Stossel Season 3

From John Stossel's blog: Americans give a lot to charitable causes--much more than people in other countries. Good for us. And now there are new ways to give: Social impact bonds combine philanthropy and the profit motive. Goldman Sachs will spend $9.6 million to try to reduce recidivism among jailed teenagers in NYC. The program is run by the Osborne Association--David Condliffe explains that only if they successfully reduce recidivism will Goldman get back its investment, plus a return. Many business schools now teach courses on charity. Melissa Berman from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors instructs students in Columbia's MBA program how to identify and support effective non-profits. Howard Husock of the Manhattan Institute explains how good charity ideas spread. Renee Riddle's organization, Stars & Stripes Honor Flight, honors World War II veterans by taking them to their memorial in Washington, D.C.

From John Stossel's blog: I don't know if God exists. I'd like to believe, but... In this week's show, atheists and believers weigh in on some life's most important questions: How was life created? Why is there order in the universe? Does science eliminate the need for God? Lawrence Krauss and Michael Shermer say that humans invent religion to explain what they don't understand. But Ian Hutchinson and Dinesh D'Souza disagree--they're Christians who say their beliefs help make sense of what we know from science. Bill Nye "The Science Guy" argues that creationism should not be taught to children. Nidhal Guessoum, a professor of astrophysics in the United Arab Emirates, explains why Muslims have a particularly difficult time accepting modern science. And what would a world without God look like? Larry Taunton, author of "The Grace Effect," says that the 20th century was an experiment in secular governance--and resulted in the deaths of millions of people.

Politicians claim they make our lives better by passing laws. But usually the laws go wrong. Examples: Work rules protect employees from greedy companies. Wall Street Journal Reporter Anne Jolis says work rules destroyed jobs in Europe. Workers there get "vacation do-overs"- if they are sick on vacation, they get additional paid time off to make up for it. In Spain, employers must give 24 months of severance pay after they fire someone. No wonder companies don't hire. America doesn't have mandatory vacation time, but we still have 170,000 pages of rules. Dan Mitchell from the CATO Institute says those rules are a reason this economic recovery is slower than all the others. The federal Emergency Alert System (EAS) is necessary to warn people of danger. Despite spending millions on the EAS, it has never been activated nationwide or tested successfully. Jamie Barnett, former FCC Safety & Homeland Security Bureau Chief, called for the 2011 test of the system.

From John Stossel's blog: People who eat the wrong stuff may get sick. So I'm told government experts need to save us. Bunk. One of those "experts" is NY state legislator Felix Ortiz- he helped get trans fats banned in NYC, and now wants to ban added salt. He says his regulations save lives. Joel Salatin, farmer and author of Everything I Want to do is Illegal, says "food freedom" ought to be as important as freedom to speak and own a gun. Dr. Pam Peeke, author of The Hunger Fix, claims some foods are addictive, like coke and meth. But she surprises me by saying she's been "Stosselized" and now sees that government shouldn't get involved in food choice. Remember those "startling" ABC reports earlier this year about "pink slime" in our beef? They nearly destroyed a meat company. But what ABC called "pink slime" turns out to be regular beef- and perfectly safe. Media Research Center's Dan Gainor says this is yet another example of media hating and smearing business.

From John Stossel's blog: I peer into my crystal ball on this week's show to predict what President Obama's next term will bring. The media says we must obsess about a fiscal cliff! But Congressman Ron Paul says, "So what?" The cliff is trivial compared to America's unsustainable debt. Economist Russ Roberts agrees. Contrary to what most politicians say, sequestration cuts wouldn't be so bad. Even a defense budget reduction wouldn't put us in danger, according to Benjamin Friedman of the CATO Institute. More regulations! The economy has grown slowly under the weight of thousands of pages of rules added by the Bush and Obama administrations. Entrepreneur Bob Luddy and the former Lt. Governor of New York, Betsy McCaughey, explain how the rules kill economic growth. A Supreme Court upheaval! With four justices over the age of 70, how many replacements will President Obama nominate? Who he appoints will serve for as long as 40 years.

From John Stossel's blog: Is President Obama's re-election, along with pro-big government Senators, a total loss for individual liberty? It does mean four more years of increased government spending and bureaucracy. Our special correspondent, Kennedy, was in Chicago on election night. She asked Obama supporters what his re-election means for freedom. Most respondents looked bewildered. Freedom? But there was some good election news. Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie, co-authors of Declaration of Independents, point out that freedom won in a few states. Some legalized marijuana and voted to allow gay marriage. Some candidates were elected to Congress who give some reason to be hopeful. Our all-star panel--David Boaz, Hadley Heath of the Independent Women's Forum, and columnist Deroy Murdock--tell us about pro-freedom candidates like Justin Amash, Thomas Massie, and Ted Cruz.

From John Stossel's blog: On this week's show, we debate myths. Myths like... The federal government must lead disaster relief. Congressman Ron Paul will tell us why we don't need FEMA to save us. Private companies like Wal-Mart do a better job, says economist Steve Horwitz but Tara McGuinness of the Center for American Progress says we need FEMA. It's wrong to take advantage of people by raising prices after disasters! Art Carden will explain why price controls set by government do more harm than price "gouging." Natural disasters can help the economy this myth is often repeated by media pundits. Economists David Henderson and Sallie James explain why it's wrong. Super-Pacs are evil. Undecided voters are idiots. Ira Stoll from the Future of Capitalism blog and Reason Magazine editor-in-chief Matt Welch defend outside money in politics and undecided voters. Polls aren't accurate. I will challenge Scott Rasmussen about the accuracy and fairness of his polls.

From John Stossel's blog: How can we trust what politicians say? They pander to voters, manipulate facts...and break promises. This week, I criticize President Obama and Mitt Romney for doing just that. President Obama claimed that he would cut spending - but then he increased it by more than $450 billion per year. Romney says he supports small government, but he opposes any cuts to the military, education, and the drug war. Ellis Henican and Ann Coulter defend their respective candidates. Mark Block, the "smoking man" from Herman Cain's much talked about ad, discusses off-beat ads and their impact. Andrea Tantaros used to be a spokeswoman for the House Republicans - she explains the need for "spin." Marketing expert Rohit Bhargava, author of Likeonomics, explains how politicians could learn from messaging by Costco and Domino's Pizza. I say it's all propaganda.

This week, a special Stossel show in front of a live audience of students at the liberal University of North Carolina, where Stossel talks to students about free speech and political correctness. At UNC, the word "freshman" has been deemed sexist and replaced by "first year". A campus code says it is wrong to "explicitly or implicitly ask for sex." Stossel asks, "then how do you get there?" Should students be allowed to say what they want, even if it's not "civil" and offends? Should you be allowed to marry whom you want? Did you know that you can go to jail for giving people advice about what to eat?