The Freedom Report

Will Rand Paul Have to Denounce Ron Paul to Win the GOP Nod? [PODCAST]

Former Ron Paul political campaign assistant Don Rasmussen's new column at the Daily Caller is called, "The Ron Problem: Rand Paul Must Publicly Denounce His Father To Win The GOP Nomination." Rasmussen argues that some of Paul's more fringe associations will have to be combated by the younger Paul. This episode of the Freedom Report podcast asks Rasmussen what kind of tactics a Rand Paul 2016 campaign might need if they're going to win the Republican nomination. 

Will the lunatic fringe of the liberty movement find a way to deep six Rand Paul? Or will the silent majority of reasonable liberty loving activists prevail? All that and more on the Freedom Report podcast. 

Conservatives And Liberals Are BOTH Useless In The Battle Against Radical Islam. Here's Why...

The Freedom Report podcast today takes on the struggle against radical Islam. Actor Ben Affleck flung the "racist" label at Bill Maher and Sam Harris on HBO recently after Maher and Harris accused liberals of not standing up to Islamic theocracy. Criticizing Islam is widely seen as a conservative sticking point, but this show examines why many on the Right might find themselves standing arm in arm with conservative Muslims if a certain taboo topic is approached.

Libertarians (and liberals) who advocate against bombing Syria to fight ISIS will use the talking point of how the struggle is an ideological one that can't be solved with "boots on the ground." So if that is true, then the war against radical Jihad is one of ideas. That means that liberals (classical and social democrat) must actively fight the bad ideas that Islam espouses. It will not be pleasant for liberals to be subjected to the taunts and jeers and cries of "racism" and "bigotry," that will inevitably come, but these bad ideas MUST be combated then. You must either admit that you think these radicals ought to be bombed, or that we must fight against totalitarianism with libertarian ideas. That's what Maher and Harris are reflecting, the libertarian instinct of liberalism that stands against theocracy.

Harris defended himself in a column titled, "Can Liberalism Be Saved From Itself?" In it, Harris expertly reasoned about how his fellow panelists were making his points for him: "Kristof made the point that there are brave Muslims who are risking their lives to condemn “extremism” in the Muslim community. Of course there are, and I celebrate these people too. But he seemed completely unaware that he was making my point for me—the point being, of course, that these people are now risking their lives by advocating for basic human rights in the Muslim world."

He's correct. It is a risk to confront Islamic Jihadists. And that risk will either be borne out by liberals who fight with ideas, or those who will fight with guns. Either way, the idea that some people must be killed for adultery or stoned or beheaded for any reason must be combated. Liberals and libertarians must speak out against these illiberal ideas and EXPECT to be faced with being called a bigot. Now however, liberals in America are faced with a very sincere challenge, considering that the Left's rhetoric has always included charges of racism and bigotry. They now fear their own media guillotines that hang above each and every one of their heads, ready to punish anyone who is deemed guilty of racist "thought crimes," which include criticism of another's culture.

Maher and Harris, when criticizing Islam, are channeling their libertarian instincts, not their "liberal" ones. Ben Affleck is more the model of the modern liberal, who can manufacture fake outrage at a moment's notice. The libertarian instinct is the true moral position, the one that pushes against Islam's teachings which officially sanction savage acts of violence. And libertarians themselves must struggle with the truth that if ISIS can't be fought with bombs, they must be fought with ideas.

How these ideas can be spread peacefully, and without accusations of bigotry when there is none, is the real debate.

Listen to today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast for this intimate discussion of liberalism, Islam, libertarianism and the problems with conservatives and theocracy.

 

 

Is Lindsey Graham The Tyrant America Needs Right Now?

The Middle East is boiling in fire and blood. Is now the time for America to give power to a strong man? Can Lindsey Graham be the one who will finally merge all corporate and military power into the hands of the executive? Could Graham be the dictator that America needs right now?

Should Society Be Aimed At Protecting "Women And Children First"? [PODCAST]

The Freedom Report podcast today takes on the societal values of "women and children first." Todd Seavey joins the show and engages with host Austin Petersen on the issues of gender politics and society.

Seavey is famous for being the "conservative nerd" who blasted his "conservative nerd ex girlfriend" on CSPAN. Seavey has a new show called the "Seavey/Perry On Culture," where he talks about celebrity culture and limited government issues. He's formerly a producer at Fox Business alongside host Austin Petersen on the show FreedomWatch.

What did Seavey think about feminist libertarian Cathy Reisenwitz, whose philosophy he calls dangerous and corrosive, claiming she was leaving the liberty movement? Lena Dunham, Lana Del Ray, Emma Watson and more are discussed on this special episode of the Freedom Report.

Science Babe Brings Skeptical Snark To Pseudoscientific Shills

The Freedom Report today hosts a special guest. She's the Science Babe! And she's speaking out to debunk pseudoscience, flim-flam, hoo-haa, and plain old BS! She’s got a bachelors in chemistry and a masters in forensic science. She’s been a chemistry professor, explosives chemist, toxicology chemist and now an analytical chemist at a pesticide company.

Today's episode takes on the Science Babe's archnemesis... the Food Babe! Are GMOs really all that bad? Should you eat something that you can't pronounce? The Science Babe explains how her experience in toxicology provides unique insight on this topic. 

And what about nutritional health in general? For years the government sold us a bill of goods with their food guide pyramid on what consisted of healthy eating, only to learn years later that they were totally off the mark. Does this mean we should be just as skeptical of government as we are of the lone quacks? And how does that apply to the "scientific consensus" on climate change? Maybe there are free market ways to solve the problems of pollution? 

Also, with the Ebola outbreak in the United States seemingly on the rise, one has to ask the question: Does superstition kill? 

All that and more with a special discussion how the rise of the skeptical libertarian movement at the end on the Freedom Report podcast! 

Lies, Propaganda & Conspiracy Theories: From ISIS to Alex Jones [PODCAST]

Former Russia Today anchor Liz Wahl rejoins the Freedom Report podcast to discuss propaganda created by the terrorist group ISIS. Wahl dissects the type of media created by the Islamic terror group, and discusses how similar they craft their rhetoric in ways she was familiar with during her time working at RT.

Wahl reports on the issues surrounding the creation of media that is designed to obfuscate the issues as well as take the very real concerns of citizens and manipulate them. Wahl relates how conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones, along with state-owned news outlets such as RT and terrorist groups like ISIS, play with people's emotions in order to twist them for their own agenda.

All that and more on this special episode of the Freedom Report podcast!

A Libertarian In Hong Kong Speaks Out [PODCAST]

The Freedom Report podcast today interviews an anonymous source in Hong Kong, a libertarian who has been observing the protests and is planning on taking part. Citizens of the city have taken to the streets in recent days to protest the Chinese government's antidemocratic reforms. This interview discusses the ideological makeup of the Occupy protestors and whether or not these protests could be a repeat of Tiananmen Square. 

How Can We Get More Libertarians Involved In Shaping Foreign Policy? [PODCAST]

The Freedom Report Podcast today takes on the critical issues of how to get more libertarians involved in crafting foreign policy.

Special guest Joe Humire is an Iraq War veteran and expert on asymmetrical warfare. He’s currently the executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society, a think tank which focuses on advancing security and freedom around the world. 

In this interview Humire and show host Austin Petersen discuss critical issues such as the threat of ISIS, Iran and the difference between kinetic and non-kinetic action. How can we get more libertarian ideas into the mix? Humire meets lots of people who identify with limited government principles in the defense community, but there are very few people working to gather them into a power bloc.

How can we unify our principles while maintaining a solid national defense that protects our security and safeguards liberty for generations to come? 

All that and more on the Freedom Report podcast! 

Time to De-Obama-fy America? (PODCAST)

Special Guest Katie Kieffer joins the Freedom Report podcast to discuss her latest book "Let Me Be Clear," where she gives her policy prescriptions on how we can limit the damage done by the Obama administration.

The fight over Obamacare, "shacking up," the militarization of police and global warming are all discussed in this episode of the Freedom Report podcast!

The Madness Of The Food Babe – Is It Time To Stand Up To Bullying Quacks? (PODCAST)

Are pseudoscientific quacks such as the Food Babe just harmless cranks? Or is she part of a dangerous trend that needs a truth vaccine with extra mercury? Are GMOs really dangerous? Should you not eat anything with ingredients you can't pronounce?

My special guest today is Dr. Joe Schwarcz. Schwarcz is the Director of McGill University’s “Office for Science & Society.” Professor Schwarcz has received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and has authored a number of bestselling books. He can be contacted at joe.schwarcz@mcgill.ca

Dr. Schwarz was recently featured in Bloomberg discussing Vani Hari, commonly known as the Food Babe, who peddles anti GMO & anti vaccination rhetoric to her credulous fans.

The Food Babe is famous for her campaign against the Subway sandwich chain, where she bullied the restaurant into changing their ingredients due to her claims that the bread contained the same ingredients that go into making yoga mats. She also made headlines for calling out Starbucks with a campaign against their popular Pumpkin spice lattes.

This episode of the Freedom Report debunks the hoo-hah and snake-oil sold to us by the kooks, cranks and conspiracists that spread fear and misinformation for profit.