The Reason Roundtable

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Nick Gillespie are joined by reporter Reem Ibrahim to discuss Vice President J.D. Vance's bizarre definition of socialism. They examine whether Vance genuinely believes what he's saying or is attempting to redefine socialism to avoid acknowledging the Trump administration's own big-government policies. Next, the panel discusses America's growing $2 trillion deficit, the rising cost of Social Security and Medicare, and the generational divide between older Americans receiving government benefits and younger workers paying for them. The editors also examine youth protests in France, where students are demanding improvements to public schools despite the country's already extensive government spending. They then discuss allegations that U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle offered political access in exchange for help paying off personal credit card debt and what the controversy reveals about government corruption. Finally, a listener asks about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to publicly broadcast an execution and whether turning capital punishment into a spectacle could encourage extremism. 0:00—Vance rebrands socialism. 08:48—Largest budget deficit ever 25:50—Youth protests in France 38:15—Listener question on public executions 46:25—Guilfoyle's corruption scandal 56:20—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events The World Premiere of Escaping Venezuela, October 13 Mentioned in the podcast: "J.D. Vance Accidentally Comes Out as a Socialist," by Billy Binion "Trump Has Been Trampling Free Speech for More Than 40 Years—and It Keeps Getting Worse," by Jacob Sullum "Protesters in France and Spain Are Angry at Government Failure—and Demanding More Government," by Reem Ibrahim "The Great British Exodus: Taxes, Housing Costs, and Terrible Healthcare Are Driving Young Brits Away," by Reem Ibrahim "The Federal Government Just Posted the Largest Annual Budget Deficit Since COVID," by Eric Boehm "Livestreaming an Execution," by Liz Wolfe "Kimberly Guilfoyle's Grift Is at Least as Offensive as Hunter Biden's," by Robby Soave The post J.D. Vance Is Playing Dumb About Socialism appeared first on Reason Magazine.

For 10 years, The Reason Roundtable has been proving that the best political conversations aren't the ones where everyone agrees—they're the ones where smart people challenge each other, chase unexpected tangents, and somehow end up making more sense of the news than anyone else. Join Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Peter Suderman, and Matt Welch as they celebrate a decade of the podcast with a special live taping. It's your chance to watch the chemistry, the disagreements, the running jokes, and the occasional exasperated sigh happen in real time. The post Live Reason Roundtable 10th Anniversary Show! appeared first on Reason Magazine.

On this special edition of The Reason Roundtable, Senior Editor Robby Soave is joined by Associate Editor Liz Wolfe, reporter Reem Ibrahim, and Senior Producer Zach Weissmueller to discuss the sexual assault allegations against seven Cornell University fraternity brothers. They examine conflicting accounts of what happened, the difference between reprehensible behavior and criminal conduct, and whether New York Attorney General Letitia James can oversee a fair investigation after Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed her to the case. They also consider Hochul's push to change New York's laws governing consent and voluntary intoxication, as well as the role social media has played in turning the case into a national spectacle. Next, the panel discusses Tennessee's botched execution of Christa Pike and what it reveals about the practical and moral problems with the death penalty. Finally, they consider OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's argument that society should accept some negative consequences from artificial intelligence in exchange for its benefits. 0:00—The "Cornell Seven" investigation 29:21—Pike's botched execution 36:53—Altman's AI comments 53:29—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable's 10th Anniversary—Live in NYC! October 7 The World Premiere of Escaping Venezuela, October 13 Mentioned in the podcast: "The Cornell Rape Lawsuit Is Fueling a Deranged Social Media Mob," by Robby Soave "Letitia James Has Already Suggested the Cornell 7 Are Guilty," by Robby Soave "Would a Firing Squad Have Been More 'Humane' for Christa Pike?" by Billy Binion "Trump Wants AI Companies To Police Themselves. His FTC Isn't Waiting," by Tosin Akintola Today's sponsor: Cato Innovation Project: Design your own full-time, paid role at Cato. If we fund your idea, you spend two years executing it. Apply here: cato.org/reason The post Are the Cornell 7 Being Tried on Social Media? appeared first on Reason Magazine.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss Republicans turning against President Donald Trump's war in Iran as gas prices rise and the midterm elections approach. They examine how Trump, who once ran against Middle East wars, ended up in one himself and whether presidents of both parties are too tempted by their power to intervene abroad. Next, the editors discuss the economic fallout from the war, rising mortgage rates, the growing cost of servicing the national debt, and how Trump's tariffs, immigration restrictions, and spending policies have contributed to the country's economic problems. The panelists also debate whether artificial intelligence could make government less important in people's lives and whether existing laws are sufficient to deal with the risks posed by rapidly developing AI. Finally, a listener asks the editors for their best elevator pitch for Reason. 0:00—Republicans turn on the Iran war. 20:20—Trump's impact on the economy 29:13—Listener question on the Reason elevator pitch 36:18—Will AI make government less important? 55:37—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable's 10th Anniversary—Live in NYC! October 7 The World Premiere of Escaping Venezuela October 13 Mentioned in the Podcast: "Trump's 4-Week War With Iran Approaches Month 7," by Matthew Petti"The Iraq War Cheerleaders Were Wrong. They're Wrong About Iran Too." by Matthew Petti"The Senate's Failure To Rein in Trump on Iran Is Part of a Long History of Congress Abdicating Its War Powers," by Gene Healy"Why Did Congress Vote To End the Iran War After It Finished?" by Matthew Petti"The Fed Can't Fight Inflation Alone. Will Congress Do Its Part?" by Veronique de Rugy "Is AI Going To Wipe Out Humanity? Don't Build That Bunker Yet." by Steven Greenhut"OpenAI Preaches AI Safety. The Australia Incident Shows What It Practices." by Tosin Akintola"Half the Public Wants To Pause AI. Would Regulation Actually Make It Safer?" by Reem Ibrahim"The 'AI Safety' Movement Is Making AI Less Safe," by Matthew Petti Today's Sponsor: Cato Innovation Project: Design your own full-time, paid role at Cato. If we fund your idea, you spend two years executing it. Apply here: cato.org/reasonmag. The post Trump's Iran War Is Losing With Everyone (Even Republicans) appeared first on Reason Magazine.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch are joined by senior editor Stephanie Slade to discuss President Donald Trump's decision to ban CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House over coverage he dislikes. They examine the First Amendment implications of punishing news organizations for their reporting and Trump's broader record on free speech. They also examine the growing willingness of both parties to use government power against media they dislike. Next, the editors discuss why parents continue to leave public schools and what a recent New York Times story reveals about the limits of trying to reform failing schools from within. Then, Slade discusses her new book, Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right, and how the conservative movement moved away from its traditional commitment to limited government, free markets, and individual liberty. Finally, a listener challenges the panel to explain how libertarians would confront a genuine existential threat from AI or another collective-action problem. 0:00—Trump bans media outlets from the White House. 17:29—New York Times story on the failure of public schools 38:39—Listener question on AI risk 50:56—Fusionism and the conservative movement 1:01:33—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable's 10th Anniversary—Live in NYC! October 7 The World Premiere of Escaping Venezuela October 13 Mentioned in the Podcast: "Purposely Negative," by Liz Wolfe"May Officials Exclude Journalists from Press Events Based on Disapproval of Journalists' Speech?" by Eugene Volokh"Two D.C. Circuit Judges' Reservations About the Circuit's White House Press Pool / AP / 'Gulf of America' Decision," by Eugene Volokh"Trump's Threats To Yank Broadcast Licenses Are Part of a Speech-Chilling Intimidation Campaign," by Jacob Sullum"The FCC's Paramount/Skydance Decision Aims To Reshape Broadcast Journalism by Bureaucratic Fiat," by Jacob Sullum"By Settling Trump's Laughable Lawsuit Against CBS, Paramount Strikes a Blow at Freedom of the Press," by Jacob Sullum"Pentagon's Foolish Press Policy Might Encourage Tougher Journalism," by J.D. Tuccille"The Pentagon's New Press Policy Is Absurd," by Robby Soave"Why the Courts Will 86 the Flagrantly Unconstitutional Charges Against James Comey," by Jacob Sullum"Trump Is Targeting Media and Chilling Free Speech," by Steven Greenhut "Nikole Hannah-Jones Doesn't Understand 'The Idea That Parents Should Decide' What Schools Teach," by Robby Soave"The New York Times' Nikole Hannah-Jones Inadvertently Makes the Case for School Choice," by Billy Binion"Even Social Engineers Don't Want Their Kids Used as Demographic Pawns," by Matt Welch"Brownstone Brooklyn's Racial Divide: Why Are the Schools So Segregated?" by Jim Epstein "Will AI Destroy Humanity?" by Gene Epstein"Countering the Threat of the Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence," by Ronald Bailey"Bjorn Lomborg: How Our Climate Fixation Hurts the World's Poor," by Nick Gillespie "Why the Right Is Embracing State Power," by Nick Gillespie and Stephanie Slade"J.D. Vance and the Politics of Victimhood," by Stephanie Slade The post Does CNN Deserve To Be Banned From the White House? appeared first on Reason Magazine.