Common Sense Soapbox

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob announced that he's returning to the past using his newest invention! But what will he find? What will he do? What has Seamus been doing? WHAT ABOUT PENGUIN?? Find out in this final episode of Common Sense Soapbox: Bob to the Future! ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti & Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced and Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ WATCH THE WHOLE SERIES ARC: Encino Bob https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi-zwl6W5bQ Groups are Individuals Too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ4tQkCg-p0 Scarcity is Real and It's Not Going Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uKaLPAtK4Q What's Stuff Worth? It Depends. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yla4USF2dSE Bob Becomes... A Capitalist? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38NHcvNeKI0 Bob Discovers the Key to Civilization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ry7r--SQPM Money Solves Problems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4ApyXGwIV4 If Money Solves Problems, What About Infinite Money? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-CnuaDZRkI Thank You For Coming to Bob's TED Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFlv8SjtX-U Part 10: The Second to Last One https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrrd67eIwwk ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/hayek-the-knowledge-problem/ https://fee.org/articles/why-big-data-won-t-save-central-planners-from-the-knowledge-problem/ https://fee.org/articles/were-still-haunted-by-the-labor-theory-of-value/ https://fee.org/articles/hayeks-rules-of-order/ https://fee.org/articles/this-video-game-really-gets-spontaneous-order/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob's journey has taken him from being an economic ignoramus to becoming a wealthy, self-made entrepreneur. It took a long time, but all he ever really had to do was listen to what other people wanted and use his ideas, talents, skills, and resources to give them something they actually value. The Bore-No-More King finally made it. But now, he misses his friends from the past, and concocts a new plan to rub his success in their face. Find out what happens on the second-to-last episode of Bob to the Future! Or... Click here: https://youtu.be/qi-zwl6W5bQ and start Bob to the Future from the beginning, and watch all 10 episodes all over again! ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/the-consumers-role/ https://fee.org/articles/consumer-sovereignty/ https://fee.org/articles/consumer-sovereignty-when-customers-have-the-power/ https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lawofdiminishingutility.asp

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U After finally getting what he needs to start his new tech company, Bob is ready to unveil and sell his new, fantastic invention: the Bore-No-More. But how much will this amazing device cost? ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Jennifer Maffessanti, Sean W. Malone & Seamus Coughlin Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/formation-and-function-of-prices/ https://fee.org/articles/how-should-prices-be-determined/ https://fee.org/articles/price-is-the-only-language-that-everyone-speaks/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob can't get anyone to trade him technology for ripened taco meat, but he's still not sold on the use of money. After all, inflation steals some of the value of money over time. But is that a problem inherent in money, or is it because of governments poof-ing money into existence to pay for things they can't actually afford? Previous episode: https://youtu.be/C4ApyXGwIV4 Start from the beginning: https://youtu.be/qi-zwl6W5bQ ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/cavemen-money-and-spontaneous-orders/ https://fee.org/resources/americas-money-a-history/ https://fee.org/articles/how-hyperinflation-shattered-german-society/ https://fee.org/resources/when-money-goes-bad/ https://fee.org/articles/what-do-we-mean-by-sound-money/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U It might seem really simple, but for all the hate the concept of money gets, it's actually incredibly important to a functioning economy because it solves several fundamental problems for people trying to get what they want, starting with the "double coincidence of wants". In a barter system, both you *and* the person you're hoping to trade with have to want what each other has at the same time. But most of the time, that doesn't happen. Money makes it possible for you to get what you need without needing to have *exactly* what someone else wants. Find out more on this episode of Common Sense Soapbox: Bob to the Future! ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob gets a job as a taste-tester so he can get enough capital to start his own business, and learns that his skills at the company fill just some of the many valuable roles necessary to make the business work. Division of labor and trade are critical to technological development and economic progress for whole civilizations and without it, people would still be stuck in the stone age. Find out more on this episode of Common Sense Soapbox: Bob to the Future! ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://www.britannica.com/topic/division-of-labour https://fee.org/articles/the-division-of-labor/ https://fee.org/articles/how-to-think-about-economics/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob is super-excited about Roberto's plans for a restaurant until he learns Roberto needs capital investment, not Hall o' Gram tokens. But what is this "capital" throwing a taco wrench in the works? ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/capital.asp https://fee.org/articles/what-is-capital-and-why-is-it-essential/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U At the Hall o' Grams, Bob learns an important lesson about what things are actually worth. Is it how much work it takes to make? Is it how necessary it is? Is it how many tacos you can eat in one sitting? Find out on this week's episode of Common Sense Soapbox: Bob to the Future! ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/subjective-value-why-one-mans-trash-is-another-mans-treasure/ https://fee.org/articles/what-liquidationcom-can-teach-us-about-subjective-value/ https://fee.org/articles/were-still-haunted-by-the-labor-theory-of-value/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob is now pixelated, but still confused about why, in this ultra-advanced future society, people still have to pay money for health care. In "Bob to the Future Part III: Scarcity Is Real and Not Going Away" our intrepid hero learns the importance of allocating resources... from a chicken. ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/the-science-fiction-of-scarcity/ https://fee.org/articles/economists-and-scarcity/ https://fee.org/articles/abundance-and-scarcity/ https://fee.org/articles/income-is-determined-by-the-scarcity-of-your-contribution-not-the-value-of-human-worth/ https://fee.org/articles/who-ignores-the-principle-of-scarcity/ https://fee.org/articles/affording-it-all/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob wakes up in shock to find that he is, indeed, still in the future and ready to experience "Bob to the Future, Part II: Groups are Individuals Too". Now that he and Charlie made it to the hospital, she helps him understand the most basic fact of economics: Only individuals act. ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/understanding-austrian-economics/ https://fee.org/resources/human-action-by-ludwig-von-mises/ https://fee.org/articles/what-human-action-has-meant-to-me-reflections-of-a-young-economist/ https://fee.org/articles/human-action-a-timeless-masterpiece/ https://history.fee.org/publications/the-historical-setting-of-the-austrian-school-of-economics/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U In this very special episode of Common Sense Soapbox, Bob finds himself hundreds of years in the future in the introduction of a 10-part series. Stay tuned for more on "Bob to the Future"! ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin, Jennifer Maffessanti, and Sean W. Malone Animated by Seamus Coughlin Edited by Sean W. Malone

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Previously on Common Sense Soapbox, Seamus told Bob that tons of the most commonly proposed solutions to environmental problems were going to cost trillions and lower everyone's standard of living, so Bob isn't as keen on making the sacrifices climate activists are demanding. That means he doesn't want to save the planet, right? Actually... ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Jennifer Maffessanti & Seamus Coughlin Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ For more information on effective solutions to environmental problems that *won't* increase global poverty, check out some of these LINKS: https://www.sciencealert.com/a-new-way-to-turn-carbon-dioxide-into-solid-rock-could-help-rewind-global-warming https://www.technologyreview.com/s/540706/researcher-demonstrates-how-to-suck-carbon-from-the-air-make-stuff-from-it/ https://www.perc.org/2017/11/28/hunting-can-be-good-for-lions-and-elephants/ https://cei.org/studies-issue-analysis/private-property-rights-wildlife-southern-africa-experiment https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=46170.php https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2018/09/10/the-worlds-largest-ocean-cleanup-has-officially-begun/#342ea8342738 https://www.ecowatch.com/military-largest-polluter-2408760609.html https://fee.org/articles/property-rights-help-environmentalists-protect-wildlife/ https://fee.org/articles/capitalism-should-play-a-bigger-role-in-protecting-the-environment/ https://fee.org/articles/can-free-market-environmentalism-save-rhinos/ https://fee.org/articles/flying-less-is-not-a-solution-to-reducing-carbon-emissions-innovation-is/ https://fee.org/articles/in-the-fight-against-climate-change-free-markets-are-our-biggest-ally/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob has dug himself a huge hole and won't get out of it until his debts are cancelled. Seamus' is sympathetic, but reminds him who *actually* has to pay. ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin & Jennifer Maffessanti Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/student-loan-subsidies-cause-almost-all-of-the-increase-in-tuition/ https://fee.org/articles/elizabeth-warren-s-plan-to-eliminate-student-debt-is-worse-than-you-think/ https://fee.org/articles/why-forgiving-student-debt-would-solve-nothing/ https://fee.org/articles/there-is-no-way-to-cancel-student-loan-debt/ https://fee.org/articles/how-government-guaranteed-student-loans-killed-the-american-dream-for-millions/ https://fee.org/articles/if-student-loans-might-be-forgiven-why-not-borrow-more/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob finds out that if he wants to significantly reduce his carbon-footprint, he can! He just has to give up a bunch of other things, first. We all want a healthy environment and a beautiful planet to live on, but different people have different ideas about how to get there and not everyone is always so realistic about what their plans will cost. Fortunately, we *can* have an awesome environment and a great standard of living at the same time! Check out some of the links below to find out how. ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin & Jennifer Maffessanti Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/41-inconvenient-truths-on-the-new-energy-economy/ https://fee.org/articles/the-economics-of-climate-change-what-universities-wont-teach-college-students/ https://fee.org/articles/what-dr-ian-malcolm-understood-about-our-planet-that-almost-everyone-else-doesnt/ https://fee.org/articles/rejoice-the-earth-is-becoming-greener/ https://fee.org/articles/misreading-rachel-carson-s-silent-spring/ https://fee.org/articles/flying-less-is-not-a-solution-to-reducing-carbon-emissions-innovation-is/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob thinks we should just confiscate all the wealth from all the billionaires in America to pay for government programs. But even if that were possible... would it even work? ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin & Jennifer Maffessanti Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/bezoss-billions-are-a-sign-of-social-progress/ https://fee.org/articles/rich-executives-are-no-more-our-enemies-than-small-business-owners/ https://fee.org/articles/10-solutions-to-intergenerational-poverty/ https://fee.org/shows/audio/words-numbers/the-problem-with-billionaires https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-12/what-if-the-world-s-richest-paid-for-government-spending

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob's excited about Universal Basic Income, and thinks that it would be a great way to help people for less money than the inefficient welfare programs we already have. That could be true, but only if it completely the current system, and that's... unlikely. Find out why in this new episode of Common Sense Soapbox! ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin & Jennifer Maffessanti Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone ______________________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/andrew-yang-s-math-doesn-t-add-up-on-universal-basic-income/ https://fee.org/articles/how-universal-basic-income-could-be-used-to-suppress-free-speech/ https://fee.org/articles/the-real-cost-of-universal-basic-income/ https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/welfare_spending_analysis https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/medicare_spending_analysis https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/social_security_spending_analysis ($2.63 trillion spent in 2018 on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other entitlements based on my math using stats from above sources) https://fee.org/articles/ubi-treats-people-first-and-foremost-as-charity-cases/ https://fee.org/articles/the-top-three-arguments-against-a-universal-basic-income/ https://fee.org/articles/finland-ends-its-experiment-with-universal-basic-income/ https://fee.org/shows/video/common-sense-soapbox/will-robots-make-human-jobs-obsolete#player

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Tons of people who support "Democratic Socialism" argue that the US should be more like Scandinavia, and while there are some great things about Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, the idea that they're good examples of socialism is a myth. ____________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin & Jen Maffessanti Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone ____________________ LINKS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq3vVbdgMuQ https://fee.org/articles/the-myth-of-scandinavian-socialism/ https://fee.org/articles/scandinavia-is-no-socialist-valhalla/ https://fee.org/articles/if-scandinavia-is-socialist-then-so-is-the-us/ https://fee.org/articles/are-scandinavians-really-that-happy/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Bob decides that the best way to eliminate poverty is by just giving everyone more money. If the government prints more currency, then everyone will be rich, right? ____________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin & Jennifer Maffessanti Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone ____________________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/lessons-of-the-german-inflation/ https://fee.org/resources/prices-soar-with-zimbabwe-inflation/ https://fee.org/articles/how-inflation-drinks-your-milkshake/ https://fee.org/resources/what-you-should-know-about-inflation/ https://fee.org/articles/the-federal-reserve-s-shell-game/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Like a lot of people, Bob is getting upset about outsourcing and wants to use tariffs to stop people from importing goods made in China, but Seamus drops by to explain the idea of comparative advantage and why open trade is a huge win for everybody. __________ CREDITS Written by Seamus Coughlin & Jennifer Maffessanti Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone __________ LINKS: https://fee.org/articles/the-family-stone-cavemen-trade-and-comparative-advantage/ https://fee.org/articles/comparative-advantage-an-idea-whose-time-has-passed/ https://fee.org/articles/a-note-on-comparative-advantage-it-changes-frequently/ https://fee.org/articles/economics-was-invented-to-refute-trumps-tariff-arguments/ https://fee.org/articles/foreign-tariffs-are-just-domestic-taxes/ https://fee.org/articles/tariffs-kills-jobs/ https://fee.org/articles/why-politicians-ignore-economists-opposition-to-tariffs/ https://fee.org/articles/trump-s-washing-machine-tariffs-cost-consumers-800-000-per-job-created/ https://fee.org/articles/5-times-us-tariffs-have-made-matters-worse/

Check out FEE's newest Out of Frame video, "American Cop Shows Are Brainwashing You": https://youtu.be/V-RKVsqGY9U Contrary to popular belief, only 14% of the money that belongs to the nation's top 1% comes from inheritance. For the vast majority, wealth has been self-generated. Seamus helps Bob come to the realization that a larger inheritance tax does more harm than it does good. ______________________________ CREDITS: Written by Seamus Coughlin & Jennifer Maffessanti Animated by Seamus Coughlin Produced by Sean W. Malone