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.

ESG has been perniciously changing the way corporations, governments, NGOs and institutions operate. This ideological framework synonymous with stakeholder capitalism has become the subject of scrutiny and public backlash, but nonetheless continues to dominate.

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The conversation explores the history, definition, and implications of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing. It delves into the origins of ESG in the post-World War II era and the rise of international organizations. The discussion highlights the utopian ideals and ideological shifts that have shaped the ESG movement. It also examines the technocratic element of ESG and the challenges of calculation and efficiency. The conversation raises concerns about the potential for eco-dictatorship and the threat ESG poses to freedom and individualism. In this conversation, Paul Mueller and Kate Wand discuss the totalitarianism of climate alarmists and the loss of individualism in the ESG movement. They explore the advocates for ESG, such as the World Economic Forum, and the pushback against ESG, including Larry Fink's change in stance. They also delve into the philosophical elements underlying the green movement and the potential future of ESG. The conversation highlights the importance of transparency, the value of nuclear energy, and the need to focus on adaptation rather than prevention. They conclude by discussing the role of intellectuals in shaping ESG policies.

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Paul Mueller's Related Articles:

https://www.aier.org/people/paul-mueller/

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/faith-freedom-self-reliance/the-totalitarianism-of-climate-alarmists

https://dailycaller.com/2023/12/09/opinion-gavin-newsoms-california-is-showing-us-what-the-green-energy-transition-looks-like-it-isnt-pretty-paul-mueller/

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TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

1:31 - History of ESG

3:21 - ESG as a Quest for Global Solidarity

10:19 - Post-World War II Era and the Rise of International Organizations

12:22 - Utopian Ideals and Ideological Shifts

13:40 - Stakeholder Capitalism and the Technocratic Element of ESG

16:15 - The Problem of Calculation and Efficiency in ESG

18:45 - Consumer Value and the Top-Down Approach of ESG

31:40 - The Potential for Eco-Dictatorship in ESG

36:12 - ESG as a Threat to Freedom and Individualism

38:38 - Totalitarianism and the Loss of Individualism

41:05 - Advocates for ESG and the Totalitarianism of Climate Alarmists

45:05 - Larry Fink and the Pushback Against ESG

53:09 - The Social Responsibility of Businesses and the Birth of Stakeholder Capitalism

56:18 - The Future of ESG and its Impact on Economies

59:18 - The Potential of Nuclear Energy and the Need for Transparency

1:03:08 - The Malthusian Element and the Importance of Human Existence

1:05:20 - The Value of Adaptation and the Inefficiencies of ESG Means

1:05:47 - The Role of Intellectuals in Shaping ESG Policies

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Hayek: Intellectuals and Socialism: https://cdn.mises.org/Intellectuals%20and%20Socialism_4.pdf

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LISTEN: https://aier.org/podcasts

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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 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. Now in its 7th edition, Sorens and Ruger use a data set that measures over 230 policies from all 50 states to see how well each state performs.

Jason Sorens is Senior Research Faculty and founder of the New Hampshire Free State Project. They discuss the freest and least free states, voting with your feet, and surprising findings from the latest edition. Jason also emphasizes the role of individuals in changing policies and promoting freedom in their states.

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

0:00 - intro

1:28 - What is Freedom in the 50 States?

4:24 - Personal freedom & economic freedom

8:19 - Which state is the most free?

10:01 - Florida & New Hampshire

14:15 - Can a free state insulate you from Federal Government overreach?

18:10 - The states ranking lowest in freedom

19:51 - What happened to New York?

23:37 - Freedom vs High Taxes & Paternalism

26:30 - Biggest surprises

29:30 - Correlation between Red/Blue states

32:15 - Purple states

33:00 - Updates in this edition

35:00 - The interactive tool: freedominthe50states.org

38:06 - How to use this tool

40:46 - Is policy what really affects freedom?

43:25 - How can people change policy?

46:30 - Last thoughts?

freedominthe50states.org

aier.org/podcasts

READ Samuel Gregg's Articles:

https://lawliberty.org/when-a-classical-liberal-confronted-nazi-terror/

https://lawliberty.org/wilhelm-ropkes-civilization-of-liberty/

LISTEN to Liberty Curious: https://www.aier.org/podcasts/

SUBSCRIBE to Sam Gregg's Articles: https://www.aier.org/people/samuel-gregg/

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. Röpke was a 20th century economics professor who was exiled from Germany in the 1930s for defending liberty and opposing the National Socialists.

In the conversation you’re about to hear, Samuel Gregg tells Röpke’s incredible life story, and describes the humanist philosophy that Röpke lived by, which left him standing alone against the illiberal Nazi regime.

Gregg writes, “The National Socialists had no interest in reason or the individual, let alone freedom as Röpke understood it. They personified what Röpke called the “reigning illiberalism,” which was characterized by “hot air, slogans . . . glorification of direct action, violence in dealing with all those of different opinion, rabble-rousing in every sphere, empty rhetoric, and deceitful stage effects.”

Such illiberalism would, he said, “trample down the garden of European civilization.” That, eventually, was what National Socialism did, epitomized by the regime’s attempt to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth.”

aier.org

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

0:00 - Intro

2:18 - Who was Wilhelm Röpke?

8:20 - After the First World War

11:50 - Röpke's Opposition to the Nazis

15:50 - Röpke's humanistic convictions

19:20 - His defence of Liberalism

23:43 - Cogs in the Machine

28:28 - Dividing people by identity groups

35:00 - The pursuit of Truth

39:55 - How do you know the Nazis were the 'bad guys'?

42:32 - The Nazis thought that they were right

47:52 - Why do mass mobs lose their ability to reason?

52:40 - Threats to liberty now?

58:40 - What can individuals do?

1:01:37 - Last thoughts

READ Barry Brownstein's Article: https://www.aier.org/article/to-live-for-grievances-risks-liberty/

LISTEN to Liberty Curious: https://www.aier.org/podcasts/

SUBSCRIBE to Barry's Substack: https://mindsetshifts.substack.com/

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?

In his recent article for AIER, Barry Brownstein writes, "Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay wrote in their book Cynical Theories, the contemporary social justice movement “is a worldview that centers social and cultural grievances and aims to make everything into a zero-sum political struggle revolving around identity markers like race, sex, gender, sexuality, and many others.”

On this episode of Liberty Curious, I was joined by Barry Brownstein, professor emeritus of Economics and Leadership, to discuss how our personal grievances are a threat to liberty.

“In his 1976 lecture, “Socialism and Science,” Hayek argued that socialism requires a “government with unlimited powers” to give groups with grievances what they think “they are entitled to.”

Barry explains that our individual mindset has a ripple effect that shapes the society around us. When we build our identities around our personal grievances, we play into the hands of illiberal politicians and ideologies that promise to solve all of our problems for us, at the cost of our inner and outer liberty.

0:00 - intro

1:21 - holding onto grievances

6:30 - socialism mindset

9:01 - far-left & far-right grievances

12:01 - mindset in Russian Revolution vs American Revolution

14:02 - if the State doesn't fix your life

15:33 - self-concept against something

19:42 - identity politics and victim mentality

25:40 - neo-marxism & social justice

28:51 - hatred that lasts for centuries

33:50 - Hayek: the road to serfdom

36:39 - politicians exploit grievances

39:40 - a mindset shift

43:30 - ready-made ideology

45:26 - the power of choice

49:40 - is there still hope?

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. He joins Kate Wand on Liberty Curious to discuss his recent work on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and its proliferation in academia and the mainstream, and its connection to the far-left's response to Hamas' massacre of Israeli citizens.

Phil Magness is Senior Research Faculty and F.A. Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research.

READ: https://philmagness.com/

AIER: https://www.aier.org/people/phillip-w-magness/

LISTEN: https://www.aier.org/podcasts/

PHIL'S ARTICLE: https://www.aier.org/article/critical-race-theory-in-data-what-the-statistics-show/

0:00 - intro

1:35 - CRT in a nutshell

3:05 - CRT academics' reactions to Oct 7

10:24 - Media spin

13:08 - Who is colonizing who?

17:07 - What is decolonization?

19:15 - The dangers of CRT in the real world

20:39 - The proliferation of CRT in academia

26:46 - Why are these ideas so seductive?

30:15 - Promises

33:07 - Silver linings?

37:20 - Last Thoughts

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

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. These calls, though wrapped in patriotism, often harbored hidden implications of cronyism, favoritism, and a veiled tax that burdened everyday consumers. Despite the appealing rhetoric, tariffs and protectionist measures stand as barriers to economic freedom, prosperity, and genuine international cooperation.

As history warns, "When goods cease to cross borders, armies soon follow."

By tracing the history of tariffs, we see a repeating pattern: opportunistic rent-seeking, strained international relations, and a government that often interferes with natural economic exchanges. This meddling not only fosters less peace but also empowers the federal government at the expense of states and the very people it promises to protect.

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

aier.org/podcasts

https://www.aier.org/people/phillip-w-magness/

Phil Magness on X: https://twitter.com/PhilWMagness

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.

They discuss how progressives and conservatives are both convinced that their morality and vision for society is correct, and have no qualms about using the power of the state to impose it upon the rest of us.

They get into details about the classical liberal tradition, how we got to where we are now, and the dangers of wielding the ring of power in our favour.

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

0:00 - intro

1:30 - origins of Liberalism

4:00 - Progressivism

7:48 - Classical liberal diaspora

10:16 - Classical Liberalism in Politics

16:30 - The Reagan Administration

19:55 - Post 9-11 shifts

23:29 - Classical Liberals vs Libertarians

27:34 - Where Progressives & Conservatives Collide

30:19 - Limited Government

33:18 - American Erosion

39:02 - The Central Planning Allure

42:00 - Technocracy

45:00 - The Remnant vs. Fusionism

50:00 - The dangers of complacency

54:00 - an opportunity for classical liberalism

58:23 - Last thoughts

Text on the Remnant: https://mises.org/library/isaiahs-job

Michael Munger on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mungowitz

Michael at AIER: https://www.aier.org/people/michael-munger/

aier.org/podcasts

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

Paul 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.

They get into the mis-regulation, cronyism and fatal conceit that precipitated the crisis, how it was mismanaged by government and central banks, and then became the catalyst for a growing anti-capitalist sentiment that blames free markets for the failures of an increasingly controlled financial system and economy.

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

aier.org/podcasts

Paul Mueller's book: https://www.amazon.com/Conventional-Wisdom-about-Financial-Crisis/dp/1527519236/ref=sr_1_1?crid=VGKBR6GSB0LB&keywords=paul+mueller+financial+crisis&qid=1694349635&s=books&sprefix=paul+mueller+financial+crisis%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C130&sr=1-1

https://www.aier.org/people/paul-mueller/

0:00 - Intro

1:58 - A Generation-Defining Event

6:22 - The Fed's Historical Role

10:47 - Political Pressures

15:20 - Mis-regulation

22:27 - The Bank of International Settlements

25:30 - Fatal Conceit

30:22 - The American Dream

35:16 - Wealth & Income Inequality

40:30 - Low Interest Rates Benefits Government

44:23 - How Did the Crisis Unravel?

49:46 - What Happens Next?

54:30 - The Third Mis-regulation

57:21 - Reverberation Into Today

59:40 - Conditioning for Economic Intervention

1:05:58 - Market Solutions

1:10:28 - How to Get Out of The Cycle

1:14:33 - Free Up Markets or Great Reset?

1:18:05 - Last Thoughts

aier.org/podcasts