Capital Record

David concluded an 18-month research project and interviews with a dozen attorneys and judges with a lengthy piece on the the disaster of our current legal system. In today’s Capital Record he offers a dozen reform ideas that are desperately needed, and concludes with one that is more important than all of them put together. Hint: It doesn’t involve the judicial system. Show Notes: David’s National Review article, " The Next Supply-Side Battle " Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The political world was abuzz Sunday night at the devastating defeat pro-Putin post-liberal, Viktor Orbán, suffered in Hungary’s national election. Some on the American right have mistakenly cozied up to Orbán, finding some compatibility with his occasional messages about social values. But alas, even beyond the confused moral messaging, what did Orbán in is what will do all “new right” illiberals in -- a disdain for the freedom and opportunity of a market economy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David French wrote a provocative piece in the New York Times recently asking the very legitimate question, “If people are doing better, why are they more resentful?” In today’s Capital Record , David Bahnsen looks at the macroeconomic picture, reviews the thesis of our crisis of responsibility, unpacks the difference between greed and envy, and suggests a culprit that is at least a good starting place for improving those who feel left out of the modern economy. " How Can America Be So Miserable When It's So Rich? " Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it say about a con man and con woman that they got away using fake names and doing fake events to rip off people, charities, and investors for years? It says that they are con artists! Perhaps the bigger question, though, is what it says about their marks. In today’s Capital Record David looks at a depressing fact about too many affluent people that even makes something like this possible. Show Notes: The Fake Cartier and the Fake Rockefeller Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A jury ruled last week that social media companies are financially liable for a young woman's becoming “addicted” to social media use. In today’s Capital Record , David opines on the utterly ridiculous verdict and the horrific things it says about society, but also offers a social commentary on where companies do have a moral burden, outside the law, if we are to have a free and virtuous society. As is often the case, there is enough fusionism in David’s take to bother everyone. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is it a good thing for wealthy people to give money away? Is it a good thing for them to give half of it away? All of it? Is a pledge a gift? How should one who values a virtuous society think about this very idea? In this Capital Record , David looks at the results of a high-profile 2010 effort launched by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, and suggests that there is a way to promote generosity that does not lend itself to a high-profile indulgence. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The World Bank has spent three decades saying industrial policy is a bad way to go -- stunting growth, creating bad signals, and facilitating suboptimal outcomes. But now, lo and behold, they claim that government management of an economy can be a very good idea, as long as it is done the way they suggest. The internal contradictions in this statist mess are easy to see, and we’re not having it. You shouldn’t either. Show notes: WSJ on World Bank reversal on industrial policy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Do financial transactions all add up to zero? Should we be more concerned with piety than technique? Is a business going out of business a good thing if the founder treats his people well? Does money serve a greater purpose if we apply nice-sounding adjectives to our marketing pitch? Are all views of human dignity okay as long as they end with humans having dignity? On today’s Capital Record , David analyzes a plethora of things he literally heard in the last few days alone! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David is joined this week by a very special guest, Tim Estes, for a thorough discussion on artificial intelligence. But this is not one of those exhausting conversations about whether or not AI would take our jobs, or is a good investment, or one of the other numerous things that dominates AI discussion these days. Rather, David and Tim use first principles to address the problems that conservatives are missing. The discussion goes all over the map but then ends with a profound idea from our special guest that might just scratch all the itches! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David is joined by special guest Renè Aninao, of CORBU, for an invigorating discussion about the state of geopolitics, the Fed, markets, and more. They cover multiple countries, multiple world leaders, and most of all, multiple first principles. It is always worth the listen when Renè Aninao steps into the Capital Record ! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some of the biggest companies in America are changing what they do with DEI, saying no the Human Rights Commission and the Southern Poverty Law Center, defending fossil fuels, and yes, even defending the profit motive. It sometimes takes more nudging than we want, but today’s podcast gives you an update on how shareholder engagement, not boycott, is yielding great dividends. And then, yielding great dividends. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The New York Times published a long, redundant, somewhat odd screed from Oren Cass this weekend, bemoaning “financialization” and suggesting that Wall Street has duped everyone, from their investors to their own clients, about what they really do. The wide net of the attack manages to capture exactly no one, and exposes what the anti-market, pro-statism new right fail to grasp about markets. David takes on the piece point by point, and the rebuttal is worth a listen. Show notes: Oren Cass NYT piece on financialization David’s AIER paper on financialization Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump announced on Monday that he was signing an executive order to have ONE RULE (his words, not mine) when it comes to artificial intelligence, seeking to suppress the Tenth Amendment rights of states to have their own regulatory framework around, well, every single other industry on the planet. Over the weekend the president said he was concerned about the Netflix purchase of Warner Brothers because “that might give them too big of a market share.” These feigned antitrust/monopolistic concerns and blatant disregard for states' rights in favor of a behemoth federal government control are longstanding beliefs and practices of the New Deal, big government left. They have been anathema to the right for time eternal. These are deeply concerning shifts in both action and philosophy that must be fervently resisted by those who still revere the Constitution and cherish the very concept of economic liberty. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A little debate broke out on social media when a left-wing progressive mocked the idea that “absolute” standards of living are more important than “relative” ones. To some, what people aspire to is merely “to have a better life than the people around them,” and not “to have a better life.” What is the truth here? And does it matter? If people really are merely concerned with “upping” their neighbors, couldn’t we do that pretty easily without driving burdensome things like “progress”? On today’s Capital Record , David takes on the reality of human nature and the fundamental aim of economics. Ultimately, we find ourselves back to the Tenth Commandment to resolve one tension, and to the Garden of Eden to resolve another! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nobel Prize for economics has gone to some serious winners over the years -- Hayek, Friedman, and Mundell come to mind. But the Nobel committee has shamed itself over the years as well (looking at you, Krugman), and more recently seemed to indicate a bias toward so-called economic justice than actual economic productivity and prosperity. That is why this year’s winners are an encouragement to those of us who see growth as a moral good, and a rising standard of living for all as dependent on progress, innovation, and growth. It is good for the field of economics when good work is rewarded that explains how the world works, and why. It is far better than rewarding econometrics that explain neither. Show Notes: WSJ article by David Henderson Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We all know President Trump is counting the days until Jerome Powell’s term as Fed chair ends. He may be rooting for the right thing for the wrong reason, but it is not debatable that this is where things are headed. In today’s Capital Record , David looks at the various candidates for Fed chair and makes the case for the obvious pick (of the major pool of candidates that exists). Let’s send this episode to President Trump if we have to! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Now that New York has elected a self-avowed socialist as its mayor, many are concerned with how to combat his dangerous ideas and policies. In this episode of Capital Record , David offers the wild suggestion that one way to defeat Mamdani’s ideas is to not replicate them ourselves ! From class warfare to price controls to government ownership of production, Mamdani does not have a monopoly on bad ideas in 2025. For conservatives to win this debate, they need to be debating on the right team. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The ‘Greedflation’ line is back, only it isn’t coming from Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, or Joe Biden. With beef prices up nearly +13 percent over the last year, many are wondering why, and many are providing answers that don’t pass the smell test. Fortunately for those of us on the Capital Record , first principles go a long way toward helping us sort this out. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David devotes this week’s Capital Record to the folly of the “game-changing” idea of a 50-year mortgage. He stands within first principles by allowing risk takers to freely transact, but points out the economic reality of how people who believe they get a cheaper house by paying for it over an extra 20 years are, well, wrong. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The “conservative” world lives in interesting times, navigating on one hand the challenges of being a movement based on ideas and then on the other hand the personalities and frustrations that have recently entered the fray, often at odds with the movement and ideas they claim to have joined. We have spent ample time in this podcast defending the conservative ethos against those who would undermine its core orthodoxies either for coalitional benefits at the ballot box or for “street cred” in the desire to be popular, no matter where it leads ideologically. But what if the issue at hand is not merely where to draw the line on government intervention in the marketplace, but what to do with full-blown lunatics like Nick Fuentes? Is antisemitism, conspiratorialism, racism, and broad kookiness part of the membership package in today’s conservative world? In today’s podcast, David explains why the challenges of gatekeeping for economic cogency are less different than people may think when it comes to gatekeeping full-blown extremism. And the stakes are equally high for those who prize the American and conservative ideal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The NBA world was rocked last week as a current head coach and two players were arrested in a major FBI investigation. The entire matter has led to great consternation over the world of sports betting and the explosive growth of how this is marketed and normalized in society. David does what this podcast exists for him to do: apply first principles to the discussion of sports betting -- its pitfalls and boundaries -- for those who value free markets but also the virtue and character we want for our society. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The pro-work message has found a resurgence, but it has hardly won the war. It is not merely up against pop psychologists and a wide array of confused thought leaders, but the allure of algorithmic screen addictions and other acts of sloth that are hurting society in more ways than one. On today’s episode of Capital Record , David argues that bemoaning the influence of social media and video games is not enough -- that we must know what is at stake, and what our counterplan is to restore a healthy society. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David is inspired today by a recent WSJ op-ed from the widow of Apple founder, Steve Jobs, arguing that too many philanthropists are using their donations for control rather than impact. David takes the position that too many philanthropists are driven by vanity, too many charities are driven by grift, and not enough philanthropists are wisely maintaining their leverage -- not for control, but for intended impact. A nuanced Capital Record with a message a lot of people will not like. Show notes: Beware of Philanthropists Who Want Control in Exchange for Their Giving Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It feels that New Right Republicans are sometimes trying to out-socialist Bernie Sanders, and in bemoaning the extraordinary results of Amazon in building opportunity for pay and wealth for its workforce and pitting that against the executive C-suite in standard class warfare lunacy, we have teed up all that is wrong with wage controls, price controls, and the class envy that does so much damage to the cause of a free and prosperously employed society. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sanae Takaichi is not just set to be the first female prime minister of Japan -- and someone whose childhood hero was the legendary Margaret Thatcher. She also launched her global claim to fame by saying she “wanted to abandon the idea of work-life balance” and planned to “have everyone work like a workhorse.” Well, this has generated some push back from people who are apparently happy with Japan’s 0 percent real GDP growth for over 30 years. In today’s episode, David analyzes why Takaichi is starting off as his favorite leader on the planet. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.