Kinsella On Liberty

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 477. As mentioned in the previous episode (KOL476), Alex Anarcho has begun a narration of Against Intellectual Property, with interspersed commentary. He has so far narrated the first two sections the first of which, "Summary of IP Law," was in KOL476. This episode is Part 2, "Libertarian Perspectives on IP." I have posted a Youtube video containing both parts. Alex assures me that narrations with commentary of the remainder of the book are forthcoming. These can be found in his Against Intellectual Property series, which includes Part I, What is intellectual property? (KOL476) and Part 2, Libertarian Perspectives on IP (this episode). KOL476 contains the transcript for both parts. Previous audio versions of AIP include KOL008 | Against Intellectual Property (audiobook) and KOL373 | Against Intellectual Property (audiobook #2). See other audio versions of my work here. Related: “The Problem with Intellectual Property" A Selection of my Best Articles and Speeches on IP The Overwhelming Empirical Case Against Patent and Copyright Defamation as a Type of Intellectual Property https://youtu.be/KmZ85ebk2SI

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 462. I previously appeared on Joshua Smith's Break the Cycle, in July 2021 (KOL349 | CouchStreams Ep 58 on Break the Cycle with Joshua Smith). I had forgotten but we also did a short "CouchStreams After Hours" segment for subscribers which was, and still is, behind a paywall. We discussed various things—my scooter ride with Antony Sammeroff in Austin and travels with Sammeroff the previous months (see KOL330 | Lift Talks #2 With Kinsella & Sammeroff and KOL329 | Lift Talks #1 With Kinsella & Sammeroff), skiing accidents while skiing with Sammeroff, my joining the Libertarian Party, the Mises Caucus, loser brigade libertarians and the Hoppe photo with Michael Malice's helicopter gift (see below), when I was offered a job at Cato, when I was Disinvited From Cato, and so on. I had forgotten about this but stumbled across the file on my computer looking for something else, so decided to upload and podcast it. It's been long enough. Youtube transcript and Grok shownotes below. https://youtu.be/9IHdN-_arsg Paywalled version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW4qMNDBOtE Facebook post about the helicopter. See also KOL244 | "YOUR WELCOME" with Michael Malice Ep. 001: Intellectual Property, Prostate Cancer Even my buddy Tucker didn't like it! (we've made up, no worries) If you think political violence is hilarious, and post pics with plastic helicopters to show it, you might examine your conscience. — Jeffrey A Tucker (@jeffreyatucker) October 8, 2017 Hoppe Helicopter Controversy of 2017 - Stephan Kinsella responds: https://youtu.be/rqipQNFSOEQ?si=skq0FFFwt5xSwhry&t=1 Grok Summary Show Notes Summary Video: "Break The Cycle w/ Joshua Smith" (https://youtu.be/9IHdN-_arsg) Podcast Episode: "KOL462 | Couchstreams After Hours: Break The Cycle with Joshua Smith" (https://stephankinsella.com/as_paf_podcast/kol462-couchstreams-after-hours-break-cycle-joshua-smith/) Introduction and Libertarian Messaging (0:16 - 0:35) Discussion on using popular culture and trolling to spread libertarian ideas, emphasizing the goal of abolishing restrictive systems and breaking the cycle of statism. Scooter Adventures with Samuroff (1:04 - 3:13) Stephan recounts his spontaneous travels with Samuroff, including scooter rides in various cities and skiing in Telluride, which led to multiple shoulder injuries, humorously reflecting on his balance issues. Lift Talks and Skiing Experiences (3:29 - 4:49) Stephan and Samuroff recorded libertarian discussions on ski lifts in Colorado, dubbed "Lift Talks," published as podcasts; Joshua shares his snowboarding background and contrasts skiing experiences. Confronting the "Loser Brigade" and Hans-Hermann Hoppe (5:44 - 8:38) Stephan discusses a controversial photo with Hans-Hermann Hoppe holding a toy helicopter, sparking outrage among some libertarians; he dismisses virtue-signaling critics and defends his independence from think tanks. Mises Caucus and Libertarian Party Dynamics (9:42 - 18:36) Stephan and Joshua discuss their support for the Mises Caucus, aiming to steer the Libertarian Party toward radical, Rothbardian principles, and critique past candidates like Gary Johnson for lacking libertarian conviction. Cato Institute and Cancel Culture (19:34 - 21:12) Stephan shares a story of being disinvited from a Cato Institute IP debate, highlighting their reluctance to engage with Mises-aligned libertarians, and notes Cato's payment to reimburse his ticket as a form of preemptive cancellation. Closing and Contact Information (24:54 - 25:42) Stephan thanks Joshua for the interview, mentions joining his Patreon, and provides his website (stephankinsella.com) and social media handles (nskinsella) for further engagement. Transcript 0:16 much success turning people into 0:17 libertarians by by trolling them If we 0:20 can bring the message of liberty through 0:22 what's popular why wouldn't we be doing 0:25 that we are simply free I want the whole 0:27 thing abolished If I have to take all 0:29 the heat to open the floodgates I'm 0:30 going to [ __ ] do it Rent and property 0:33 are not that Fight the death box Don't 0:35 forget to break the cycle 0:44 Hello hello hello and welcome to Couch 0:46 Streams after hours where we give you 0:48 all the cool content that you have to 0:50 pay for Uh then we leave all the the 0:53 virgin nonsubscribers out of the 0:55 exclusives Uh I'm here with Stephan 0:57 Cassell who we just had an awesome live 0:59 stream Learned a lot about IP tonight 1:02 Stephan people want to know about this 1:04 this uh the scooter ride Can you hear me 1:07 can you hear me 1:08 People want to know about this scooter 1:10 ride with Samar man What's What's this 1:12 all about what what do people keep 1:13 talking about i mean the scooter ride 1:15 was not the highlight of the whole thing 1:16 but u so Samur I had done Samur's show a 1:20 couple a couple times last year Scottish 1:23 Liberty podcast and u he was going to be 1:26 in Houston for a few weeks vagabonding 1:28 around the world and so earlier this 1:30 year I think it was March he said hey 1:32 Canella I'm in Houston so I I picked him 1:35 up we went to have coffee and I said hey 1:37 I'm going to go to the Mises Institute 1:39 next this coming weekend for a Mises 1:41 thing do you want to come he goes hell 1:43 yeah So he went with us and we had a 1:44 blast On the way back home I said "Um 1:47 you know I'm going to go to Tellide 1:48 skiing next week You don't happen to ski 1:50 do you?" He goes "Yeah my dad told me to 1:51 ski." So he went to Tellide with me We 1:53 had a blast We ended up going I don't 1:55 know several cities together Um or 1:58 meeting each other coincidentally like 2:01 twice like in Portland and in some other 2:04 city And in some of those cities they 2:06 have these scooters everywhere which I 2:07 you know that's a thing now and I had 2:09 never tried them but I started getting 2:11 the the ebikes and the the scooters And 2:13 so we just started riding scooters 2:15 around I think in Austin we did it and 2:18 uh in in um in uh some other cities too 2:21 So we just had a blast and we I took 2:23 some videos of it So that was where the 2:25 scooter story came from But um I will 2:27 tell you that when I when I got home in 2:30 March um I love the scooter I bought one 2:32 of the bird the bird air scooters and 2:36 and I had already hurt my shoulder from 2:38 four I went skiing twice and I fell 2:41 twice in February when I went with the 2:43 Juan Carpio and then I fell two more 2:46 times with Samuroff in Telluride and my 2:48 shoulder was hurting pretty bad and when 2:50 I got got home I had my scooter and I 2:51 flipped over in my driveway and landed 2:53 on I really hurt my shoulder So I've 2:54 hurt my shoulder five freaking times 2:56 this year I was with a physical 2:57 therapist this morning and she was 3:00 listening She goes "Do you have balance 3:03 problems?" Like she was wondering if I 3:05 have a problem I said "No I just had 3:07 five unlucky breaks this year." So my my 3:10 scooter adventures did lead me to almost 3:11 break my shoulder somehow but that's the 3:13 that's the scooter Okay I see I see So 3:15 lots of lots of pain there I get that I 3:18 I do I do have balance problems I have a 3:20 vertigo issue So uh you think I'd you 3:22 think I'd hurt myself a lot more but 3:23 once you've lived with vertigo for as 3:25 long as I have you get used to it So you 3:27 don't you know to overcompensate you 3:28 know what I mean 3:29 it's a little rocket I'm okay I'm going 3:31 to make it you know Uh I I don't really 3:32 get I don't really get super nauseous 3:34 from it anymore thankfully But uh and it 3:36 comes in it comes in waves I'll have it 3:38 for a couple weeks and then I won't have 3:39 it for a year and then it comes back It 3:40 sucks I think it's uh whatever they call 3:42 that inner ear disease or something I I 3:45 haven't really been checked for too much 3:46 Or it could be a brain tumor Who knows 3:47 who knows you know but what we did with 3:50 it was so what we what we did that was 3:52 more fun was in Colorado we decided to 3:54 because I knew what was going to happen 3:55 And I knew we were going to get on the 3:56 ski lifts and we were going to be 3:58 jabbering jabbering jabbering about 4:00 [ __ ] and about libertarian stuff So 4:02 I decided to record it and we and so I 4:05 recorded it for about 3 days all of our 4:08 lifts and we called it lift talks and so 4:10 ...

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 436. I was interviewed today by Kelly Patrick of the Kelly Patrick Show ep. 777. I fielded questions from his The Kelly Patrick Show Political Chat facebook group, mostly questions from nonlibertarians or people critical of libertarianism. We discussed the prospects of liberty, activism, why people are not persuaded by libertarian arguments, the prospects of the Libertarian Party, intellectual property, anarchism, and so on. Transcript and shownotes below. https://youtu.be/7--HkZzWOUY Shownotes—Brief (Grok) In this engaging political episode of The Kelly Patrick Show, host Kelly Patrick sits down with prominent libertarian thinker and retired patent attorney Stephan Kinsella to field tough questions submitted by non-libertarians from his Facebook group. The conversation opens with a deep dive into why libertarianism struggles to gain widespread appeal despite being well-known—Stephan argues it’s not a lack of exposure but economic and political illiteracy, inconsistent application of shared norms like self-ownership and non-aggression, and people’s willingness to grant the state exceptions they’d never tolerate from private actors. He defends libertarianism as aspirational yet practical, rooted in Western civilization’s core principles of property rights and peaceful cooperation, while addressing criticisms that it “offers nothing” by explaining how anarcho-capitalist ideas expect natural private institutions (education, security, roads) to re-emerge without state distortion rather than leaving a vacuum. The discussion covers Stephan’s 2024 voting intentions (likely Trump over Harris to limit Democrat damage, possibly Chase Oliver), his signature crusade against intellectual property laws (patents and copyright as violations of tangible property rights that stifle innovation and free speech), the hopeless national prospects of the Libertarian Party in a winner-take-all system, a non-interventionist foreign policy vision (slash military budget, close foreign bases, avoid entanglements), skepticism toward modern monetary theory and fiat currency in favor of hard money like Bitcoin, and a candid critique of the U.S. Constitution as a document designed to empower rather than restrain government. Packed with principled reasoning, inside libertarian jokes, and responses to real-world examples, this episode offers a thorough, unfiltered exploration of libertarian ideas from one of its most influential contemporary voices. Shownotes—Detailed (Grok) The Kelly Patrick Show – Episode: Stephan Kinsella – Taking Questions from Non-Libertarians Guest: Stephan Kinsella Original air date: (based on transcript context, likely mid-2024) Episode length: ~94 minutes 0:00 – 2:00 | Welcome, Show Format & Sponsor Messages Kelly Patrick introduces the episode as a political discussion with libertarian thinker Stephan Kinsella. He explains the new format using questions submitted from the Kelly Patrick Show Political Chat Facebook group (74 members at the time). Sponsors are read: Louisville Combat Academy, Heidi Solars-Kutz (therapy), VeerCast Digital Media, and Kelly’s health insurance brokerage. 2:00 – 5:00 | Guest Introduction & Name Pronunciation Clarification Kelly introduces Stephan as a retired patent attorney and libertarian author. Stephan corrects the pronunciation of his name (“Stephan” with “ph”) and notes frequent confusion with two other Stephen Kinsellas in Europe (one a post-Keynesian economist). Light-hearted exchange about Google mix-ups. 5:00 – 20:00 | Tim Neal’s Critique – Why Don’t People Want Libertarianism? Kelly reads Tim Neal’s statement: people have heard libertarianism and still reject it because it “takes stuff off the table” without solving core problems or offering inspiring alternatives. Stephan responds at length: libertarianism is aspirational (peace, prosperity, non-aggression as ideals); most people already hold quasi-libertarian norms (self-ownership, opposition to murder/theft/rape) but make inconsistent exceptions for state action. Economic and political illiteracy are major barriers; post-COVID skepticism is a positive sign. Libertarianism refines and consistently applies norms already embedded in Western civilization and common law. 20:00 – 32:00 | Expanding on Libertarian Appeal, Anarchism, and Private Alternatives Stephan addresses the “libertarianism offers nothing” charge. Most people are implicit statists expecting the state to solve public-goods problems. Anarchists oppose aggression (private and public/institutionalized) without necessarily proposing a detailed replacement system—just as opposing murder doesn’t require a perfect murder-free blueprint. Realistic (“right”) libertarians expect natural private institutions (education, security, roads) to re-emerge when the state recedes, not a vacuum. Distinguishes from “left libertarians” who oppose natural hierarchies. Dependency on state services (schools, welfare, roads) makes people fear abolition because they can’t imagine alternatives. 32:00 – 37:00 | 2024 Election – Will Stephan Vote? Trump vs. Harris vs. Chase Oliver Kelly asks if Stephan will vote in November 2024. Stephan says probably yes (to placate his wife and reduce Democrat tax risk), but doubts voting matters much. Prefers Trump over Harris as less dangerous, though neither is ideal. Considering Chase Oliver (Libertarian nominee) despite controversy over his past COVID virtue-signaling and milquetoast IP comments. Jokes he’d vote for Oliver if he opposed patents outright. 37:00 – 53:00 | Why Stephan Opposes Patents & Copyright (Intellectual Property Deep Dive) Core discussion of Stephan’s signature issue. Patents and copyright should be among the top libertarian targets for abolition (alongside taxation, Fed, drug war, etc.). They violate tangible property rights: patents grant monopolies over others’ use of their own factories/materials; copyright prevents use of your own paper/ink/press. Examples: Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” cover royalties (both artist and cover benefit from monopoly system, but it’s still wrong); Bikram Yoga trademark/patent disputes. Every patent/copyright grant is inherently outrageous because free markets require suffering competition. Abolition would increase innovation, artistic freedom, and reduce censorship/distortion. Some state programs (Social Security) might need transition; IP and drug war should end immediately. 53:00 – 1:05:00 | What Would Make the Libertarian Party Nationally Relevant? Stephan’s pessimistic but realistic take: America’s winner-take-all system locks in the duopoly; third parties face wasted-vote dynamics and no proportional representation. LP is hopeless nationally (<1% hardcore base). Activism won’t convert the masses—liberty emerges organically as technology and wealth make state dependence unnecessary (AI tutors, private security, personal manufacturing → state atrophies like British monarchy). Stephan joined LP briefly to ensure it at least runs genuine libertarians (helped write clearer aggression/property-rights definition in platform). Plans to leave after judicial committee term ends; focus should be local, principled candidates who won’t win but keep ideas alive. 1:05:00 – 1:15:00 | Libertarian Views on U.S. Military & Foreign Policy Most libertarians favor slashing military budget by 50–70%, closing many foreign bases, bringing troops home, ending entangling alliances, and adopting non-interventionist posture (strong defense, nuclear deterrent, no Ukraine/Israel/Taiwan meddling). Not isolationism—free trade and relations yes, empire no. Technical issues (selling/renting bases) secondary to policy shift. Addresses Tim Cordova’s skepticism of privatized security (Bob Murphy’s insurance/arbitration models): realistic in a stateless society, but current aggressive states create a dilemma—minimal state may be temporarily necessary, but should be kept as small as possible. 1:15:00 – 1:20:00 | Critique of the U.S. Constitution & Founding Digression: Constitution was designed to create/empower a central government, not protect rights. Limits mostly failed (Bill of Rights interpreted by government courts). Founding included slavery, conscription, property violations, class biases (framers inserted IP clause benefiting themselves). Revolutionary War had widespread civil-liberties abuses. Not a libertarian golden age—democracy and Constitution were regressive steps (per Hoppe). 1:20:00 – 1:32:00 | Randall Sanders’ Question – Fiat Currency, Gold, Bitcoin & MMT Stephan opposes fiat currency (government-coerced, inflationary). Critiques MMT as pseudoscientific Keynesianism. Money is unique: more units don’t create wealth, only redistribute. Gold was decent (low inflation) but failed due to physical limitations and government interference. Bitcoin (or successor) superior: fixed/decreasing supply, digital, uncensorable, natural store-of-value flight vehicle as fiat inflation worsens. No need for infinite supply—fixed amount sufficient for transactions; scaling isn’t a problem because money isn’t wealth. 1:32:00 – End | Closing & Plugs Kelly thanks Stephan. Stephan plugs: Book: Legal Foundations of a Free Society (free PDF on StephanKinsella.com; EPUB coming; hard copy/Kindle available) Website: C4SIF.org (Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom – IP focus) Social: @NSKinsella on Twitter/X and Facebook Invites questions via email or tweet. Mutual thanks and sign-off. Transcript (Whisper/Grok) Introduction & Show Setup Kelly Patrick • 00:19 Welcome to the Kelly Patrick Show. Thank you so much for tuning in. In today's episode I am doing a political show starring Stephan Kinsella, who is a popular libertarian author—really. When I say popular, what I mean is people like me, kind of more right-leaning libertarian types. So not necessarily popular all across the world in every

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 434. My appearance on The Rational Egoist: Exploring The Objectivist Ethics with Stephan Kinsella. (Spotify) https://youtu.be/Dzv1euK5XKg?si=vcvjrh3XZ9sCRx9Y Join host Michael Liebowitz for a thought-provoking episode of The Rational Egoist as he engages in a stimulating discussion with Stephan Kinsella, a prominent libertarian writer and patent attorney, on The Objectivist Ethics. In this enlightening conversation, Michael and Stephan delve into the foundational principles of Objectivism, exploring its ethical framework, implications for individual freedom, and relevance in contemporary society. Drawing on his expertise in libertarian legal theory and intellectual property law, Stephan Kinsella offers valuable insights into The Objectivist Ethics, as formulated by philosopher Ayn Rand. He provides a comprehensive overview of Rand's philosophical system, highlighting its emphasis on reason, individualism, and rational self-interest as the basis for moral conduct. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of The Objectivist Ethics, as Michael and Stephan explore its implications for issues such as property rights, personal autonomy, and the pursuit of happiness. They discuss the role of rational self-interest in fostering human flourishing and examine the ethical principles that underpin a free and just society. This episode serves as a platform for intellectual inquiry and philosophical exploration, as Michael and Stephan engage in a rigorous examination of Objectivist ethics and its implications for human behavior and social organization. Through reasoned discourse and critical analysis, they offer listeners valuable insights into the moral foundations of liberty and the pursuit of individual well-being. Tune in to The Rational Egoist for an enlightening conversation with Stephan Kinsella as we explore The Objectivist Ethics. Whether you're a student of philosophy, a curious thinker, or someone seeking to deepen your understanding of ethical principles, this episode promises to inform, inspire, and provoke thoughtful reflection on the nature of human morality and the pursuit of a rational life.

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 432. My appearance on Adam Haman's podcast and Youtube channel, Haman Nature (Haman Nature substack), episode 27. I have previously argued against "school choice" (KOL419 | Soho Forum Debate vs. Corey Deangelis: School Choice). Adam wrote an article promoting school choice and I objected to it. He invited me to come back on his show to discuss and I did and, well, he kinda sorta changed my mind, or at least softened my opposition. I love these kind of real conversations when people actually listen to each other with the shared goal of promoting liberty and reaching the truth, and with no ego or other investments involved that could prevent you from seeing reason or truth or the other guy's position and even being willing to change your mind. And I like when I lose! I mean it rarely happens, but I like it--it means I learned something. Which is also increasingly rare. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/WOcHI4Jtn9s?si=6U-GX8013NJtWYvh Adam's shownotes: Well, "debate" is too strong a word, but brilliant smarty-pants Stephan Kinsella had some disagreements about an article Adam wrote about school choice and was gracious enough to come on Haman Nature to discuss them. 00:00 – Intro. 01:15 -- Happy birthday to Adam! Stephan's gives him an... odd present. Also, Adam recounts the article he wrote that prompted this talk. 02:54 -- Stephan lays out his position on school choice, and similar "reform" measures or "incrementalism". 06:55 – Adam defends. Let the "debate" begin! 15:33 – Adam scores a point! 17:13 – And another! And possibly another (depending on... math)! 22:15 – Adam swings hard. Is it a home run? 24:26 – Adam makes a prediction about markets and innovations under school choice. 26:10 -- Stephan makes some strong and principled objections. 28:52 -- Adam scores another point! Plus, the biggest moment in the entire episode. 33:36 -- A very important legislative clause to watch like a hawk. Also, is it worth the risk? 35:18 -- Say it was up to you as the deciding vote. Which way do you cast it? 38:36 -- Hey, Corey! Plus, Stephan gives Adam a much better birthday present! 39:57 -- Outro. Subscribe Stephan Kinsella's website: Haman Nature article mentioned: Stephan's Soho Forum debate with Corey DeAngelis on School Choice: Adam's other show: Natural Order Podcast

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 428. I was a guest on Episode 316 of The Bob Murphy Show, entitled “Stephan Kinsella on Rothbard’s Contributions to Legal Theory." Bob's shownotes: "Stephan joins Bob to discuss his new book, Legal Foundations of a Free Society. They cover Rothbard’s contributions to legal theory, as well as Bob and Stephan’s differing entry points into libertarianism." https://youtu.be/iWx8DKMwk30?si=54KjWm_BndPX4a_e