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Guests: David Shellenberger (34:12), Tom Bell (1:01:48).

Too long has passed since my last show overview, but this will be the first of many to come, since I am now broadcasting on three networks: Republic Broadcasting (live), Overseas Radio, and Liberty Express. The format of the show has changed slightly, with more callers and monologue and fewer interviews, but I hope you enjoy it. Remember, I am always glad to receive feedback.

This week’s episode opens with the latest economic competitiveness rankings from the World Economic Forum, as reported in the PanAm Post.

You can see the leading nations from Latin America in the image above — with Chile the best at 34th — and that led me to a reflection on why these nations consistently fall behind Canada and the United States and tend further towards collectivism. That tendency has been on full display in the recent and ongoing campaign against the presence of Starbucks in Colombia. A friend and PanAm contributor, Javier Garay, has noted:

The company’s aspirations managed to inspire the kind of ire and indignation one would expect if it had just declared war, as opposed to simply hoping to inject growth and healthy competition into the café market.

David Shellenberger (@DEShellenberger) is a full-time advocate and commentator for liberty and an OWL Society supporter of Students for Liberty. He addresses the changes in the movement over the past few decades, particularly its rapid growth. We also weigh in on the divide between minarchism and anarchism, both of us having transitioned towards the anarcho-libertarian position.

Tom W. Bell is a professor at Chapman University Law School and a columnist with The Freeman magazine. He focuses on the startup city idea, as he explains in the video below, and is consulting with an organization that seeks to lead new jurisdictions in Honduras. (On a related note, and out of left field, Cuban officials have announced a special development region of their own, although it will not be as all-encompassing as those going ahead in Honduras.)