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Articles by Kate Wand
We Approach State Singularity
People cannot build things on their own land without permits. They cannot run businesses without approvals and inspections. They cannot give advice without professional designations. They cannot educate their children outside of state-mandated curricula. They cannot hire employees without triggering a myriad of workplace and tax requirements. They cannot produce and sell milk, cheese, or eggs without a license.
Power for Power's Sake
In Hayek’s Road to Serfdom, he talks about how the worst rise to the top. We can certainly see now, that the worst of society— these kind of people run our institutions, our countries, supranational organizations— the worstpeople rise to the top. So why is that? Is it because they’re just evil, and they know that they’re evil, and they want to do more evil, so they climb up the ladder until they get there, and then they commit evil onto everybody on purpose?
Podcast: ESG’s Moral Crusade for a ‘Green New World’
What exactly is ESG? Where did it come from, and how did it start to take hold and reshape our world? How is it related to the infamous UN SDGs? In this episode of Liberty Curious, Paul Mueller joins Kate Wand to discuss and dissect. Paul is an economist and Senior Research Faculty at AIER who specializes in defending freedom and combatting collectivism. He has written a definitive collection of articles on ESG.
Podcast: How free is your state?
How free is your state? Why has New York gone from a beacon of liberty to a state that people now flee in droves? And why are people moving to places like Florida, New Hampshire and South Dakota? Way back in the early 2000s, Jason Sorens paired up with now-AIER president William Ruger to find out. Jason joined Kate Wand on Liberty Curious to discuss his book, Freedom In the Fifty States, and the interactive tool that measures economic and personal freedom across American states.
Untold Story: One Man’s Battle Against Nazi Ideology
What can happen when societies decouple from the Western liberal tradition and adopt collectivist frameworks that abandon reason, the pursuit of truth, and the core principles of civilization? On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand was joined by Samuel Gregg, Distinguished Fellow in Political Economy at AIER, to discuss the life and ideas of Wilhelm Röpke.
A Never-Ending Night
A few years ago, I read a book that forever changed my life. Reading it once, was for me, enough. I didn’t think I would ever have to open it again, because its contents were so profound, so haunting, that it would mark my soul forever. I only read it once, because it only took me one time to understand. I couldn’t bear to put myself through the agony again, although my personal agony was only an echo, far removed by time, location, and the actual experience of the author, and so many like him.
How Did the Social Justice Movement Take Hold?
Why are so many in our generation brainwashed to see the world in a terrible way? And what is it about their mindset that makes them so susceptible to this kind of manipulation?
Liberty Curious The New Deal’s War on the Bill of Rights
On this episode of Liberty Curious, David Beito, professor, historian and author, joins Kate Wand to discuss his upcoming expose: The New Deal’s War on the Bill of Rights: The Untold Story of FDR’s Concentration Camps, Censorship, and Mass Surveillance. Although FDR is still considered one of the most beloved presidents in American history, David’s research exposes his dark side, which differed greatly from his public persona.
Liberty Curious Podcast: Decolonization from Theory to Practice
Since October 7th, 2023, we have seen that ideas have consequences in the real world. Phillip Magness is an economic historian who specializes in the economic dimensions of slavery and racial discrimination, the history of taxation, and measurements of economic inequality over time. He also maintains an active research interest in higher education policy and the history of economic thought.
The Original MAGA: Tariffs, Trade, and the True Cost of Protectionism
In this episode of Liberty Curious, we go deep into the historical roots of ‘Making America Great Again’. Kate Wand sat down with Phillip W. Magness, Senior Research Faculty and F.A. Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at AIER, to discuss the true implications of tariffs and protectionism and how they have shaped America’s economic landscape. From the earliest years of the American founding, promises of putting America first echoed through political chambers.
Liberalism: What Does It Even MEAN? Political Scientist Explains
On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sat down with Michael Munger, economist and professor of political economy at Duke University, to discuss the Classical Liberal diaspora. Diaspora refers to the scattering of liberals ‘of the old type’; the remnant, the libertarians, and the classical liberals, whose message about liberty and limited government gets lost in a sea of tribal left vs. right politics.
Podcast: Did the 2008 Financial Crisis Ever Really END?
On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sat down with Paul Mueller, who recently joined AIER as Senior Research Faculty, to discuss the 2007-2008 Financial Crisis and its reverberation into our present day. “Everything we’re seeing around us is a fallout from that crisis.” Paul Mueller received his PhD in economics from George Mason University, and is the author of Ten Years Later: Why the Conventional Wisdom about the 2008 Financial Crisis is Still Wrong.
Liberty Curious: Liberalism: What Does It Even MEAN?
On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sat down with Michael Munger, economist and professor of political economy at Duke University, to discuss the Classical Liberal diaspora. Diaspora refers to the scattering of liberals ‘of the old type’; the remnant, the libertarians, and the classical liberals, whose message about liberty and limited government gets lost in a sea of tribal left vs. right politics.
The Fight against ESG and Global Governance
On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand spoke with Allen Mendenhall, author, lawyer, Associate Dean and Professor in the Sorrell College of Business at Troy University. He teaches a free market, non-woke business course that has gained significant clout, leading anti-woke ESG advocates to seek his aid and testimony for an anti-ESG investment bill.
Liberty Curious: Is There Such A Thing as Objective Morality?
Is there such a thing as objective morality? On a recent episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sat down with Bruce Pardy, professor of Law and Executive Director of Rights Probe to discuss the woke virus of the mind. The comments section was full of passionate and interesting criticism and debate on one particular issue: can we all universally agree on what is right and wrong and then let that determine our rights? So Kate asked Bruce to come back and go through some of your comments with me.
ESG: A Corporate Social Credit System backed by UN & WEF
When big corporations like Target or Bud Light go blatantly Woke, to the detriment of their shareholders and profits, you might ask yourself what exactly they are doing, and why. This is where ESG comes in. ESG is Environment, Social, and Governance, three pillars of a pervasive type of corporate social credit score that businesses are pressured or incentivized to abide by.
Critical Theory and The Frankfurt School: The Neo-Marxist Roots of WOKE
Print In this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand invited Phil Magness to discuss the origins of critical theory, which is a neo-Marxist school of thought born in the Frankfurt School in 1923. Phil is the director of research and education at AIER, and a prolific researcher on these kinds of ideas. They discuss the history of critical theory, and how it has proliferated through academia and into our culture, manifesting itself as what we commonly refer to as Woke ideology.
The Woke Cultural Revolution
In the last three episodes of my AIER podcast Liberty Curious, I spoke with three intellectual powerhouses to dissect the woke cultural revolution from different angles. The latest is an episode with Samuel Gregg on the origins of ESG, how its being applied, and its ties to the UN SDGs and the World Economic Forum. We also explore its role in reflecting, promoting, and shaping Woke ideology.
Liberty Curious: ESG: A Corporate Social Credit System backed by UN & WEF
When big corporations like Target or Bud Light go blatantly Woke, to the detriment of their shareholders and profits, you might ask yourself what exactly they are doing, and why. This is where ESG comes in. ESG is Environment, Social, and Governance, three pillars of a pervasive type of corporate social credit score that businesses are pressured or incentivized to abide by.
Virus of the Mind: Critical Theory + Postmodernism
Print On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand invites Bruce Pardy to discuss the origins of the Woke virus of the mind: critical theory, social justice, postmodernism and critical race theory. You can get the audio version on Apple Podcasts or Amazon, and all our podcasts at aier.org/podcasts.
Liberty Curious: Critical Theory & The Frankfurt School: The Neo-Marxist Roots of WOKE
In this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand invited Phil Magness to discuss the origins of critical theory, which is a neo-Marxist school of thought born in the Frankfurt School in 1923. Phil is the director of research and education at AIER, and a prolific researcher on these kinds of ideas. They discuss the history of critical theory, and how it has proliferated through academia and into our culture, manifesting itself as what we commonly refer to as Woke ideology.
Liberty Curious: The WOKE Virus of the Mind: Critical Theory + Postmodernism
On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand invites Bruce Pardy to discuss the origins of the Woke virus of the mind: critical theory, social justice, postmodernism and critical race theory. Bruce explains identity politics, power relationships, victimhood, and all the pillars of Critical Theory, a school of thought that has infiltrated our culture, institutions and society.
Liberty Curious, with Kate Wand and Tom Hogan
Print On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sat down with Thomas Hogan, to discuss what he coined the SEC’s illegal war against crypto. Tom is senior research faculty at AIER and former chair to the senate committee on banking, housing & urban affairs. Thomas explains how “the SEC has charged crypto exchanges Binance and Coinbase with facilitating the trade of unregistered securities.
Bitcoin’s Philosophical Origins with Emile Phaneuf
Print Where did Bitcoin come from? Since the mysterious conception of Bitcoin following the 2008 financial crisis, people have been trying to figure out who created it, and why. Joining Kate Wand on Liberty Curious is independent thinker & writer Emile Phaneuf, to discuss the origins of Bitcoin, and its philosophical influences including the writings of Hayek, Ayn Rand and David Friedman.
If the Russian Revolution Never Happened, Who Was Karl Marx?
Print Karl Marx’s theories sparked the Russian Revolution in 1917. His communist ideology was foundational to the USSR, and other oppressive regimes, which led to the state murder of hundreds of millions of people. Yet despite the 20th century Marxist democide, Marx remains one of the most popular so-called intellectual figures of the last century, up to this day.
Should Government Control Our Lives? Featuring Jason Sorens (Video)
Print On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sits down with Jason Sorens, Senior Research Faculty at AIER, co-author of Freedom in the 50 States, and founder of the Free State Project, to discuss how much government interferes with our daily lives. Sorens takes the unusual position that adults should be treated like adults, which is a difficult proposition where government is involved.
The Future of Money & Banking: Bitcoin, Fractional Reserve, and Free Markets (Video)
Print In this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand explores the history of money, the evolution of fractional reserve banks, and the impact of emerging technologies like Bitcoin and CBDCs on personal and economic freedom. She discusses these topics with George Selgin, director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute.
Operation Chokepoint 2.0: The Crypto Crackdown Explained (Video)
Print In this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand discusses the Obama-era Operation Chokepoint, and today’s “Operation Chokepoint 2.0” with AIER Senior Research Faculty Thomas Hogan. Tom explains how government regulators have been pressuring banks not to lend to politically unpopular industries, such as firearms manufacturers, payday lenders, and cryptocurrency companies, even though there are no laws against lending to them.
Caitlin Long: Fighting for Economic Freedom (Video)
Print In this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand spoke with Caitlin Long, founder of Custodia, a financial institution anchored around bitcoin, sound money, and safe banking. They discuss the importance of economic freedom in a rapidly centralizing world, the philosophy that shapes Long’s decisions, and the implications of the Fed’s denying Custodia’s application for membership.
The ‘1619 Project’ Is Wrong About Capitalism, but Not in the Way You May Think
Commentary In 1834, an angry mob descended on a gathering at a New York church. Their target was Lewis and Arthur Tappan, owners of a successful mercantile import business. When the Tappans fled, the mob went to Lewis Tappan’s home and threw his belongings into a fire on the street. The Tappans were the epitome of American capitalism and entrepreneurship. Not coincidentally, they were also prominent abolitionists. The pro-slavery mob wanted to bring them to their knees.
Breaking Free From Political Polarization With Classical...
Print Progressives are ascendant in the ongoing culture wars, while conservatives fight to recover lost ground. But do these opposing camps have more in common than they care to admit? And is there a political philosophy that sees the world differently? Bruce Pardy, a professor of law and executive director of Rights Probe, a think tank focused on law and liberty, joins Kate Wand to answer these questions and highlight the differences and similarities between today’s prevailing ideologies.
1619 Project: A Flawed Interpretation With a Hidden Agenda (Video)
Print In this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand and AIER Research and Education Director Phillip W. Magness highlight the historical flaws of the 1619 project, and explore why it excludes abolitionists like Frederick Douglass. Phil describes how the project’s creators use pro-slavery figures to denounce free-market capitalism, and exposes the underlying Marxist ideology that underpins the 1619 Project’s premises.
Beware the Soft Landing Narrative (Video)
Print Signs indicate the 2021 – 2022 inflationary surge is cooling. But will there be a soft landing? A recession? What kind of narratives will emerge regarding the Federal Reserve’s policies over the last few years, and the efficacy of monetary policy? To help answer these questions, AIER research faculty Peter C. Earle joins Kate Wand on this episode of Liberty Curious.
America’s at a Crossroads: Liberty or State Control? | Samuel...
Print America feels lost. How can we find our common ground again? In this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sat down with Samuel Gregg, Distinguished Fellow in Political Economy and Senior Research Faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research, to discuss how to repair what’s broken with the American economy. Sam argues that the perennial debates about America’s identity go back to the founding, and that the tools for repairing what seems broken lie in the ideas of the Constitution.
The Federal Reserve’s Expanding Mandate (Video)
Print In this video, Kate Wand sat down with AIER Senior Research Faculty Thomas Hogan to discuss the Federal Reserve’s expanding objectives and how they affect its ability to conduct monetary policy. Dr. Hogan details the Fed’s recent drift into diversity, equity, inclusion, climate policy, a CBDC, and more. He explains how the Federal Reserve harms those it is trying to help by implementing overly politicized missions. See the full video here.
Liberty Curious: The Fauci Deposition and Twitter Files Reveal Big Tech and Government Collusion
What if the last three years had never happened the way they did? What if there were colossal ideas, events and facts that were purposefully misrepresented or even hidden from the public that could have completely changed the world as we now know it? And what would happen when those truths came to light? Phillip W. Magness is the Director of Research & Education at AIER.
On loss, grief, collective trauma, and rising from the ashes.
In the early hours of October 16th, or what we call the middle of the night, my beloved cat Coco died. She was at home, with me, my partner Will, and our son, who was sleeping. I knew she was dying. I chose to let her die with me, at home, with us, and not on a cold metal table at the vet’s, almost an hour away. I didn’t even think about it — I just let it be, and let her be.
All Our Paths Peace
After the Revolutionary War, Martha Washington wrote: “The difficulties, and distresses to which we have been exposed during the war must now be forgotten. We must endeavor to let our ways be the ways of pleasantness, and all our paths Peace.” All our paths Peace! What a beautiful thought. I’m not sure why Martha Washington capitalized Peace. Did she recognize that Peace was not something she created but something she allowed to live through her? Today, few seem to want Peace to live through them.
Is Newsguard a Propaganda Machine? (Video)
Print On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sat down with Phil Magness, Director of Research and Education at AIER, to discuss censorship, fact-checking, the politicization of academia, and how it affects research, corporations, and American culture. Dr. Magness also explains how academia often produces ideologically driven experts who take a technocratic approach to the impossible task of designing a perfect world, while marginalizing ideas that don’t align with their vision.
Jay Bhattacharya on Lockdowns: The End Of The Enlightenment?
Did Lockdowns mark the end of the enlightenment era? Two years after the Great Barrington Declaration, I sat down with one of it’s eminent authors, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, professor at Stanford University Medical School, a physician, epidemiologist, health economist, and public health policy expert focusing on infectious diseases and vulnerable populations.
Bitcoin vs. Gold: What’s the Difference? (Video)
While any good can serve as money, not all goods are equal in terms of their monetary qualities. In the debate of bitcoin vs. gold, which one wins? In this episode of Liberty Curious, AIER Managing Editor David Waugh and Kate Wand discuss the differences between gold and bitcoin, and how each one might improve upon fiat currencies. See the full interview here. David Waugh joined AIER in 2020 and currently works as the Managing Editor.
Energy Crisis Explained: EU Mandates to “Flatten the Curve” (Video)
Print Europe and other Western nations are facing a very real energy crisis right now. In this video, Kate Wand explains the energy crisis in Europe and the collectivist nature of the West’s war on climate change. If energy security were the priority, our leaders would change from an ideological green-at-all-costs stance to one that eases regulation and allows free markets to find solutions. Instead they are doubling down, tightening regulations, and suggesting we flatten the curve on electricity.
What Is Financial Literacy and Why Is It Important? (Video)
Print On this episode of Liberty Curious, Robert Wright, historian and Senior Research Faculty at AIER, joins Kate Wand to discuss his new book: Fearless: Wilma Soss and America’s Forgotten Investor Movement. Robert shares details of Wilma Soss’s remarkable story as a self-made woman, journalist, PR pioneer, and activist who devoted her life to reforming corporate America.
The Inflation Reduction Act: Is History Repeating Itself? (Video)
Print On this episode of Liberty Curious, AIER Senior Research Faculty Thomas Hogan sat down with Kate Wand to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act. Hogan highlights the act’s similarities to the Green New Deal and the New Deal under FDR in 1933 — a historical turning point that changed the course of the US economy, monetary systems, and the role of government to this day. See the full interview here. Print Related Articles – Energy, Government, Inflation, Video
Who Killed Free Market Capitalism? (Video)
VIDEO Why are capitalism, markets, and self-interest seen as vices, while pathological altruism, socialism, and collectivism are held up as virtues? On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand explores the war on free markets with Dr. Samuel Gregg, Distinguished Fellow in Political Economy and Senior Research Faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research. Kate Wand is a content creator. Her focus is social commentary and filmmaking. She is the host of AIER’s Liberty Curious podcast.
Markets vs. Marxism and “Stakeholder Capitalism” | Samuel Gregg &...
Print Proponents of free markets often provide excellent economic arguments, but what about the moral argument for free markets vs. interventionist systems? What kinds of virtues can free markets encourage? Dr. Samuel Gregg and Kate Wand explore how government interventions such as protectionism and tariffs do not provide incentives to be creative and lead to higher prices, cronyism, and inefficiency. Like this video? Check out the full version here.
Redefining Recession: The White House Goes Orwellian (Video)
Print In the Wall Street Journal, Philip Magness, Director of Research and Education at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), points out that “An economic downturn is a political problem, so the White House is playing semantics by redefining the term.” Kate Wand, host of AIER’s Liberty Curious podcast, explores the implications of redefining the meaning of words in a post-truth society, using Magness’ essay on the White House attempt at redefining the term recession.
ESGs: Social Credit for Corporations? | Liberty Curious (Video)
VIDEO In this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand interviews Robert Wright, Senior Research Faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research. His new book, Fearless: Wilma Soss and America’s Forgotten Investor Movement, will be available on August 30th. Robert and Kate Wand discuss Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives and how they distort markets by directing companies to focus on Woke objectives rather than profits. Kate Wand is a content creator.
What Is Going On In Sri Lanka? (Video)
VIDEO In Sri Lanka, ESG initiatives and monetary mismanagement have triggered an economic crisis. Sri Lankans can no longer afford necessities such as food, fuel, and medicine, and citizens are protesting throughout the nation. Kate Wand, host of AIER’s Liberty Curious podcast, discusses the ongoing crisis. Kate Wand is a content creator. Her focus is social commentary and filmmaking. She is the host of AIER’s Liberty Curious podcast. You can follow her on Twitter @katewand.
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