What exactly is ESG? Where did it come from, and how did it start to take hold and reshape our world? How is it related to the infamous UN SDGs?

In this episode of Liberty Curious, Paul Mueller joins Kate Wand to discuss and dissect.

Paul is an economist and Senior Research Faculty at AIER who specializes in defending freedom and combatting collectivism. He has written a definitive collection of articles on ESG.

ESG has been perniciously changing the way corporations, governments, NGOs and institutions operate. This ideological framework synonymous with stakeholder capitalism has become the subject of scrutiny and public backlash, but nonetheless continues to dominate.

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The conversation explores the history, definition, and implications of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing. It delves into the origins of ESG in the post-World War II era and the rise of international organizations. The discussion highlights the utopian ideals and ideological shifts that have shaped the ESG movement. It also examines the technocratic element of ESG and the challenges of calculation and efficiency. The conversation raises concerns about the potential for eco-dictatorship and the threat ESG poses to freedom and individualism. In this conversation, Paul Mueller and Kate Wand discuss the totalitarianism of climate alarmists and the loss of individualism in the ESG movement. They explore the advocates for ESG, such as the World Economic Forum, and the pushback against ESG, including Larry Fink's change in stance. They also delve into the philosophical elements underlying the green movement and the potential future of ESG. The conversation highlights the importance of transparency, the value of nuclear energy, and the need to focus on adaptation rather than prevention. They conclude by discussing the role of intellectuals in shaping ESG policies.

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Paul Mueller's Related Articles:

https://www.aier.org/people/paul-mueller/

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/faith-freedom-self-reliance/the-totalitarianism-of-climate-alarmists

https://dailycaller.com/2023/12/09/opinion-gavin-newsoms-california-is-showing-us-what-the-green-energy-transition-looks-like-it-isnt-pretty-paul-mueller/

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TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

1:31 - History of ESG

3:21 - ESG as a Quest for Global Solidarity

10:19 - Post-World War II Era and the Rise of International Organizations

12:22 - Utopian Ideals and Ideological Shifts

13:40 - Stakeholder Capitalism and the Technocratic Element of ESG

16:15 - The Problem of Calculation and Efficiency in ESG

18:45 - Consumer Value and the Top-Down Approach of ESG

31:40 - The Potential for Eco-Dictatorship in ESG

36:12 - ESG as a Threat to Freedom and Individualism

38:38 - Totalitarianism and the Loss of Individualism

41:05 - Advocates for ESG and the Totalitarianism of Climate Alarmists

45:05 - Larry Fink and the Pushback Against ESG

53:09 - The Social Responsibility of Businesses and the Birth of Stakeholder Capitalism

56:18 - The Future of ESG and its Impact on Economies

59:18 - The Potential of Nuclear Energy and the Need for Transparency

1:03:08 - The Malthusian Element and the Importance of Human Existence

1:05:20 - The Value of Adaptation and the Inefficiencies of ESG Means

1:05:47 - The Role of Intellectuals in Shaping ESG Policies

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Hayek: Intellectuals and Socialism: https://cdn.mises.org/Intellectuals%20and%20Socialism_4.pdf

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You can also listen to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to this channel and hit the bell to be notified of more episodes like this, and leave your questions and comments below!

LISTEN: https://aier.org/podcasts

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How free is your state? Why has New York gone from a beacon of liberty to a state that people now flee in droves? And why are people moving to places like Florida, New Hampshire and South Dakota?

Way back in the early 2000s, Jason Sorens paired up with AIER president William Ruger to find out.

Jason joined Kate Wand on Liberty Curious to discuss his book, Freedom In the Fifty States, and the interactive tool that measures economic and personal freedom across American states. Now in its 7th edition, Sorens and Ruger use a data set that measures over 230 policies from all 50 states to see how well each state performs.

Jason Sorens is Senior Research Faculty and founder of the New Hampshire Free State Project. They discuss the freest and least free states, voting with your feet, and surprising findings from the latest edition. Jason also emphasizes the role of individuals in changing policies and promoting freedom in their states.

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

0:00 - intro

1:28 - What is Freedom in the 50 States?

4:24 - Personal freedom & economic freedom

8:19 - Which state is the most free?

10:01 - Florida & New Hampshire

14:15 - Can a free state insulate you from Federal Government overreach?

18:10 - The states ranking lowest in freedom

19:51 - What happened to New York?

23:37 - Freedom vs High Taxes & Paternalism

26:30 - Biggest surprises

29:30 - Correlation between Red/Blue states

32:15 - Purple states

33:00 - Updates in this edition

35:00 - The interactive tool: freedominthe50states.org

38:06 - How to use this tool

40:46 - Is policy what really affects freedom?

43:25 - How can people change policy?

46:30 - Last thoughts?

freedominthe50states.org

aier.org/podcasts

READ Samuel Gregg's Articles:

https://lawliberty.org/when-a-classical-liberal-confronted-nazi-terror/

https://lawliberty.org/wilhelm-ropkes-civilization-of-liberty/

LISTEN to Liberty Curious: https://www.aier.org/podcasts/

SUBSCRIBE to Sam Gregg's Articles: https://www.aier.org/people/samuel-gregg/

What can happen when societies decouple from the Western liberal tradition and adopt collectivist frameworks that abandon reason, the pursuit of truth, and the core principles of civilization?

On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand was joined by Samuel Gregg, Distinguished Fellow in Political Economy at AIER, to discuss the life and ideas of Wilhelm Röpke. Röpke was a 20th century economics professor who was exiled from Germany in the 1930s for defending liberty and opposing the National Socialists.

In the conversation you’re about to hear, Samuel Gregg tells Röpke’s incredible life story, and describes the humanist philosophy that Röpke lived by, which left him standing alone against the illiberal Nazi regime.

Gregg writes, “The National Socialists had no interest in reason or the individual, let alone freedom as Röpke understood it. They personified what Röpke called the “reigning illiberalism,” which was characterized by “hot air, slogans . . . glorification of direct action, violence in dealing with all those of different opinion, rabble-rousing in every sphere, empty rhetoric, and deceitful stage effects.”

Such illiberalism would, he said, “trample down the garden of European civilization.” That, eventually, was what National Socialism did, epitomized by the regime’s attempt to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth.”

aier.org

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

0:00 - Intro

2:18 - Who was Wilhelm Röpke?

8:20 - After the First World War

11:50 - Röpke's Opposition to the Nazis

15:50 - Röpke's humanistic convictions

19:20 - His defence of Liberalism

23:43 - Cogs in the Machine

28:28 - Dividing people by identity groups

35:00 - The pursuit of Truth

39:55 - How do you know the Nazis were the 'bad guys'?

42:32 - The Nazis thought that they were right

47:52 - Why do mass mobs lose their ability to reason?

52:40 - Threats to liberty now?

58:40 - What can individuals do?

1:01:37 - Last thoughts