Words & Numbers
Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan co-host Words & Numbers, where they take a non-partisan look at current events through the eyes of an economist and a political scientist. The show is aimed at interested non-experts. Regular episodes come out each Wednesday.
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The Fed
09/04/2024
The Fed
Episode 395: The Fed What does the Fed do and how does it do it? Foolishness of the Week: 06:38 Main episode: 08:51 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 394: Candidates’ Attitudes
08/29/2024
Episode 394: Candidates’ Attitudes
Episode 394: Candidates’ Attitudes Unfortunately, when it comes to elections, often a smile is all it takes. Foolishness of the Week: 06:55 Main episode: 11:32 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 393: Why Is Economics Important?
08/21/2024
Episode 393: Why Is Economics Important?
This is a conversation James and I had concerning various topics in economics and current events. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon The School of Ireland Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter
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Episode 392: Could Unemployment Be a Good Thing?
08/14/2024
Episode 392: Could Unemployment Be a Good Thing?
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 391: Attacked by a Gang Wearing Lab Coats
08/11/2024
Episode 391: Attacked by a Gang Wearing Lab Coats
This week James shares some first-hand experience with the magic that comes out of modern health care. Foolishness of the Week: 10:22 Main episode: 12:43 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 390: Personal Finance
07/31/2024
Episode 390: Personal Finance
James is recovering from surgery this week, so we offer you this special episode on personal finance so as to not to leave you sad and alone on Words & Numbers Wednesday!
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Episode 389: Recession?
07/24/2024
Episode 389: Recession?
Are we in a recession? Americans say we are. The data say we aren’t. Who’s right? Foolishness of the Week: 05:30 Main episode: 10:50 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 388: Supply Chain III
07/17/2024
Episode 388: Supply Chain III
Supply chain insider Mikhail Razner joins us again for what has come to be an annual update on the state of supply chains. Want to know why your boysenberry pie is more expensive? Listen in! Foolishness of the Week: 10:24 Main episode: 13:20 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 387: The Supremes' One-Two Punch
07/10/2024
Episode 387: The Supremes' One-Two Punch
Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Topic of the Week Clark Neily on Amazon Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 386: Chase Oliver 2024
07/03/2024
Episode 386: Chase Oliver 2024
Foolishness of the Week: 05:13 Main episode: 12:18 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 385: Gaming
06/26/2024
Episode 385: Gaming
Many of our listeners, and at least one of our hosts, are avid gamers, so it's natural that we'd come around to this topic eventually. Gaming companies are known to employ economists (often game theorists) to help design games because economists understand how to think about how people behave when their unlimited desires collide with their limited abilities. Games are nothing more than artificial environments in which these very real behaviors play out. Foolishness of the Week: 10:06 Main episode: 17:27 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 384: A Difference in Interest Rates
06/19/2024
Episode 384: A Difference in Interest Rates
Canada’s central bank cut its interest rate. The European central bank cut its interest rate. But the Fed continues to hold its interest rate high. This will create a cascade of effects - some good, some bad, depending on who you are. Foolishness of the Week: 09:43 Main episode: 13:11 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 383: The Justice and Practicality of Reparations
06/12/2024
Episode 383: The Justice and Practicality of Reparations
If people who call for reparations for slavery want to be taken seriously, they must take their own arguments seriously first. And that requires bringing to bear the same scrutiny and law that we currently apply to any case in which someone is seeking to be made whole following the actions of another. Foolishness of the Week: 11:57 Main episode: 15:01 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 382: The Value of College
06/05/2024
Episode 382: The Value of College
We’ve argued before that the value of a college degree was questionable. That was before covid. Since then, the value proposition has deteriorated markedly. Foolishness of the Week: 05:15 Main episode: 07:07 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 381: $1 Trillion in Interest
05/29/2024
Episode 381: $1 Trillion in Interest
The annual gross interest on the debt exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in history. Years ago, we warned that the combination of on-going deficits and inevitably higher interest rates would give us exactly what we have now. Foolishness of the Week: 08:16 Main episode: 09:31 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 380: Population Shrink
05/22/2024
Episode 380: Population Shrink
A generation or two ago, people wrung their hands over the population explosion. What will happen, they said, when we finally have too many people! It turns out that, not only was overpopulation not a problem, underpopulation has become one. Foolishness of the Week: 8:25 Main episode: 14:19 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 379: Of Millionaires and Homeless
05/16/2024
Episode 379: Of Millionaires and Homeless
Foolishness of the Week: 11:09 Main episode: 16:35 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 378: The One Branch of Government
05/08/2024
Episode 378: The One Branch of Government
Clark Neily joins us again this week. This time, we’re talking about how we have come to muddle the separation of powers among the three branches of government. As Congress has largely fallen asleep at the wheel, the executive branch has come to play the roles of all three branches, all by itself. Foolishness of the Week: 04:46 Main episode: 05:49 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Clark Neily Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 377: Real Estate Insider
05/01/2024
Episode 377: Real Estate Insider
The National Association of Realtors recently agreed to pay almost half a billion dollars in a class action suit involving sellers fees. This week’s guest, Judd Bristo, is unique in being a listener, an economist, and a realtor. We asked Judd to come on to talk about the settlement and the complex world of real estate commissions. Foolishness of the Week: 04:38 Main episode: 07:03 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 376: Interest Rates Up, Down, or Sideways?
04/24/2024
Episode 376: Interest Rates Up, Down, or Sideways?
Foolishness of the Week: 06:30 Main episode: 09:25 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 375: Google and FedEx Anger James
04/17/2024
Episode 375: Google and FedEx Anger James
James has an ax to grind. Google made him mad. FedEx made him mad. Many things make James mad. But this week, he tells us why. Foolishness of the Week: 16:22 Main episode: 20:01 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 374: The Price of Baseball
04/10/2024
Episode 374: The Price of Baseball
James recently wrote an article on the price of admission and food at baseball fields over the years. To look at the prices, it appears that baseball has shifted from entertainment for the working classes to entertainment for the middle and rich classes. Or perhaps we’ve simply all become richer and baseball has simply followed along. Foolishness of the Week: 13:07 Main episode: 16:09 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 373: FDA: Friend or Foe?
04/03/2024
Episode 373: FDA: Friend or Foe?
We all know that the FDA saves lives by keeping bad drugs off markets. But far fewer of us understand that the FDA costs lives by keeping good drugs from markets. Often all it takes to see this other side of the FDA is to be confronted with a life threatening disease for which there are treatments - just not FDA-approved treatments. Foolishness of the Week: 08:38 Main episode: 14:53 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 372: Where’s the Middle Class?
03/27/2024
Episode 372: Where’s the Middle Class?
Each election cycle, we’re treated to politicians and their supporters crying about the disappearing middle class. So many people repeat the mantra that most of us just accept it as fact. It turns out that those people are right - the middle class is disappearing. Where they get the story wrong is that it isn’t bad news. It’s excellent news. Foolishness of the Week: 09:12 Main episode: 15:32 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 371: An Interview with Spike Cohen, pt. 2
03/20/2024
Episode 371: An Interview with Spike Cohen, pt. 2
Spike Cohen, 2020 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential nominee, joins us this week for a two part series in which we discuss the upcoming election, the Libertarian Party, the future of politics in America, and his work in single-issue activism - You Are the Power. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 370: An Interview with Spike Cohen, pt. 1
03/13/2024
Episode 370: An Interview with Spike Cohen, pt. 1
Spike Cohen, 2020 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential nominee, joins us this week for a two part series in which we discuss the upcoming election, the Libertarian Party, the future of politics in America, and his work in single-issue activism - You Are the Power. Foolishness of the Week: 11:05 Main episode: 13:14 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 369: A One-Party System?
03/06/2024
Episode 369: A One-Party System?
The United States has been a two party system almost since its inception. In modern times, this has led to the Democrats and Republicans having a virtual monopoly on the political landscape. Despite the fact that a plurality of Americans don’t identify with either party, they won’t allow a third party to compete. And what’s the only thing worse than a two-party system? A one-party system. Foolishness of the Week: 06:08 Main episode: 09:41 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 368: Hampden-Sydney College Q&A
02/28/2024
Episode 368: Hampden-Sydney College Q&A
Last week, we recorded live from Hampden-Sydney College. This week’s episode is the Q&A from that recording. Foolishness of the Week: 09:21 Main episode: 10:05 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 367: Live from Hampden-Sydney College
02/21/2024
Episode 367: Live from Hampden-Sydney College
Last week, we talked about the incongruity of not only having a majority of voters not like either major party candidate, but to have those two candidates appear twice in back-to-back elections. This week, we explore what happens when a President is incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office. Foolishness of the Week: 11:01 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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Episode 366: What’s Up With the President?
02/14/2024
Episode 366: What’s Up With the President?
Last week, we talked about the incongruity of not only having a majority of voters not like either major party candidate, but to have those two candidates appear twice in back-to-back elections. This week, we explore what happens when a President is incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office. Foolishness of the Week: 09:59 Main episode: 12:50 Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! See More Ant and James! Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Quick Hits Foolishness of the Week Topic of the Week Words & Numbers Backstage More James at Smoke & Stories More Ant on YouTube Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter #AntonyDavies #JamesRHarrigan #WordsAndNumbers #economics #government #politics #policy #libertarian #classicalliberal #podcast #educational
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