The answer to our question seems obvious, doesn’t it? But our guest co-host, Micah Gibson, cheerfully argues that (in the right context) “selling out” can be not only a good business decision but also a good creative decision, at least as long as you want to maintain an audience for your art. Co-host Jeff Baldwin has always admired Bill Watterson for refusing to license Calvin plushies or anything else, but Micah says that may be a mistake. All this, and a rousing discussion about one of the worst books Jeff has ever read!
Posts in category Economics
Small Businesses and One Very Big Canyon
Everyone knows about Black Friday. But did you shop Small Business Saturday? And should you? Radio Worldview deals with this question, but not before Jeff Baldwin describes his recent backpacking trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and Bill Jack raves about another hidden gem in “Roadkill Cafe.” This podcast ends with Jeff’s favorite listener e-mail of all time — an e-mail that Bill promptly crumples up and discards. Just another day at the office for Radio Worldview!
Is “Buy Local” a Good Idea?
There’s been a growing trend, especially among people concerned with global warming, to embrace the “Buy Local” movement. How should Christians feel about it? Does a concern for enhanced community also require a commitment to shop only at quirky, locally-owned stores? Is there something inherently evil about WalMart? And how is all of this related to the “patriotic” assumption that it is better to buy products made in the USA? The issue is complex, and your hosts Jeff and Bill do their level best to tackle it.
Parks and Private Property
Does this podcast seem even wackier than usual to you? Blame it on Roswell, New Mexico — home of the UFO Museum and countless cartoon aliens. Jeff and his family recently returned from a brief vacation in Roswell, so perhaps alien abduction can account for just how scrambled Jeff and Bill’s brains seem to be. Briefly, this show has it all: Roadkill Cafe, a travelogue for Carlsbad Caverns, What We’re Reading Now, a short rant about tattoos and Facebook — and somewhere in the middle there’s a fairly serious discussion of the best privately-run park in the country, offered as an alternative to government-run parks. This one has everything! Except coherence.
No, Really: CEOs Tend to be Greedy
That didn’t take long! Radio Worldview’s recent podcast about greedy CEOs and the Occupy Wall Street movement generated immediate listener backlash, as a former staffer took exception to the generalization that CEOs of large American companies tend to be greedy. To no one’s surprise, host Jeff Baldwin is not willing to back down from his initial position. Things get especially interesting as co-host Bill Jack describes his recent interviews with Occupiers in Denver. This episode also features another installment of “Where the Tech Are We?” in which Bill and Jeff discuss the latest — and easiest — way for small businesses to process credit cards.
The Greedy CEO
After last episode’s critique of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Radio Worldview returns to the topic to discuss the sins at the root of the trouble. Host Jeff Baldwin wants to emphasize the greed of most corporate CEOs, and remind them that by insisting on finding their self-worth in pay and perks they are alienating their employees; host Bill Jack wants to emphasize the envy of the average man and its propensity to undermine excellence. In addition, our latest segment of “Roadkill Cafe” features Jeff’s worst breakfast nightmare — which Bill happily eats.
Occupy Wall Street?
In a shocking turn of events, three of the four founders of Worldview Academy found themselves in the same room today, with time to record a podcast about a very current event: the “Occupy Wall Street” movement. Worldview Academy Executive Director Randy Sims joins hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin to discuss the biblical view of money, politics and envy. Should we be concerned about the gap between the haves and the have-nots in America? Is our economic system merely “crony capitalism”? What should the government do to help? These and other questions are discussed after a brief installment of Where the Tech Are We?
Attacking Capitalism via Trojan Horse
How should Christians feel about the United Nations? This question is more easily answered if you know that the U.N. just seriously considered extending civil rights to the entity they call “Mother Earth.” Such nonsense leads to a more complex discussion, however: is the modern green movement a trojan horse for people who hate capitalism? And why does capitalism fit with the biblical worldview anyway? Your hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin discuss these issues, as well as Bill’s new DVD, “Lost in America.”
Predictably Irrational
Do you make rational economic decisions? If you do, you’re in the tiny minority according to Predictably Irrational, a book that co-host Jeff Baldwin just finished reading. The truth is, most people are very easily manipulated, and most tend to follow the herd no matter how irrational the herd’s behavior. Do these fascinating revelations about human nature have special ramifications for Christians? Should the Body of Christ be content to occasionally behave irrationally? Co-host Bill Jack provides an excellent sounding board as Jeff processes this disturbing book.
Robber Barons and Competition
Bill and Jeff’s discussion of meritocracy leads to questions about the unfettered free market. Don’t we have an excellent picture in history of the dangers that occur when greedy men compete without government regulations? Who exactly were these “robber barons” like Vanderbilt and Rockefeller? And who on earth is Lord Shaftesbury? Listeners will be delighted to hear that, as always, this podcast is Skype-free.
Immigration Part Two
Hosts Jeff Baldwin and Bill Jack finish their discussion of legal immigration, reminding listeners that the prevailing view of immigrants as drains upon our natural resources is grounded in the thinking of Jeremy Bentham and Thomas Malthus, not in scripture. Christians should understand that wealth is ultimately a creation of the human mind, and that people committed to using their economic freedom responsibly are always a blessing.
Immigration Part One
Do Christians believe everything Republicans believe? Of course not. Christians aren’t called to be conservative or liberal–they are called to follow Jesus Christ. In this show, hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin consider the conventional view of legal immigration, and remind listeners that the biblical view of wealth and immigration is a far cry from the prevailing opinion.