Capital Record

In recent weeks, I have heard surprising criticism of the idea of people selling their homes without listing it (so-called “private listings”) and of the MLS system that so many in the residential real estate world rely on. Naturally, I had no idea these were problematic, but when a professional in an industry asks the government to regulate something happening in that industry, I usually suspect some good old-fashioned crony rent-seeking is going on. It turns out, I wasn’t wrong.

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A recent op-ed in the New York Times by a Cambridge University business professor argues that it is time to get rid of business schools. His arguments do not center around the need to root business education to first principles or moral philosophy or a cogent sense of wealth creation; rather, they center around a contempt for profits and a basic inability to appreciate the social good of producing goods and services that enhance our quality of life. Where have we seen this mistake before? Find out on today’s Capital Record.

Show Notes:

• NY Times op-ed, "I Teach at a Business School. It's Time to Shut Them Down."

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The images that came out of France over the weekend created a real test of how one views the world—whether the violent riots and looting are the by-product of economic desperation and hopelessness, or the by-product of a crisis of responsibility run amok. In the rather revelatory moment of chaos and barbarism, one worldview is exposed for the reductio ad absurdum it is, and the opportunity presents itself to offer the vision for a free and virtuous society, even to a country like France.

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Whether it is woke-right groypers or “conservative” media pundits like Steve Deace who are supposed to know better, a movement is afoot to say that Gen-Z white men have been dealt a bad hand—and a spirit of victimhood is the way to reckon with it. But a free and virtuous society is not built by asking a politician to keep you off porn, and it is not built by blaming others for your problems. This episode of Capital Record is ground zero for how we think about society, and how we think of our own peace, joy, and opportunity within it.

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Today’s short Capital Record is a simple refresher on the difference between capital formation and capital allocation, and why entrepreneurs bemoaning the challenges of having capital allocated to them get it all wrong.

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Those who hate the financial sector and demonize the activity of capital markets will never understand that beneath it all is the story of the human spirit. Dealing with the aspirations embedded in financial markets has to be avoided, because it gets in the way of their narrative of grievance and victimhood. On today’s Capital Record, David has a highly personal story to tell that gets to the essence of all of this.

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The United States federal government currently has an aggressive agenda, and it has now added to its portfolio… training workers in technology, energy, and defense. Several universities are creating the materials, and the government is organizing the national training program known as the Foundry School. Is this the retraining and investment in work-and-business dynamism we have been waiting for, or is it another government overreach where inexperienced bureaucrats are way out of their lane, feeling good about saying the right things? A balanced and nuanced discussion in today’s Capital Record.

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We are living in a period when the greatest political opportunity I have ever seen for either party is being squandered. For the Democrats, it is understandable. For the Republicans, it is unforgivable. In today’s Capital Record, David looks at this current moment, where true conservatives have a chance to present an actual contrast – a choice – to the left-wing socialist nonsense of our day.

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One of the craziest things that has worked its way into the folklore of our age is that the new-found appreciation for a heavy role of government in our personal and economic lives is replacing what was previously this broad moment of “libertarianism,” wherein society ran off of a very limited role of government in matters of economic regulation. Not only did I miss the memo on when that period was to have taken place, but today, some of yesterday’s loudest proponents of a small government are actually screaming for the government to tell you what you can eat. My, how the tea party has fallen. Come tread on me, in today’s Capital Record.

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The internet and social media were aghast over the weekend as Anthropic founder and CEO Dario Amodei penned a “Jerry Maguire” screed about the AI labs “slowing down” due to the risks of “losing control” and giving way to “bioterrorism” and “serious economic disruption” … Other AI lab heads from Sam Altman to Elon Musk chimed in with agreement. You may read his letter as a call for prudent, selfless moderation, or you may read his call as rent-seeking, cronyist, "pull the ladder up" corporatism at its worst. Today, we will unpack it all.

Show Notes:
Dario Amodei's Letter
David Sacks' Response

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Vice President JD Vance and a few other folks on the right beat the drum this weekend for a new bill to pay married families with one stay-at-home spouse based on the number of kids they have. Some people on the right defend the bill as “pro-family.” Others on the right lambaste it for being “pro-welfare state.” Some claim it merely redirects funds already in circulation. Others claim it represents a new entitlement altogether and that the bill is a classic case of “right-wing dressing” on top of a “left-wing salad.” In today’s Capital Record, David calls a spade a spade – which is to say, he takes this awful anti-family, pro-welfare, statist idea to the woodshed.

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A “consultant” was on TV last week in a panic over the cost of watching NFL games now, not to mention the utter horror of finding out which streaming network your game might be on. The greed and debauchery of “big football” are on full display as far as many are concerned, but one group stands out as not being concerned at all: those who actually watch the NFL. And there is something else being missed when people complain about the cost of watching the NFL, something even more obvious than the fact that NFL fans love it. Listen to today’s Capital Record for a test case in basic economics that even a punter could understand.

Show Notes:

• Fox Business Video Clip

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It was announced over the weekend that the United States is taking a 35 percent stake in a private energy company connected to Venezuelan oil rights. Is this “U.S. government in private business” thing getting out of control, or is the United States government a natural business partner in the Venezuelan oil production market? In today’s Capital Record, David will unpack the good, bad, and ugly of this deal, and ask us if our first principles endorse these public-private partnerships, or if they should cause us concern.

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