181 percent and 340 percent of GDP over the next few decades. Reason's Nick Gillespie discussed all of this and more with Brian Riedl, a budget expert at theManhattan Institute. Riedl explains why massive and growing debt is really bad, why reducing it is really hard but really important, and why young people should be really pissed.
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Should America police the world? | Curt Mills | Just Asking Questions
The Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid package as the Biden administration fights Houthis in Yemen without Congressional approval. Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative, talks about the state of U.S. foreign policy on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.
0:00- Will Russia agree to a ceasefire in 2024?
7:52- What happens if the U.S. stops sending aid to Ukraine?
9:30- What is the connection between border security and foreign aid?
19:36- Is there a new wave of non-interventionists?
27:21- Is Biden still the best candidate that Democrats have for 2024?
39:20- Does Biden have a chip on his shoulder?
41:22- What is Biden doing in Yemen?
53:29- Why has Congress given up its war powers?
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Text and links to sources available here: https://reason.com/podcast/2024/02/14/curt-mills-should-america-police-the-world
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"The greatest risk of a Republican administration is a war with Iran, and the greatest risk of a Democratic administration is a war with Russia," says Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative, a magazine for the types of conservatives who are skeptical of foreign military intervention.
Mills joined Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions to talk about a $95.3 billion aid package, including $60 billion for Ukraine, that passed the Senate this week, which Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.) called a "middle finger to America" during his filibuster of the bill. In this episode, they discuss the bill's passage, Paul's filibuster, Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent interview with Tucker Carlson, the Biden administration's airstrikes against Yemen, and whether or not the surge of foreign policy noninterventionism within the GOP is likely to last past 2024.
Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or on the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher.
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Thomas Massie: Warrantless spying has to end
A bipartisan effort to rein in warrantless spying failed this week when Congress reauthorized FISA Section 702. Before the votes, Rep. Thomas Massie discussed his objections to the spy program with Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe.
Watch the full replay of Massie's interview on the Just Asking Questions podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6rxC0JcFPA
Subscribe to the Just Asking Questions podcast:
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBuns9Evn1w9K02WT8x-gzSI-UdeeXFG9&si=wwHoBJ_fbQaXMtXy
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-asking-questions/id1719355507
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5SpySKAH3LuVyxXk0MF7tl
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Why not vote 'no'? | Thomas Massie | Just Asking Questions - Ep. 2
Congressman Thomas Massie discusses his "no" votes on foreign aid, COVID relief, and labelling anti-Zionism antisemitism on episode two of "Just Asking Questions."
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Transcript available here: https://reason.com/podcast/2023/12/13/thomas-massie-why-not-vote-no/
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0:50 - Why does renewing Section 702 threaten Americans' privacy?
9:02 - Why does Massie oppose aid for Ukraine?
14:20 - Why did Massie vote against 19 pro-Israel resolutions?
18:10 - Is anti-Zionism antisemitism?
26:12 - What was it like being slammed by Donald Trump for opposing COVID bailouts?
30:08 - Does Congress have any remorse for bad COVID policy?
31:55 - Can we ever tame the national debt?
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Patriotism for Israel vs. America
“It’s okay in Congress to be patriotic for Israel, but you can’t be patriotic for America," Rep. Thomas Massie says. “Pride in Israel is something we have to vote on two to three times a week now in Congress.” #israel
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Good news for Taylor Swift ticket resellers
The IRS will once again postpone enforcement of a new provision in the tax code that requires online sellers to report as little as $600 in annual income. So if you sold Taylor Swift concert tickets this year, congrats: the feds won't come after you for not giving them a cut. #taylorswift
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Which US states steal babies’ blood?
New Jersey steals babies’ blood and keeps it for years without parental consent, but they aren’t the only state to do so. Texas used to turn over infant blood samples to the Pentagon in hopes of creating a national registry. #parenting #parenthood #newborn #motherhood
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Racist blackface at an NFL game?
Racist blackface at an NFL game? That’s what the sports news site Deadspin alleges. In reality, the Kansas City Chiefs fan is a young boy with his face painted black and red. #sports
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Cops killed her son and hid the body
Even though Jackson, Mississippi, police knew they killed 37-year-old Dexter Wade, they didn't inform his mother and allowed him to be buried in a penal farm. #police #criminaljustice
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Cody Wilson: Guns are 'political power'
"Definitely what changed over these last 10 years regarding the politics of guns was how ineffective they actually are, and how they don't really reflect a large majority of the people they're trying to govern," says filmmaker Jessica Solce of her new feature documentary about Cody Wilson, "Death Athletic: A Dissident Architecture."
Watch the full interview of Jessica Solce with Reason's Zach Weissmueller: https://youtu.be/l1UPaAmWLxU
Documentary available for purchase here: https://www.encodeproductions.com/
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Rand Paul vs. Anthony Fauci
Reason spoke with Sen. Rand Paul about his quest to uncover the origins of COVID-19 and hold Anthony Fauci accountable. #publichealth #science
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Rand Paul on the lab leak 'deception'
"When I first heard about the debate [over the origins of COVID-19]…I assumed that the scientists were being honest with us," says Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.). But his mind changed after reading a May 2021 article self-published on Medium by formerNew York Times science journalist Nicholas Wade. "As I began looking at this, the evidence, I think, was very, very strong that it came from a lab."
Paul, who has a new book calledDeception: The Great COVID Cover-Up, famously clashed with former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci in multiple Senate hearings over the question of whether his agency funded risky "gain-of-function" research in Wuhan, China, that Paul believes may have resulted in the creation of the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Gain-of-function research involves enhancing the transmissibility or deadliness of viruses in human tissue. Fauci denied ever funding such research, telling Paul in July 2021, "You do not know what you're talking about."
But Paul tells Reasonthat the evidence that Fauci was lying has been piling up since then.
"It's a felony to lie to Congress," says Paul. "It's punishable by up to five years in prison."
He referred the matter to Attorney General Merrick Garland for criminal prosecution but says he's received no reply.
"It is a huge cover-up [by] not just Anthony Fauci, but throughout government, eight different departments of government," says Paul. "The [National Institutes of Health] is more secretive at this point than the CIA."
Paul has introduced multiple bills and amendments to cut public funding for gain-of-function research, to reform how the federal government funds scientific research,and to prohibit government officials from meeting with social media companies for the purpose of censoring legal speech.
"If Twitter wants to censor me or YouTube wants to take my speech down because I say masks don't work, that is their prerogative," says Paul. "But I do think that a consistent libertarian position is telling the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], [President Joe] Biden's spokesmen…that they can't be meeting on a weekly basis with either overt or implied threats of, 'You need to do this or else.'"
Watch the full interview on Reason's YouTube channel.
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Do rich countries help or hurt the planet?
“The richer you are,” says Swedish historian Johan Norberg, “the more you can also afford to care about the planet.” #capitalism #environment
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Music warning labels to thwart the Antichrist?
Politicians wanted music warning labels to thwart the Antichrist after a Christian DJ claimed Led Zeppelin's “Stairway to Heaven” contained hidden backwards satanic messages that could be picked up by the subconscious.
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Halloween on Capitol Hill
Political puppet handouts.
Watch more Reason comedy videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBuns9Evn1w_QZkJ39OnsRbghTzKZ6jyv
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Should pro-Hamas students be blacklisted?
"I want people to consider what the world would look like if you essentially have a First Amendment, but you can't have a job if you actually honestly say your political opinion," argues Greg Lukianoff as he explains why blacklisting students who support Hamas is setting a dangerous precedent.
Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjgNyyYPS78&t=2497s
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Why Hollywood's union hates your Halloween costume
If you are planning to dress up as Barbie, the Flash, or Baby Yoda for Halloween this year, SAG-AFTRA union bosses consider you a scab. #barbie #barbiemovie #union
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Why was this magazine banned in prison?
Reason’s October 2023 issue was rejected because it "jeopardizes the good order and security of the institution." #prison
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Can Milei still win in Argentina?
Javier Milei, the firebrand libertarian candidate for Argentina's presidency, surprised the world with a first-place finish in the primaries this August. But in a run-off election this weekend, he finished second behind Peronist candidate Sergio Massa, Argentina's current Minister of Economy. Neither candidate passed the threshold needed to become the next president, and they will have a head-to-head rematch on November 12.
So does Milei still have a chance? Why did Argentina's markets falter after Milei came out ahead this summer? And why are Massa's allies in the government handing out money to voters?
JoinReason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe this Thursday at 1p.m. Eastern time onReason's YouTube channel or Facebook page to discuss these questions and more with Marcos Falcone a political scientist, project manager at Argentina's Fundación Libertad, and podcast host.
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Police arrested MLB managers for playing on Sunday
In 1917, police arrested Major League Baseball managers for playing on a Sunday because New York laws forbade playing on the Sabbath. #history #sports #baseball
Yes, this really happened.
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Reacting to Cornell professor 'exhilarated' by Hamas
"Nothing about watching innocent people be murdered was exhilarating," Reason's Liz Wolfe says in response to a recent pro-Palestine protest.
Watch the full replay of Liz and Zach Weissmueller's live conversation about the Israel-Hamas conflict: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK59Q4uRzFE
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Is a two-state solution even possible?
Joe Biden recently reiterated his support for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
Watch the full replay of Trita Parsi's live conversation with Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK59Q4uRzFE
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