Stossel (2009)

From John Stossel's blog: The future looks bleak. Government grows bigger, debt grows, and politicians constantly pass new regulations. But there is good news. Technology helps us avoid clumsy government. Developments like the Internet bring us what I call "Freedom 2.0." Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales - who cites Hayek as an inspiration for creating Wikipedia - tells me about how the fewer rules he imposed on the site, the better it did. Economist Ed Stringham argues that the Internet proves we don't need much government regulation. The Internet will also make it easier for us to keep an eye on what government does, although Chris Horner says that our government uses every trick it can to avoid scrutiny. "Hating Breitbart" producers Maura Flynn and Evan Coyne Maloney say cell phone cameras create "Freedom 2.0" by empowering citizen journalists to expose groups like ACORN. And Instapundit.

From John Stossel's blog: When tragedy strikes, what do you do if your company is at the center of it? What if you manufacture the Bushmaster rifle? What if you run BP when it spills oil? On this week's show, Rohit Bhargava and Fraser Seitel explain crisis management strategy, like how Apple handled Steve Jobs' illness, and how the company that makes Skittles reacted after Trayvon Martin was killed holding them. The media exaggerate bad news. "The Skeptical Environmentalist" author, Bjorn Lomborg, addresses claims about genetically modified food, and global warming, as in this Newsweek article about "The End of Pasta." Julie Gunlock of the Independent Women's Forum points out how the danger of BPA products has been overblown by activists. Some people earn money thanks to people's (often irrational) fear of bad news.

From John Stossel's blog: This week, a showdown between the 2 states. Their differences reflect the battle for America's future. Moving to California was once the dream for many Americans. Its population grew at more than double the national average--until 1990. Last decade, 2 million more Americans moved out of California than moved in. They moved to states like Texas. In the last decade, Texas' total population grew at double the national rate. Why? Reason Magazine's Matt Welch and Chuck Devore of the TX Public Policy Foundation give a few reasons: Texans pay less in taxes. There's more job creation. And government takes less of your paycheck. Both states have too many government workers--in fact, Texas has more than California. But California pays them so much more that California's pensions are bleeding the state dry, says Dan Mitchell of the CATO Institute. Kevin James, a mayoral candidate in Los Angeles, says L.A.

From John Stossel's blog: President Obama told John Boehner that America does not have a spending problem. But we do! I was astonished to learn that in 2006, when George W. Bush was President, then-Senator Obama was actually upset about our national debt. From the Congressional Record: "I rise today to talk about America's debt problem... Our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion to $8.6 trillion. That is ‘trillion' with a ‘T'...It took 42 Presidents 224 years to run up only $1 trillion of foreign-held debt. This administration did more than that in just 5 years." That's true. But Obama's administration ran up another $6 Trillion in debt! Government now spends $3.5 trillion every year. How is that not a spending problem?! On tonight's show, we bring in comedian Reggie Brown to re-enact parts of that speech by President Obama. Our special correspondent, Kennedy, went to the Inauguration Monday to talk to the President's excited supporters.

From John Stossel's blog: Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest gambling day of the year. Have you placed your bets? Be careful, even friendly bets between friends are illegal in about half the states. Former professional poker player, Annie Duke, joins the show to argue that it's not the government's job to police decisions between consenting adults. Patrick Basham, author of Gambling: A Healthy Bet, says gambling is actually good for you. Big money is made in college sports, but the athletes don't get a cut. Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Professor, says they should. Lance Armstrong is an evil jerk because he bullied and threatened weaker people, not because he used performance enhancing drugs. I say, if he used performance enhancers, so what? These drugs are similar to Lasik eye surgery and other ways people seek competitive advantages. Reason's Nick Gillespie argues that they make sports more interesting. Politicians like Chuck Schumer want to ban ticket scalping.

From John Stossel's blog: Exciting things are happening in education suddenly. In some places, charter schools bucked the unions, and got results. Inner-city kids do well on benchmark tests. They are excited to learn! When I told fourth graders that school is boring, they yelled, "No, it's not!" Says one boy: "Reading is rockin' awesome!" I report on the innovations at the Success Charter Network and Harlem Village Academy in New York, and at the American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland, California. "Let's destroy the system... create a system that serves kids," says charter school director Deborah Kenny. Hurricane Katrina made that experiment possible by destroying much of New Orleans. Now most of New Orleans students attend charters, and they're learning more. Aside from such bright spots, most of education in America is still a mess. The cost has skyrocketed, but performance is flat. Why? One big reason is that the government monopoly - the "BLOB"- makes it nearly impossible to fire a bad teacher. Former Washington DC school chancellor Michelle Rhee talks about her attempt to change that, including firing her own daughters' principal, and the backlash that led to her losing her job. I confront union leaders, like DC union boss Nathan Saunders, who opposes judging teachers by student test results. "I know my kids are learning when I look in their eyes," says Saunders. New Jersey union leader Joseph Del Grosso opposes charter schools: "Over my dead body, they're gonna come here." When Saunders and Del Grosso were kids, they attended private schools, but now they oppose vouchers. This is a common phenomenon amongst members of the BLOB: choice for ME, but not for THEE. Virtual education innovator Sal Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, is on the right track. He's a great teacher who now reaches millions of kids via the internet. Some fifth graders who watch his videos do high school level math. Before radio and TV, every big town had a best teacher and a best singer. Mass media changed that, so now Lady Gaga sings to the whole world. But education has stayed local and stagnant -- until now, when the web allows the world's best teachers to reach into every classroom. Why don't we have more innovation? Why don't we have a vibrant market in education? Are we still Stupid in America?

From John Stossel's blog: This week, STOSSEL takes a special trip to Washington, D.C. to hear from more than 1,000 students who want to advance liberty. Former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson, and Cato Institute's David Boaz will answer student questions and discuss the future of the Libertarian party. Students ask Representative Justin Amash about the travails of libertarians in Congress. We'll also hear from Huffington Post's Radley Balko about out-of-control swat teams. The students grill Republican Ann Coulter about drug laws and gay marriage. Then they'll take on Democrat Dennis Kucinich for saying "Social Security is rock solid through 2032 without any changes whatsoever." Finally, former UN Ambassador, John Bolton, defends Obama's drone strikes.

President Obama says the sequester is like taking "a meat cleaver to the budget." I wish that were true. This week, I grab a meat cleaver and point out what ought to be cut. Despite the big spenders' hysteria about "long TSA lines, no meat inspection, abandoned children!", the sequester doesn't even cut the budget! It just slows it's growth. Where are the "draconian cuts?" Nowhere. Senator Rand Paul tells us that's why he voted against President Obama's sequester. He proposes actual cuts. Yaron Brook, of the Ayn Rand Institute talks about the immorality of government spending. Our show's special correspondent, Kennedy, discovers that college students are often clueless about the debt bomb my generation threw at them. Authors Joel Kotkin and Jonathon Last point out that there aren't enough workers to pay for us old folks, and if people don't start to have kids at a reasonable rate-"we're screwed!" But it could be worse.

From John Stossel's blog: Public schools do a lousy job... and reformers who try to make improvements run up against the "BLOB." It's this Jabba-the-Hutt like thing that can barely be budged - the teachers' unions, janitors' unions, the school board bureaucrat, etc. The BLOB says: "We don't do that here. We have to requisition downtown. We got to get 4 or 5 people to sign off, the deputy director of curriculum has to say this is OK, etc." The BLOB insists education needs more money, but as the chart shows, America has tripled spending, but math, reading and science scores haven't improved. Michelle Rhee wanted to make changes in Washington D.C. She'll talk about her new book, Radical: Fighting to Put Students First. I don't think Rhee was radical enough. Joe Del Grosso, the head of the Newark, New Jersey Teachers Union, hates for-profit competition, and I'm delighted that he'll come on the show to talk about it.

From John Stossel's blog: I argue that America has become a country where no one can know what is legal. Kids who open lemonade stands are now shutdown by police. I tried to open a lemonade stand legally in NYC. That was quite an adventure. It takes 65 days to get permission from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. With government adding 80,000 pages of rules and regulations every year, it's no surprise that regular people break laws without even trying. A small businessman spent 6 years in federal prison for breaking Honduran regulations (and, to make it worse, the Honduran government said he didn't). A family in Idaho can't build a home on their land because the EPA says it's a wetland-but it only resembles a wetland because a government drain malfunctioned and flooded it. TAXI TROUBLE: Want to start a taxi business? Too bad - it's illegal. Illegal, that is, unless you buy a government-issued "taxi medallion" that can cost as much as a million dollars. One city has a free market for cabs - Washington, DC - but lobbyists there are pushing to regulate. ILLEGAL FOOD: Increasingly, government tells us what we can and can't eat -- bans on trans-fat, happy meals, "raw" foods. California officials raided a raw food club, and arrested clerks for selling unpasteurized milk. Farmer Joel Salatin, author of "Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal," explains why Americans DON'T have the freedom to choose the food they eat. ILLEGAL DRUGS: Drug use is illegal - but should it be? Where drugs are legal, businessmen replace gangs as the dealers and pay taxes. Portugal decriminalized all drugs 10 years ago--including crack, ecstasy, and heroin. What has happened since then? We go to Portugal and get the facts from police, politicians, and drug addicts. ILLEGAL SEX: Our government bans prostitution because people think it's a dirty, dangerous business. But in brothels where prostitution is legal there is no crime or disease. On this show, three sex workers confront a prosecutor. One bit of good news is that while there may be so many laws that no one knows if he's a lawbreaker, it has never been easier to "watch the watchmen." Tiny cameras in our iPods and cell phones allow citizens to film law enforcement and hold our government accountable. But in the last few years, cops have arrested and jailed people for taping in public. The arrests are not legal, but they happen anyway. Fortunately, arrests are caught on tape.

From John Stossel's blog: Tonight, students from around the world at the "Students for Liberty" conference discuss liberty, and specific issues that affect students. Many say they benefited from internships---but Ross Perlin, the author of "Intern Nation," says "unpaid internships are a form of mass exploitation." Obama's Labor Dept takes his side, and I say, that's absurd. Terry Michael, who works to find students internships in DC, explains why internships are a great way to get experience. Politicians like Governor Chris Christie say, "We need to...get you to college and get you graduated from college" --- but why? A third of college graduates now work at jobs that only require a high school degree. 16% of bartenders have college degrees. Dale Stephens' founded uncollege.org. He offers students ways to get ahead...without college. Then, Bob Dane, from The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and economist Veronique de Rugy debate immigration.

From John Stossel's blog: Tyranny is the stuff of dictatorships. We call this week's show "Green Tyranny" because government's regulations always go too far. At first, the EPA did good things. Environmental standards brought us cleaner air and water. Then government should have said, "stick a fork in it! It's done." But government never does. It just spends more and more. The Endangered Species Act seemed like a good idea. But now, Jim Burling from the Pacific Legal Foundation, says the ESA puts animals, like prairie dogs and frogs, above the interests of the people. Europe has spent billions to support "green" energy, but Bjorn Lomborg points out that Germany and Spain are now cutting back. Then, he debates Brian Wynne, the President of an electric car lobbying group (The Electric Drive Transportation Association). Celebs' like Justin Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio jumped on the electric car bandwagon - but are electric cars really all that green? Lomborg doesn't think so.

"The Chosen Ones" are people selected by government to get perks... special favors, tax breaks, cronyism... what I call crapitalism. As government grows and gives out more favors... it creates "A Great Deformation." That's the title of David Stockman's new book. He is upset about bank bailouts. Tim Carney, a reporter for the Washington Examiner, says Boeing, life insurers, and Big Pharma are crony capitalists. America's sugar producers declined to come on our show to talk about their special privilege. Sallie James, a trade analyst at the Cato Institute explains how Big Sugar wins, while businesses and consumers lose. Government tries to squash innovators like Uber, which offers a Smartphone app that lets you find nearby cars to ride in - but traditional taxi companies don't like the competition. Travis Kalanick, Uber CEO, will explain.

From John Stossel's blog: Liberals are fond of quoting Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who said, "taxes are what we pay for a civilized society"---but at the time taxes were just 10% of GDP. Now they are triple that. Is that civilization or theft? Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert says the current tax code is just too complicated. He wants the current code scraped---and replaced with a flat tax. American economic growth has stalled. Scott Hodge, the president of the Tax Foundation says America's hefty 70,000 page federal tax code is largely to blame. John Merline, a writer at Investor's Business Daily, says ObamaCare is a tax too---a complicated one. It's so complicated that H&R Block made this disgusting commercial about how they can help you with ObamaCare. The actress's grin infuriates me. Some in the IRS apparently think taking our money is funny.

From John Stossel's blog: The education BLOB--- that immovable jelly-like ball of teachers' and janitors' unions, the school board bureaucrats, PTAs, etc.---just keeps growing. As the number of students increased 96%, the number of administrative staff has increased 702%. The BLOB eats most things that fight it. Ben Chavis founded The American Indian Charter Schools. The schools had very high test scores and they rated as the most challenging in the nation. But last month, the BLOB voted to close the chain, because Chavis broke some of its many rules. The BLOB complains that taxpayers don't spend enough on education. But, Neal McCluskey, the Associate Director of CATO's Center for Educational Freedom, points out that we spend more and more--- now, about $14,000 per student---for the same results. Wisconsin unions held big protests over Governor Scott Walker's collective bargaining reforms.

From John Stossel's Blog: Obamacare promises to cover the uninsured, and somehow... lower costs. How can it do both? Wyoming senator, and licensed orthopedic surgeon, John Barrasso, explains that Obamacare is incredibly complicated. Pediatrician Steve Auerbach says ObamaCare doesn't go far enough... and America needs more government control. He debates orthopedic surgeon Lee Hieb who says free market medicine would be much better. Congressman Ted Poe, R-Texas, shows me the government's gigantic book of medical codes. Medical code W6161XA means a patient has been bitten by a duck. But W6162XA means a patient has been STRUCK by a duck. Doctors must use these codes when billing insurance companies and Medicare. Next year, they will have to use a new code book that's 10 times bigger. Not all health care is dominated by government and other third-party deciders. Special correspondent, Kennedy, visited a cosmetic dermatologist and a Lasik eye surgeon.

From John Stossel's blog: Each state has different rules, regulations and taxes. It's confusing... but it's also a good thing. It creates competition. When one state does something stupid... people can leave that state and take their talent and money with them. Travis Brown tracked the movement of people between states for his book, "How Money Walks." Florida and Arizona are #1 and #2 in terms of gaining people... and wealth. Darcy Olsen, who runs the Goldwater Institute in Arizona, says Florida and Arizona win only partly because of good weather. Most of the gain comes from people moving to where the jobs are. Oklahoma didn't see many people move in... but then it lowered its tax rate. Speaker of the House, T.W. Shannon, said that turned things around, and now people want to live in Oklahoma. Erica Grieder, who wrote the book about Texas: "Big, Hot, Cheap and Right," says there is a lot Texas does... that the rest of the country could learn from.

From John Stossel's blog: Grit is the stuff of life. Greatness is often achieved by overcoming obstacles. Patrick Dorinson, a radio host who calls himself the cowboy libertarian, says the nanny state robs us of our grit. Deneen Borelli , author of "Blacklash", says the left is driving Americans to a "government plantation." Lenore Skanayzy, labeled the "World's Worst Mom" because she let her 9-year-old son ride the subway on his own, says we can't protect our kids from all danger... and we shouldn't try. John Carney's business, Express Oil Change, was destroyed by a tornado. But Carney has grit. When city bureaucrats told him he wouldn't be allowed to rebuild on his property, he fought them, and rebuilt. Politically correct college administrators manage to get upset about student videos like this. Purdue University's "feelings police" said the video is racist. At least one professor and grad student claimed the video "replaces a multicultural reality with the idea of white supremacy.

From John Stossel's blog: Government is at war against the little guy. Bureaucrats pass thousands of pages of regulations every year to "keep people safer" and "make the marketplace more fair." Today there are 170,000 pages of federal regulations on the books. Break just one rule, and government may wreck your life. So Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson started a "Victims of Government" website that features victims of overregulation. Michael Strong, CEO of FLOW, a group devoted to "liberating the entrepreneurial spirit" argues that problems are only solved when people are free to act without having to wait for government's permission. Strong's wife, Magatte Wade, who runs a skin care business, is from Senegal. She says Africa stays poor because its governments wage bigger wars against the little guy---getting a construction permit takes an average of 210 days.

From John Stossel's blog: Much of what we think we know... is not so. People assume the auto industry hates regulation, but Heartland Institute energy analyst James Taylor says big oil companies like the regulations because the onerous rules keep competitors out. Obama says government's fuel efficiency requirements will save families $8,000 a year, but the regulatory director at George Washington University, Susan Dudley, says that these rules will actually cost us $60 billion. Bob Dinneen of the Renewable Fuels Association and James Taylor debate whether ethanol is good for the environment, or consumers. Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy and Jerry Taylor from the Cato Institute debate whether "energy independence" matters. And what exactly is in a barrel of oil? John Felmy, American Petroleum Institute's chief economist, points out that only about 50% of a barrel of oil is used to make gasoline. Special Correspondent Kennedy is a "hypermiler".

From John Stossel's blog: "Austerity." The word means "self-denial" but politicians rarely "deny" themselves anything. Despite the media wailing about "austerity," there have been few real cuts. Few in Congress actually want to cut spending. Senator Rand Paul explains why he is one of the few who does. Leftists say Europe's poor economy proves that "austerity" fails. But Cato Institute economist, Dan Mitchell, says Europe didn't even give "austerity" a chance to fail. There have been no spending cuts. As the data shows, spending increased (except finally in Greece, where they had to cut). Bob Kuttner, author of "Debtor's Prison: The Politics of Austerity Versus Possibility", says government can spend its way to prosperity. He debates economist Mark Skousen. Radio host Dave Ramsey says debt is a behavioral problem and government must learn self-control. EconStories co-founders, John Papola and Russ Roberts, say the intellectual debate on "austerity" really began about 80 years ago.

From John Stossel's blog: The American government is at war. We have the War on Terror, the War on Drugs, and also wars against business, "hate" and food. WAR ON TERROR We now spend almost $800 billion on defense, about 1/5th of our budget. Former CIA Director James Woolsey says we should bankrupt terrorists by mandating that cars be flex-fuel vehicles . Chris Preble, Cato Institute's vice president for defense and foreign policy, says the U.S. military is so large, our allies free-ride off American taxpayers--instead of making their own militaries stronger. WAR ON BUSINESS When senators went to war against Apple for their efforts to avoid taxes, Senator Rand Paul told them, "you should have brought in a giant mirror, so we could look at the reflection of Congress because this problem is solely and completely created by the awful tax code." Good for Senator Paul. WAR ON "HATE" Jimmy LaSalvia, the co-founder of Go Proud-- a republican gay advocacy group, and Paul LeGendre, director of the Fighting Discrimination" Program at Human Rights First debate whether "hate crime" laws work. Kyle from South Park weighs in too. WAR ON DRUGS Dr. Carl Hart, the author of "High Price" says drugs are not as addictive or as dangerous as government and anti-drug groups make them out to be. WAR ON FOOD GMO stands for genetically modified food, and that does sound scary. What you might not know is that you already eat genetically modified foods. You think today's corn is natural?: No, this is a product of years of selective breeding. Corn used to be much smaller and much less juicy says Jayson Lusk, author of "The Food Police." Lusk debates Jeffrey Smith, who runs the Institute for Responsible Technology and says GMOs need to be banned. We have big government because when there's a problem, people instinctively say "yes, we can!" That's why I wrote, "No, They Can't." Government cannot and it shouldn't try. The more things it goes to war against, the more it grows and the worse off we are.

From John Stossel's blog: My parents were born in Germany. They couldn't find work in Europe so they came here to pursue the American Dream. As a libertarian I say ... let people come! There should be free trade in labor as well as goods and services, that way everyone is freer and richer. But it's hard to have open borders when some people want to kill us. It's also foolish now that we are a welfare state, and some people want to come here to freeload. Former Colorado congressman, Tom Tancredo, wants to deter illegal immigration by forcing employers to use E-Verify to identify lawbreakers, while added more security to our southern border. When Special Correspondent Kennedy went to the border, she found the fence riddled with holes. Consumer Electronics Association CEO, Gary Shapiro, says it's not true that skilled immigrants take American jobs... they actually create them. 40% of America's biggest companies were founded by immigrants or their kids.

From John Stossel's blog: America is said to be a "free" country. But what if you want to have a drink? A cigarette? Make a bet? government wants to stop you, to protect you from yourself. DRINKING AND DRIVING: MADD vice president for public policy, JT Griffin, says we need stronger drunk driving laws but Radley Balko argues that the law should be based on "reckless driving," not blood alcohol levels. Special Correspondent Kennedy got drunk and then drove to test the test. GAMBLING: I love to gamble, but University of Illinois business professor, John Kindt, says gambling, especially internet gambling, should be banned. VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association CEO, Franklin Graham, says violent video games are murder simulators that lead to real murder. He wants to tax those games to protect kids. NUDGE LAWS: Michael Thomas, co-author of this Mercatus Center "sin tax" study, says taxing sinful behavior just drives markets underground.

From John Stossel's blog: 65 years ago, the novel 1984 suggested the future would bring government spying through telescreens that were even in bedrooms. Big brother would be watching. Some believe recent revelations about the NSA tracks on our phone calls, and some emails, mark the start of that. Michigan Congressman Justin Amash says the NSA's actions are a threat to liberty. Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo supports NSA spying. I've taken heat from libertarians because I'm sympathetic to the congressman's arguments. I'm not yet angry about data mining for two reasons: 1. It might prevent terrorism 2. I can think of at least 100 other things that government does that enrage me as much, or more. Judge Andrew Napolitano tries to educate me on why I should be much more upset about the NSA. The IRS bias against conservative groups... that's a scandal clearly worth getting angry about. Brooke Rollins runs the Texas Public Policy Foundation, one group that was targeted.

From John Stossel's blog: Grit is the stuff of life. Greatness is often achieved by overcoming obstacles. Patrick Dorinson, a radio host who calls himself the cowboy libertarian, says the nanny state robs us of our grit. Deneen Borelli , author of "Blacklash", says the left is driving Americans to a "government plantation." Lenore Skanayzy, labeled the "World's Worst Mom" because she let her 9-year-old son ride the subway on his own, says we can't protect our kids from all danger... and we shouldn't try. John Carney's business, Express Oil Change, was destroyed by a tornado. But Carney has grit. When city bureaucrats told him he wouldn't be allowed to rebuild on his property, he fought them, and rebuilt. Politically correct college administrators manage to get upset about student videos like this. Purdue University's "feelings police" said the video is racist. At least one professor and grad student claimed the video "replaces a multicultural reality with the idea of white supremacy." Greg Lukianoff from The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education says schools ought to honor free speech. Being offended is a normal part of life... and people need to get used to it. When this video of Rutgers University basketball coach pushing and cursing his players went viral, there was public outcry. Governor Chris Christie called Rice an "animal". Rice was fired. But Sue Porter, author of "Bully Nation" says society is too quick to get upset about what people call "bullying" and legislators and parents getting involved often does more harm than good. We close with thoughts from In Character, a journal published by the Templeton Foundation. It's "Grit Issue" was the inspiration for this show. Grit is what it took to create civilization - it requires delaying gratification, wanting something bigger than yourself...and in the case of America's pioneers... often starving, losing children, losing wives and husbands...to build communities... As John Wayne's character put it in the Big Trail: " We're building a nation! We've got to suffer! No great trail was ever blazed without hardship...That's life! Van Gogh sold only sold one painting during his lifetime, but he painted 900. Cartoonist Charles Schulz had every cartoon he submitted to his high school yearbook rejected. Thomas Edison's teachers ...told his mom he was "too stupid to learn." His attempts to build a light bulb failed a thousand times. When he finally succeeded, a reporter asked him, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention ...with 1,000 steps."" That's grit.

From John Stossel's blog: America drowns in law. There are 175,000 pages of federal regulations that you must obey, or some lawyer can wreck your life. For every pound of good the regulations do, they do a ton of harm. 175,000 pages alone strangles life. George Washington University Law Professor John Banzhaf loves "public interest" lawsuits. His students sue bars that hold "ladies' nights." Chapman University business professor Tibor Machan says: "Is it right to manipulate people all the time? To treat them like they're little children... Who appointed you the czar?... The whole point of government is to protect our rights, not to order us around." ADA Exploitation: Most laws are well intended. But all laws get abused. "Disability rights" lawyers troll shopping malls seeking (or making up) violations from the Americans with Disability Act. David Peters tries to fight that through his group Lawyers Against Lawsuit Abuse. "Patent Trolls": I call them parasites. Patent troll Rob Berman will argue with me. Worker's Comp Abuse: Insurance companies hire people like Paul Colbert, Meridian Investigative Group CEO, to secretly videotape people who file phony claims. He usually finds deceit. Warning Labels: Companies pathetically try to protect themselves from lawsuits by smearing warning labels on everything. Bob Dorigo Jones runs the Wacky Warning Label contest. Our studio audience votes for the stupidest warning label out of these 5: The glass cleaner that warns "not for contact lenses... or direct use in eye." The rubber worm fishing bait that says "not for human consumption." The extension cord that says "wash hands after handling." The pedometer that says "not responsible for any illness or injury incurred while using the step counter." And the matches that say "combustion... results in carbon monoxide... known... to cause cancer, birth defects, reproductive harm."

From John Stossel's blog: This week my show comes from Las Vegas, Nevada, amidst FreedomFest, "the world's largest gathering of free minds." Over a thousand libertarian-minded people debate the question: "Are We Rome?" Matt Kibbe, Freedomworks CEO, says America is following in the footsteps of Rome. Carl Richard, University of Louisiana History Professor, cites America's blatant disregard for the Constitution. Steve Forbes, Forbes Media Editor-in-Chief, believes that Americans are now more aware and involved, and things like the tea party movement may prevent us from collapsing like Rome. Welfare: Larry Reed, Foundation for Economic Education President, explains that Rome became a welfare state. Emperors tried bribe the angry masses by giving away free or subsidized grain, salt, pork and olive oil. Charles Murray of the American Enterprise Institute says why he wants to get rid of the entire Welfare bureaucracy. Taxes: In Rome, taxes steadily rose.

From John Stossel's blog: In 1950, when I was three-years-old, Detroit was the richest city in America. Now it's the biggest U.S. city ever to declare bankruptcy. FOX2 Detroit Reporter, Charlie LeDuff, says excessive spending will land other cities in the same position. Andrew Rodney, "Deforce" Filmmaker, says government central planning displaced neighborhoods taking ownership of their communities. Waste and Abuse: Shikha Dalmia, Reason Foundation senior policy analyst, says crony capitalism and union demands for increased benefits left the city bankrupt. Darcy Olsen, Goldwater Institute President, says Detroit's decline could have been avoided with privatized public services. Sandy Springs, Georgia, did that. Big Spending: Ken Sikkema, Former Michigan Majority leader, says politicians spent too much and expected bailouts to fix their mistakes. A Tour of Detroit's Ruins: About two thirds of its population have left town. The city is a mess. Whole neighborhoods have crumbled.

From John Stossel's blog: Often... what we think we know... is not so. WEATHER MYTHS: It's hurricane season and I'm told that because of global warming there are more hurricanes and that hurricanes are stronger, but that's just not true. Meteorologist Maria Molina debunks more weather myths. Then, Oceanographer John Englander, author of "High Tide on Main Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis," and CATO Institute climatologist Pat Michaels debate global warming and the effect of rising sea levels. SHARK MYTH: Movies like Jaws taught me that when I swim, I should worry about sharks. Andy Dehart, from the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto, says you are more likely to die driving to the beach. BEE MYTHS: If the sharks don't get you, the bees might. The media warns that killer bees are invading America. Bee removal specialist Mike Mollica says killer bees are very aggressive and more dangerous but they only kill 1 or 2 people a year.

From John Stossels blog: PAY GAP: Men get paid more than women. I separated the men and women in my studio audience and asked those with jobs to, anonymously, write down how much money they earned. For every dollar the men made, the women only made 83 cents. That's slightly more the national average of 77 cents. Martha Burk, author of "Cult of Power: Sex Discrimination in Corporate America," calls that "discrimination". Warren Farrell, author of "Why Men Earn More," once agreed with Martha. He was on the board of the National Organization for Women. Then he dug deeper into the data and changed his mind. Women make less because they make different choices. Sabrina Schaeffer, Independent Women's Forum executive director, says feminists are wrong to think of women as victims. She says women can "have it all." TITLE IX: Shawn Ladda, the former President of the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, claims Title IX is what allows women to play sports in college.

From John Stossel's blog: America is not a police state. But: SWAT Raids: There are an estimated 150 SWAT raids in America every day. "Rise of the Warrior Cop" author, Radley Balko, says America's police have been militarized. Ohio Sheriff Russ Martin disagrees. He says its useful specialization. Boston Bombing: After the Boston marathon bombing, police virtually shut down Boston. James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation says local officials and police were right to make that decision. Jim Harper of the Cato Institute says the shut down went too far. Police Ticket Quotas: Police officers in Auburn, Alabama were told they must write 100 tickets every month. But the department denied that it had ticket quotas. Officer Justin Hanner was fired after he secretly recorded his boss giving the 100 ticket command. Mandatory Minimum Jail Sentences: Greg Newburn, Families against Mandatory Minimum's director in Florida, says one-size-fits-all jail sentences are expensive and cruel.

From John Stossel's blog: What you think you know... is often wrong. Sunday I look at seven MYTHS... LIES... AND COMPLETE STUPIDITIES: • FOOD... MYTH: Government should help people make healthy choices for themselves. TRUTH: The nanny state reduces your freedom while accomplishing little. • MAIL... MYTH: The post office should deliver the mail. TRUTH: The private sector does it better. • FRACKING... MYTH: Fracking is dangerous. TRUTH: Fracking is dangerous but can easily be safely managed, and fracking has done more to help the environment than all the "green" energy sources combined (it replaces dirtier gasoline and coal.) • LAWSUITS... MYTH: Lawsuits protect consumers. TRUTH: Lawsuits make valuable products cost more. • HEALTHCARE... MYTH: Obamacare is good for business. TRUTH: Government intervention kills innovation. Kills jobs too. • INFRASTRUCTURE... MYTH: Government must build infrastructure. TRUTH: Business builds it better. • IMPERIAL WASHINGTON... MYTH: Washington D.C. is about serving the public. TRUTH: DC is about empire building.

From John Stossel's blog: This week my show comes from Las Vegas, Nevada, amidst FreedomFest, "the world's largest gathering of free minds." Over a thousand libertarian-minded people debate the question: "Are We Rome?" Matt Kibbe, Freedomworks CEO, says America is following in the footsteps of Rome. Carl Richard, University of Louisiana History Professor, cites America's blatant disregard for the Constitution. Steve Forbes, Forbes Media Editor-in-Chief, believes that Americans are now more aware and involved, and things like the tea party movement may prevent us from collapsing like Rome. Welfare: Larry Reed, Foundation for Economic Education President, explains that Rome became a welfare state. Emperors tried bribe the angry masses by giving away free or subsidized grain, salt, pork and olive oil. Charles Murray of the American Enterprise Institute says why he wants to get rid of the entire Welfare bureaucracy. Taxes: In Rome, taxes steadily rose. Citizens who did not pay might be sold into slavery. Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform President, says, "Property taxes were so rough that people were actually abandoning their property." Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal argues for a flat tax. Inflation: Roman emperors devalued their currency by putting less silver in their coins. A bushel of wheat that once cost 8 Roman dollars cost 120,000 Roman dollars by the next century. Ben Powell, Independent Institute Senior Fellow and Jeffrey Tucker, Laissez Faire Books Executive Editor, make comparisons to the American dollar. Spectacle: Rome's rulers also bribed the people with "bread and circuses." Kennesaw State University Economist, J.C. Bradbury, says that bribes continue in the form of subsidies for sports stadiums. Is America Rome? I don't think so. Rome's rulers were even more arrogant than ours: The emperor Elagabalus set up a brothel in the palace. Tiberius established an office of imperial pleasures, which gathered "beautiful boys and girls from all corners of the world" so, as Tacitus put it, the emperor "could defile them". Nero never wore the same clothes twice. And when he traveled, he traveled with 1,000 carriages. Free and prosperous is not the natural state of things. In human history, it's rare. With our debt, rising taxes, regulation, foreign wars, welfare state, and politicians' arrogant expansion of power, we become more like Rome.

From John Stossel's blog: I hate Bashar Al-Assad and what he's done in Syria. But I also hate what's going on in North Korea, Iran, Somalia, China, Russia, The Congo and other places around the world. So when should America intervene? What's our responsibility as the world's biggest superpower? Congressman Steve Israel says Syria is a special case because they used chemical weapons and they must be held accountable. Zuhdi Jasser, the founder and president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, says America should take action in Syria. He debates Fox News military analyst Colonel David Hunt, who is more skeptical. Recent polls show more Democrats than Republicans support a military strike. Is this hypocrisy... liberals and conservatives changing their position depending who holds the presidency? Historian Thaddeus Russell explains why he answers "no." Karima Bennoune, author of "Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here," grew up in Algeria.

From John Stossel's blog: SPACE TRAVEL: People once assumed that only government would, or could, launch people into space. NASA got us to the moon, after all. But that was more than 40 years ago. In the remaining years they haven't sent people to anyplace new. But Bas Lansdorp, of Mars One, plans to send people to Mars in just 10 years. 165,000 people have already signed up. OTHER INNOVATION: James Canton, Institute for Global Futures founder, says the future will bring us many wonderful things, like robot doctors, and Elon Musk's Hyperloop- the high-speed train that promises to get you from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes. SOCIAL MEDIA: Matt Kibbe runs Freedomworks and uses social media to spread liberty online. Freedomworks runs Facebook posts like this one, showing that Congress passes bills without reading them, and exempts its own staffers from laws. 24-year-old Julie Borowski posts YouTube videos about liberty. They are viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.

From John Stossel's blog: THE BLOB: America's school children have been trapped in a government-run monopoly, a so-called "public" school system that bores them to tears. Attempts at improvement are stopped not just by teachers' unions, but by the BLOB, an alliance of administrators, politicians, bureaucrats, PTAs and Big Government advocates that stifle almost all innovation. The BLOB demands more money, but schools don't stink because of a lack of money. We've tripled what we spend on K-12 education yet test scores don't go up. The good news: there are all kinds of alternatives now that allow kids to escape the government monopoly... HOMESCHOOLING: Former Presidential Candidate Ron Paul created The Ron Paul Curriculum for homeschoolers. 16-year-old Veronica Andreades and 12-year-old Jeremiah Burch discuss the perks of being homeschooled. SCHOOL VOUCHERS: Most Americans are assigned to a school based on where they live; how crazy is that? What if you were assigned to your local grocery store? Prices would be higher and there would be little choice (just like government schools). Luckily, some states now allow some poorer people to transfer to a school outside of their neighborhood. Louisiana parents love a voucher program that allows kids to leave failing schools, but the Obama administration just sued to stop the program, claiming it interferes with school desegregation efforts. Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise says U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder thinks students should be trapped in failing schools. MEXICO TEACHERS' UNION: Union teachers in Mexico not only cannot be fired, they have been able to sell their teaching jobs, or give them to family members! But now a new government changed the rules. So union teachers in Mexico are demonstrating, sometimes rioting. Mary O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal explains. UN-SCHOOLING: The most radical form of schooling is something called "un-schooling." Special Correspondent Kennedy went to visit a school that doesn't have teachers or tests. Kids do whatever they want! Do they learn? I think so. HACKATHON: 24-year-old Aaron Ginn, head of growth for StumbleUpon.com, seeks new ways technology can enhance education, and he's doing so with something called "hackathon."

From John Stossel's blog: Keep the government shut? That sounds nuts, but remember that this is just a partial shutdown, and my hope is that this pause in some government spending -- will be a teaching moment. More people may realize that lots of what government does is not so important and given that America's going broke, we ought to cut some of it now, permanently. THE SHUTDOWN: Senator Mike Lee proudly says he kick-started the defund Obamacare movement that led to the shutdown. Economist Ben Powell agrees with my hope that a government shutdown will be a good thing. PRIVATE SECTOR: Companies lay workers off all the time. At the beginning of the year, American Express announced it would cut over 5,000 jobs. It's the creative destruction that helps them innovate and stay useful. Why is it so hard for politicians to make similar decisions? Former NFL defensive lineman turned entrepreneur, Tyoka Jackson, will explain how private businesses constantly make the tough choices, choices that government won't make. MEDIA BIAS: Some say the media hate Republicans, and it's true that they have "A Slobbering Love Affair" with Barack Obama. But I think the media also has a slobbering love affair... with big government. Bernie Goldberg and I debate the media's coverage of the shutdown. IMPERIAL WASHINGTON: Tourists visit Washington and admire the beautiful buildings. When I visit Washington, I see politicians and bureaucrats serving themselves. Cato Institute's Executive Vice President, David Boaz, explains why 4 out of 5 of America's richest counties now surround Washington D.C. GOP: I hear Republicans want to cut government. But Reason's Editor-In-Chief Matt Welch says the GOP wimps out when it comes to making real cuts. MY TAKE: When asked why Democrats won't negotiate over spending, Nancy Pelosi told CNN's Candy Crowley, "Because the cupboard is bare. There's no more cuts to make." They spend $3.7 trillion, and the cupboard is "bare"? Give me a break. Tonight I'll rummage through Nancy's cupboard and see what I find.

From John Stossel's blog: Are you a victim? I'm a stutterer. Had today's disability laws existed when I began working, I wonder if I would have overcome my speech problem, or just given up and collected a government check. Government assistance is supposed to help people in need. But that's not what usually happens. Government assistance creates more victims. VICTIM TV: I won 19 Emmy awards for exposing sleazy companies. The public should be warned about scams, but the media always goes overboard. Gavin McInnes, columnist for Taki's Magazine, hates the media hype. However, former teacher Jedediah Bila says the media has done the right thing in raising awareness of bullying. MINIMUM WAGE: $7.25 an hour is the current federal minimum wage. California just raised its state minimum wage to $10 an hour, and most people around me in NYC say, "that's not enough! It's not a living wage!" Yaron Brook, President of the Ayn Rand Institute, says this is a foolish way to think - a minimum wage takes jobs away from the young, poor and uneducated. RACE CARD: Deneen Borelli, author of "Blacklash," is upset about what victimhood has done to the black community. She argues that focusing on past abuses is terrible for blacks. Jennifer Gratz, XIV Foundation CEO, took her case all the way to the US Supreme Court after she was denied admission to the University of Michigan due to affirmative action. She won. But affirmative action continues. WELFARE: Welfare is supposed to help people in need; give them a chance to get back on their feet. But CURE Founder Star Parker, a former welfare recipient and author of "Uncle Sam's Plantation," says that's not usually the case. UNFIT FOR WORK: With more disability laws, more Americans say they are disabled. Cato Institute budget analyst, Tad DeHaven, writes about the rising cost of social security disability insurance, and how the law encourages dependency by sending checks to people who claim to be unable to work because of ambiguous disabilities. When medicine is better, and fewer people do manual labor, how can so many more be disabled? RAP REMEDY: Ohio family physician, Dr. Anthony Atkins, created a rap album to try to reach young people with a positive message about safe sex and avoiding gangs. MY TAKE: America succeeded because it was founded by people who were the opposite of victims; they were people with grit. Overcoming obstacles is the route to prosperity and happiness.

From John Stossel's blog: The debt limit was raised again, but this doesn't address America's real problem: unsustainable government spending. THE PROBLEM: Dan Mitchell, a senior fellow at CATO, and Abby McCloskey, program director of economic policy at AEI, spend their work days analyzing the budget. Both will discuss how government "solutions" are the real problem. DANGEROUS DEBT: It's hard to wrap one's brain around almost $17 trillion of debt. Movie producer Seth Meier and actor Brian Stepanek made a video that does a great job explaining the government's debt problem. They compare Congress to a man going to a bank to ask for a loan. On YouTube, it's been watched more than two million times. GENERATIONAL THEFT: The biggest reason our debt is such a threat to America's future is that people my age refuse to die, and we demand the "entitlements" we were promised. National Review Senior Editor Ramesh Ponnuru talks about what this debt will do to younger generations. SPENDING PROBLEM: Bob Beckel, co-host of "The Five," will try to help me understand why many Democrats say America "does not have a spending problem." DEFAULT: Most Americans hardly noticed the partial shutdown. But we're told default-not paying our bondholders in full, or delaying payment-would be a catastrophe. Would it? I'm skeptical. It would be best if government cut spending, but assuming they won't, all the options are bad: 1.Don't pay Medicare and Social Security. 2.Inflate the currency. 3.Stiff (or give a haircut to) the bondholders. I hope we never default, but I'd think it would be the least evil of the options. Russia defaulted. Argentina defaulted. Both recovered relatively quickly. I think we'd recover. But Garett Jones, an economist at George Mason University, argues that default would be terrible. MY TAKE: Now we've almost $17 trillion in debt, and when my age group retires, the debt will grow by more than a trillion dollars every year. That's a disaster. There is so much we could cut, and should cut. When I interviewed people outside of our studio, many agreed that government should cut spending. But when I asked them, "cut what, exactly?", most had no clue. But there's plenty to cut. I'd begin cutting tonight, and there's much more here: www.downsizinggovernment.org.

From John Stossel's blog: FED 101: I've done hundreds of TV shows, but always avoided one topic: the Fed. It's so complicated! Luckily, there's a new documentary out about the Fed called, "Money For Nothing." Filmmaker Jim Bruce explains what he learned by making his movie. TOO BIG TO FAIL: When the housing bubble burst, many Americans believe the Fed saved us from another depression. But George Selgin, an economist at the University of Georgia, says it didn't, and the result: "too big to fail," is a bigger problem. INFLATION: James Rickards, author of "Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis," studies the history of nations that cheapen money. This happened to Germany post World War I, where inflation got so bad individual shoppers needed wheelbarrows to carry cash to buy groceries. Will this happen to America? END THE FED?: Dr. Ron Paul explains why he thinks America should "End The Fed." DEFENDING THE FED: Austan Goolsbee, former Chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, says the Fed saved us from a great depression. I will argue with him. FED FICTION: Brad Thor centers his bestseller, "Hidden Order," around the Fed. Thor says the secrecy that shrouds the Fed makes it a fascinating topic. MY TAKE: Today, we give a small group of old people the power to spend trillions of our dollars -- often in secret. The last two Fed chairs, appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents, have increased central planning of our economy more than ever before. This is not a good thing. I want to believe the Fed governors know what they're doing, but no 12 people know enough. When central planners try to manage an economy, they make things worse.

From John Stossel's blog: THE PROBLEM: Rep. Michael Burgess, a doctor turned congressman, says America is supposed to be different from Europe. But most discussion about Obamacare starts with the assumption that government, or someone else, should pay for our healthcare. Former Lt. Governor of New York, Betsy McCaughey, shows how that raises costs. WEBSITE WOES: John McAfee, the engineer who founded the world's largest security company, McAfee, says incompetent government contractors got the job because they have expertise in government, not software. Canadian journalist Brian Lilley explains why he wasn't surprised when he learned that Canadian-based company, CGI, was behind the website flop. He says they are part of the Obama administration's network of cronies. SILVER LINING: Avik Roy, who does healthcare research at the Manhattan Institute, and I discuss why in some ways, Obamacare may accidentally end up being a good thing. GET COVERED: Many celebrities are gung ho for Obama and have participated in the #GetCovered campaign. Reason Magazine's Senior Editor Peter Suderman says that celebrities don't realize that they're asking their young fans to sign up to pay for old folks like me. SINGAPORE: Singapore spends much less than the U.S. on healthcare, yet people there live longer. Why? William Haseltine, President of ACCESS Health International, says it's because people pay for more services themselves. MY TAKE: Most current talk about Obamacare is about the website. It is a mess, but that misses the larger problem with Obamacare-central planning. Central planning rarely works well, and usually brings us crummy products like the East German Trabant. This Halloween, nothing scares me more than big government micromanagement.

From John Stossel's blog: PRIVATIZE EVERYTHING: Leonard Gilroy publishes the Privatization Report for the Reason Foundation. He explains how private companies often perform government services, including state parks, hospitals and recycling, better than government does. PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE: Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich disagrees. He says government workers can work just as efficiently. I'll debate him. PRIVATIZE PARKS: Dan Biederman, a public space redeveloper, converts government parks into nicer privately managed ones. One example is Bryant Park in New York City. LIBERATING LIBRARIES: Special Correspondent Kennedy checks out private libraries in California. A private library manager does a better job. ORGAN SELLING: 100,000 Americans are on a waiting list, desperately hoping someone will donate a kidney. Many will die while waiting. Sigrid Fry-Revere, president of the Center for Ethical Solutions, went to the only country in the world that legalized organ selling. She says the market works. PRIVATIZE ALL GOVERNMENT?: Economist David Friedman, son of famed economist Milton Friedman, says we should go further with privatization. We should gradually get rid of all government. I have reservations. MY TAKE: There are some things government ought to do, but just a few things. Most of life works better if the central planners butt out, leaving individuals freedom of choice. That happens when we leave things in private hands. Markets aren't perfect. But they allow for a world where prudence is rewarded and sloth is punished-a world in which people are more likely to take risks and innovate. That's a world where more people prosper.

From John Stossel's blog: IS THIS AMERICA'S LIBERTARIAN ERA? For the first time, several libertarians are members of Congress, and more Americans say they want government "to do less." Reason editors Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie say America has entered into a "libertarian era," and libertarians will be taken seriously. I sure hope so. RON PAUL REVOLUTION: Former presidential candidate Ron Paul did more than most anyone to get Americans interested in liberty. He says libertarians might be the future of the GOP. CONSERVATIVE RESISTANCE: Fred Barnes, executive editor of The Weekly Standard, says the libertarian surge is a "blip" and libertarians are naïve when it comes to foreign policy. We'll debate. NEXT GENERATION: Students for Liberty Co-founder, Alexander McCobin, says the student libertarian movement is growing, and is already bigger than college Republicans and Democrats. Students for Liberty recently held conferences in Chile, Venezuela and Nigeria. Students Barbie Sostaita and Matthew La Corte say they see more young people and their colleges taking an interest in the ideas of liberty. They give me hope. THE LIBERTARIAN CELEBRITY: There are a few: Vince Vaughn, Drew Carey, Kurt Russell and Tom Selleck. I'll try to book them in the future. Tonight illusionist Penn Jillette talks about how he got turned on to these ideas. MY TAKE: I didn't even know what "libertarianism" meant when I started reporting. I was one more liberal consumer reporter. Bashing business and calling for more government regulation won me 19 Emmys. But then I learned that government regulations drown life in red tape, and didn't even stop scams. By contrast, market competition policed business, rewarded good ones and punished bad ones. Competition protects consumers better than government. Life is best when government backs off, and allows people to do anything that's peaceful.

From John Stossel's blog: GOVERNMENT CHARITY: Newsday columnist Ellis Henican says what most Americans believe: it's mostly government's job to help the poor and those in trouble after disasters like Hurricane Katrina. We'll debate. GIVE DIRECTLY: Michael Faye co-founded the nonprofit organization GiveDirectly, which weirdly, gives $1,000 directly to poor people in Kenya. He says this form of charity works. I'm skeptical. But it's better than government aid. OBAMAPHONE: Jillian Kay Melchior of the National Review recently reported on free government cell phone fraud. She got three Obamaphones, even though she isn't "eligible." BUSINESS OR CHARITY?: Billionaire Ted Turner once told me that his fellow billionaire Warren Buffet was "cheap" because he didn't give much to charity. But Ben Powell, director of the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech, says entrepreneurs help people more through innovation and job creation, than through charity. I think he's right. END FOREIGN AID?: Gregory Adams, director of Oxfam's aid effectiveness program, says governments should spend more on foreign aid. But Magatte Wade, an African entrepreneur, says foreign aid does more harm than good. BLEEDING HEART LIBERTARIANS: Jason Brennan, a Georgetown University professor, promotes the website Bleeding Heart Libertarians. He says libertarians should embrace the concept of social justice. MY TAKE: I didn't always give to charity, but when I started getting paid to make speeches, I decided to donate that money. It changed my life. I realize I like giving money away. It makes me happy. But which charities should I give to? Charity rating websites are helpful but not definitive. They get lied to, don't include all charities, and the definition of "program" is fuzzy. I give to charities I can see, like Student Sponsor Partners, Central Park Conservancy, and the Doe Fund. I can watch them and judge how they're spending my money. Maybe that's the best gauge; give locally.

From John Stossel's blog: Happy Thanksgiving! On this week's show, I give thanks for property rights, because without them, we would be poor, cold and hungry. People like the idea of sharing and communal property... But communal property leads to what economists call "the Tragedy of the Commons." I first heard that phrase in a story about shepherds who lived around a grassy area they called a commons. Since the shepherds shared this free, green grass, they grabbed as much of it as possible. They brought many more sheep to graze. Soon... all the grass was gone. The sheep died, and the shepherds had nothing. Then they divided the commons into parcels. Each shepherd owned one. Each had an incentive to limit the number of sheep that grazed on his grass. Prosperity happened, and everyone lived happily ever after. We see this battle between private property and the "tragedy of the commons" happen again and again, with the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving; with stewardship of American buffalo and African elephants; with the poverty of native Americans on government-run Indian reservations; and with our most common shared space: public parks. In New York City, Central Park and Bryant Park were desolate places... until their management was taken over by private organizations. Daniel Biederman, whose company revitalized Bryant Park and did the same for Boston Common, the nation's oldest public park, will debate public vs. private with Boston journalist Shirley Kressel, who says privately run parks are a mistake. I'll also talk to one of the most impressive people I know: Economist Hernando de Soto. His work on property rights has arguably done more to help lift people out of poverty than anyone. He'll explain why property rights and the rule of law are the necessary precursors to prosperity... and how America developed rule of law through "tomahawk rights" and "corn rights".

From John Stossel's blog: HOLLYWOOD HYPOCRITES: Kevin Sorbo, former star of the TV series Hercules, pushes back against celebrities who say they "know how to fix the world." Jason Mattera, author of Hollywood Hypocrites, confronts celebrities like "environmental activist" Harrison Ford (he owns seven airplanes) and Robert Redford (after his Bill Ayers movie). He chases them down with his camera and "ambushes" them because, he says, the liberal media won't confront them. CELEBRITY ECOCRITES (my word for Eco-hypocrites): James Hirsen, author of Hollywood Nation, says environmentalism is like a religion to celebrities, and their leader, Al Gore, is one of the biggest hypocrites of all. ANTI-CAPITALISTS: Special Correspondent Kennedy points out how celebrities contradict themselves by constantly attacking capitalism, even though the film industry benefits from it. ANTI-GUN ACTORS: Former screenwriter, Michael Medved, says that although many actors call for gun control, they sure don't control guns in their own movies. REAL OR FAKE?: Sometimes celebrities do things that are so bizarre, that if you didn't see or hear it, you wouldn't believe it was real. I quiz new Fox Business hosts Kennedy, Matt Welch and Kmele Foster. You can play along. Which of these is real? - Actor Adrian Grenier has a website promoting an environmentally friendly compostable tennis shoe. - Since President Obama's limousine only gets 8 miles per gallon, Ed Begley, Jr. started a petition to get the President to trade in his limo for an electric powered version. GOOD NEWS: A few celebrities who have revealed themselves to be libertarians or libertarian/conservatives: Vince Vaughn, Drew Carey, Penn Jillette, and a few others. They give me hope.

From John Stossel's blog: MARKETS UNDER ATTACK: "The problem with Obamacare isn't too much socialism, it's still too much capitalism," says Bill Maher on HBO. On MSNBC, Lawrence O'Donnell said, "We need to take the political sting out of the word socialist." No. We need to remind Americans that socialism and all forms of big government lead to stagnation and poverty. I'll debate Congressman Charles Rangel, who tells me not to make laws sound "negative." FREE MARKETS HELP POOR PEOPLE: Economists Abby McCloskey and Victor Claar point out 500 million people have lifted themselves out of poverty in the last five years, thanks to the worldwide movement toward freer markets. RAISIN REGULATION: Unfortunately, in America, markets become less free. One example: something called the Raisin Administrative Committee demands raisin farmers give the government almost half their crop. Marvin Horne, owner of Raisin Valley Farms, said no. The government says he owes 1.2 million pounds of raisins. MARKETS NOT CAPITALISM: Gary Chartier, co-editor of Markets Not Capitalism, says there's actually a lot to hate about "capitalism" when the word suggests capitalists using political connections to get special privileges. KIDS AND CAPITALISM: 13-year-old Lauren Hudson and her father Rob Hudson co-wrote a book meant to teach students capitalism. They say capitalism is not taught in schools. ECONOMIC FREEDOM: Johan Norberg, of the CATO Institute, made a documentary on economic freedom. He went around the world to see how it improves poor people's lives. MY TAKE: Sadly, in some ways, America has become rule-bound, like India. I tried to open a business in Calcutta, but quickly gave up. The government there is so hostile to markets that they have a thousand rules. That's why India stays poor. Places with fewer rules, like Hong Kong, prosper.

From John Stossel's blog: Was this a good year for freedom? I look at the good, the bad and the ugly in 2013 with David Boaz of the CATO Institute, Sabrina Schaeffer of the Independent Women's Forum and Nick Gillespie of Reason TV. THE GOOD: A few freedom fighters in Congress pushed back against big government. One who probably did the most is Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. He talks about his new plan for "economic freedom zones." THE BAD: After the Newtown school shooting there was another big push for gun control. My friends, and even my own wife, asked me, "How could you not say there should be more rules against these weapons?" THE UGLY: Many people really believed that ObamaCare would cover more people with more insurance for more things and still be "affordable." Now some of the truth is coming out. Boaz says people should realize that the "government can't create more things for more people and have it cost less." But many people never realize that. REGULATION NATION: Jeff Rowes, of the Institute for Justice, talks about three new cases where the "little guys" are crushed by government regulation. One example: A Florida town forces a couple to rip out their vegetable garden. NAUGHTY OR NICE?: I play Santa and report on who was naughty and who was nice this year. For example, Nancy Pelosi was naughty because she said government does not have a spending problem. The rest of my Naughty or Nice list tonight. MY CHRISTMAS WISH: In 2013, our rulers added to the massive pile of rules that we must obey. My wish this Christmas is that reporters stop whining about the "least productive" and the "do nothing" Congress, and instead, celebrate the fact that politicians not passing more laws means more freedom for Santa, and for the rest of you.

From John Stossel's blog: GOVERNMENT CHARITY: Newsday columnist Ellis Henican says what most Americans believe: it's mostly government's job to help the poor and those in trouble after disasters like Hurricane Katrina. We'll debate. GIVE DIRECTLY: Michael Faye co-founded the nonprofit organization GiveDirectly, which weirdly, gives $1,000 directly to poor people in Kenya. He says this form of charity works. I'm skeptical. But it's better than government aid. OBAMAPHONE: Jillian Kay Melchior of the National Review recently reported on free government cell phone fraud. She got three Obamaphones, even though she isn't "eligible." BUSINESS OR CHARITY?: Billionaire Ted Turner once told me that his fellow billionaire Warren Buffet was "cheap" because he didn't give much to charity. But Ben Powell, director of the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech, says entrepreneurs help people more through innovation and job creation, than through charity. I think he's right. END FOREIGN AID?: Gregory Adams, director of Oxfam's aid effectiveness program, says governments should spend more on foreign aid. But Magatte Wade, an African entrepreneur, says foreign aid does more harm than good. BLEEDING HEART LIBERTARIANS: Jason Brennan, a Georgetown University professor, promotes the website Bleeding Heart Libertarians. He says libertarians should embrace the concept of social justice. MY TAKE: I didn't always give to charity, but when I started getting paid to make speeches, I decided to donate that money. It changed my life. I realize I like giving money away. It makes me happy. But which charities should I give to? Charity rating websites are helpful but not definitive. They get lied to, don't include all charities, and the definition of "program" is fuzzy. I give to charities I can see, like Student Sponsor Partners, Central Park Conservancy, and The Doe Fund. I can watch them and judge how they're spending my money. Maybe that's the best gauge; give locally.