Voices of Freedom

The latest tool to turn the tide against corporations that are active in the culture wars is the power of consumers who are willing to vote with their pocketbooks. Acting on their frustration with companies that “go woke” by boycotting their products, they are damaging some of America’s most iconic brands.

While the pushback has caused some executives to think twice about adopting marketing campaigns that reflect the priorities of progressive identity politics, others continue to forge ahead.

National Review writer Dominic Pino is our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom. As a frequent contributor to NR’s Capital Matters, Dominic has his finger on the pulse of current economic issues and the state of free enterprise, including corporate boycotts, ESG, and labor unions.

Topics discussed on this episode include:

• How to improve reporting on economic matters
• Why industrial policy has become attractive among the younger generation
• How to advance the case for economic freedom
• The fight against Big Labor – how it has evolved and where it stands today
• Corporate boycotts and the pushback against ESG
• Rediscovering Edmund Burke as a guiding figure for conservatives

Pino is the Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at National Review Institute. Previously, he was the William F. Buckley, Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism at National Review. He recently co-authored Edmund Burke and the Perennial Battle, 1789-1797, a compilation of Burke’s best, most accessible writings from 1789 until his death.

The next time you enjoy a leisurely Saturday, thank President Calvin Coolidge. The transition from a six-day work week to a five-day work week occurred under Coolidge’s presidency, an interesting footnote in American history. More importantly though, is why that came to be. Coolidge believed that smaller government and lower taxes would unleash American industry, creating more efficiency and greater productivity. Turns out, he was right.

Amity Shlaes is our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom. She has made it her mission to elevate Silent Cal’s presidency to enhance an understanding of why prosperity and civility flourished under his steady leadership. Shlaes chairs the board of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, the official foundation dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of America’s 30th president.

Topics discussed by Amity Shlaes and Rick Graber, President and CEO of The Bradley Foundation, include:

· Why President Coolidge should be ranked among America’s top ten presidents

· This year’s centennial celebration of Coolidge’s inauguration

· Coolidge isn’t taught in America’s classrooms - but he should be

· Coolidge’s most important domestic policies

· How Coolidge’s humble upbringing shaped his character and beliefs

· The story behind the opponents of the New Deal and the nature of successful rebellion

· Government growth during a crisis and cancel culture’s presence in the New Deal era

· The rising support for unions among the right

· How to inspire inquiry among younger generations

Shlaes is the author of four New York Times bestsellers, including The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression. Her latest book, New Deal Rebels, looks at the story of American opposition to the New Deal. Shlaes was a syndicated columnist for ten years, first at the Financial Times, then Bloomberg. Before that, she served as an editorial board member of The Wall Street Journal. Shlaes is also a winner of a 2021 Bradley Prize.

This episode of Voices of Freedom features a thoughtful conversation with Samuel Gregg, Distinguished Fellow in Political Economy and Senior Research Faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research.

Topics discussed by Dr. Gregg and Rick Graber, President and CEO, The Bradley Foundation, include:

• The integral role of free enterprise in America’s past, present, and future.
• Challenges to free enterprise from the left and the right.
• The debate about government intervention to counter China and Big Tech.
• Whether tariffs are ever appropriate.
• What have proponents of free enterprise missed?
• The rise and influence of ESG.

Enjoy this conversation and more, Gregg has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy, economic history, monetary theory and policy, and natural law theory. He is the author of sixteen books, including his most recent, The Next American Economy: Nation, State and Markets in an Uncertain World (2022). Three of his books have been short-listed for Conservative Book of the Year.

America’s founders are revered for creating a structure of governance that values individual rights and promotes human flourishing. Nearly 250 years after they took the first steps toward creating a more perfect union by drafting and adopting the US Constitution, the nation continues to be a beacon of hope and opportunity around the world. That the Framers could so eloquently articulate the principles of ordered liberty that guide us today results in part from their own careful examination of the great thinkers of the 17th and 18th century. Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom is Dr. William Barclay Allen. A 2024 Bradley Prize winner, he has dedicated his life’s work to studying the Founders and the philosophers who influenced the Western tradition. He is also committed to instilling an understanding and appreciation of that tradition among the next generation. Allen is the Emeritus Dean of James Madison College and Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University. He is a former member and chairman of the US Commission on Civil Rights and has been a Kellogg National Fellow, Fulbright Fellow, and a member of the National Council on the Humanities.

Topics discussed on this episode:

• How Allen’s experience growing up in the segregated south influenced his life’s path
• The story of his intellectual journey
• Why Allen translated Montesquieu’s The Spirit of the Laws
• His decision to focus on America’s founders and the US Constitution
• Why Allen believes Washington is the most important founder and America’s first progressive
• Teaching history in a way that reflects the words and experiences of those who lived it
• Advice to young scholars who are just starting out
• What it means to Allen to win a Bradley Prize

It’s a magical sight when a once lifeless plant begins to blossom because of the right conditions. According to one of our guests on this episode of Voices of Freedom, working with young people from challenging circumstances is analogous to tending a garden. When someone is struggling or hopeless, it can be hard to see the possibilities ahead for them. Yet with nurturing, understanding and patience, change can take root that allows them to bloom.

For four decades, Running Rebels has intervened in the lives of thousands of young people, helping them become thriving, engaged, contributing citizens. Victor and Dawn Barnett lead Running Rebels together. They share what youth need to thrive and why they’re optimistic about the next generation.

Topics Discussed on this Episode:

• What led Victor and Dawn to dedicate their lives to working with young people
• How Running Rebels filled a void in the Milwaukee area
• The challenges kids face today versus in the 1980s and 90s
• The qualities that make someone a good mentor and how to find mentors
• Organizations across the country that mentor young people
• How to connect with kids who are tough to reach and how to deal with kids who fall back into destructive behaviors
• Running Rebels’ program to help kids succeed while in college
• The biggest misconception about the kids Running Rebels helps
• What gives Dawn and Victor hope for the future

About Victor and Dawn Barnett:

At the age of 19, Victor Barnett saw many of the young people of Milwaukee being pulled into the street life of gangs, crime, and violence. He used basketball as the tool to engage, mentor, and guide youth towards an alternative path that would ensure their future success. From this vision and action, Running Rebels Community Organization was born.

Dawn Barnett’s career began over 20 years ago when she saw a boy playing with a basketball in front of her house. Impressed by his skills, she learned that he was a member of the Running Rebels basketball team. She soon met Victor and was inspired to become involved. Since that time, she has helped turn Running Rebels into an organization that now serves 2,500 youth annually in Milwaukee.