Free Republic

Do journalists have axes to grind with business and capitalism? ABC ‘20/20’ co-anchor John Stossel says so. Stossel spoke before an audience at the Heartland Institute’s 2008 International Conference on Climate Change on March 4 in New York. He called the media “socialist” and warned things weren’t likely to change. “The socialist media – maybe they will just never get it,” Stossel said. “Their world view is anti-capitalist. [Ludwig] von Mises wrote about it in 1972 and it’s just very hard to change. I would also argue the scientific community is as well.” The ABC “20/20” host based that notion...

Dear Freepers and Lurkers, I am pleased to announce that tonight, Wednesday, March 5th, University of Chicago College Republicans are hosting ABC 20/20's and 19-time-emmy-award-winner John Stossel as the 2007-2008 Milton Friedman Lecturer. Through the generous help of Young America's Foundation and an anonymous donation from a UChicago alum, this speaking fellowship has been established and Mr. Stossel has been named the inaugural lecturer. The event will take place in Kent 107 - we will begin the program showing an interview Mr. Stossel had with Professor Friedman, then Mr. Stossel will speak, and finally, we will have a period for...

The hottest buzzword of the day is "economic stimulus." Virtually every politician and pundit agrees the government must act quickly to forestall a recession by increasing consumer spending. President Bush and the Democratic leadership in the House quickly got together on a $150 billion package that also includes tax incentives for business investment. The Republican and Democratic presidential contenders back "stimulus" too. (Ron Paul is the exception.) Any government program that wins the support of the political class and media commentators makes me suspicious. The economy does seem to be slowing, and there was a net loss of jobs in...

Howdy Fellow Freepers and Lurkers?! I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that John Stossel will be at the University of Chicago on the evening of Wednesday, March 5th from 7:00-8:30. The tentative location is Kent Hall 107 (possibly 120). He will be speaking, conducting a Q&A session, and then signing books afterwards. THE EVENT IS COMPLETELY FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just wanted those of you in or near the Chicago area to mark your calendars. Exact address can be found here: http://maps.uchicago.edu/mainquad/kentlab.html Parking is available on the street; a parking garage is nearby as well. Please contact UChicagoCollegeRepublicans@gmail.com for...

Should we worry that the people of China, India and other undeveloped countries are getting richer? Apparently so, according to the newspapers and the "experts" they quote. They don't come right out and say that global prosperity is bad for us. Instead they say, as The New York Times recently said, "As development rolls across once-destitute countries at a breakneck pace, lifting billions out of poverty, demand for food, metals and fuel is red-hot, and suppliers are struggling to meet it. Prices are spiraling, and Americans find themselves in what amounts to a bidding war with overseas buyers for products...

In this segment from my interview with Congressman Ron Paul, the unconventional Republican presidential contender offers his refreshing take on what the federal government should  and more importantly shouldn't  be doing. With politicians from both sides of the political fence touting their new plans to fix America's problems, the Texas Republican believes that the most effective way that a president can lead is by protecting basic freedoms, and relying on the collective power of citizens to sort out the rest. Government's RoleWhen Paul is asked to count off the major responsibilities of the federal government should have, he...

Every year around this time, schoolchildren are taught about that wonderful day when Pilgrims and Native Americans shared the fruits of the harvest. "Isn't sharing wonderful?" say the teachers. They miss the point. Because of sharing, the first Thanksgiving in 1623 almost didn't happen. The failure of Soviet communism is only the latest demonstration that freedom and property rights, not sharing, are essential to prosperity. The earliest European settlers in America had a dramatic demonstration of that lesson, but few people today know it. When the Pilgrims first settled the Plymouth Colony, they organized their farm economy along communal lines....

As NewsBusters reported, ABC's John Stossel bravely presented a skeptical view of manmade global warming on the October 19 installment of "20/20." As a follow-up, Stossel published an op-ed at Townhall Tuesday that should be must-reading for alarmist media members and policy makers around the country. Marvelously titled "Don't Look to Government to Cool Down the Planet," the article summarized much of what Stossel presented weeks prior on "20/20," while challenging the closed-minded to allow for greater scientific discussion and debate before hasty and capricious policy decisions are enacted that will harm the economy as they do nothing to solve...

Recently on "20/20," I said "give me a break" to Al Gore for claiming that the global-warming debate is over and suggesting that all dissenters were in it for the money. I interviewed independent scientists who say Gore is wrong. Some people were relieved to finally hear the other side: "Thank you, thank you, thank you for your report on climate change. … I'm sick of hearing 'the debate's over' and writing anyone who differs off as a nut. This report showed the true nature of the debate and true lack of consensus, something you can't get anywhere else." Others...

John Stossel - The Global Warming Debate 10/20/07 from ABC's 20/20 Link to Video

"20/20” co-anchor John Stossel is going on the attack against “experts” who warn about manmade global warming – along the way berating Al Gore for saying the debate over climate change is over. In a release from ABC previewing Stossel’s report on Friday’s “20/20,” the veteran newsman and Newsmax pundit – who won 19 Emmys exposing scammers and con artists – says: “This week on ‘20/20’ (in our new 8 p.m. Eastern time slot) I say ‘Give Me a Break!’ to our Nobel Prize-winning Vice President. “Mr. Gore says ‘The debate is over,’ and those who disagree with his take...

Candidates for president have plans to get more people health insurance. Some would compel us to buy it; others would use the tax code to encourage that. Regardless, insurance is the magic that will solve our health-care problems. But contrary to conventional wisdom, it's not those without health insurance who are the problem, but rather those with it. They make medical care more expensive for everyone. We'd each be better off if we paid all but the biggest medical bills out of pocket and saved insurance for catastrophic events. Truly needy people would rely on charity, not government, because once...

On Friday’s "Good Morning America," token conservative reporter John Stossel told portly filmmaker Michael Moore, "Forgive me. More of us look like you" and that obesity explains why Canadians live longer than Americans, not universal health care. Stossel appeared on the morning show to promote his program debunking the myth of "free," government-run health care. His "20/20" special, which will air September 14 on ABC, includes a quarrel with the left-wing director.

Make sure to watch TONIGHT, Friday, Sept 14 ABC at 10 pm EDT And Stossel previews here: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=446

<p>IF dueling were still in style, it would be pistols at dawn for staunch environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and veteran ABC newsman John Stossel.</p> <p>Kennedy has been on the warpath for years over his belief that big-media journalists have played down global warming. Meanwhile, Stossel has had no qualms about using "20/20" to rip Kennedy as an unabashed hypocrite, citing the fact that he's part owner of a bottled water company and opposes alternative energy near the Kennedy compound in Massachusetts.</p>

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined Neal Cavuto to discuss his hateful remarks at last weekend’s ‘Live Earth’ concert. Kennedy. Jr. called Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity, among others, flat-earthers and traitors for being skeptical of global warming. The other person he included in his tirade was ABC host John Stossel. Stossel joined the show after a commercial break to go head-to-head with Kennedy Jr. All Kennedy could seem to do is say there is a consensus that there is global warming and call Mr. Stossel a liar, a typical liberal tactic. http://www.ianschwartz.com/

I interviewed Michael Moore recently for an upcoming "20/20" special on health care. It's refreshing to interview a leftist who proudly admits he's a leftist. He told me that government should provide "food care" as well as health care and that big government would work if only the right people were in charge. Moore added, "I watch your show and I know where you are coming from. ... " He knows I defend limited government, so he tried to explain why I was wrong. He began in a revealing way: "I gotta believe that, even though I know you're very...

One of John McCain’s last moments as a legitimate Republican came when he described Michael Moore as a “disingenuous filmmaker.” The insult was perfect. It was accurate, it wasn’t unmerited, and it put the man so completely in his place that I actually spent the next hour or so thinking McCain still had decent guy potential. Despite both the accuracy and the beauty of McCain’s caricature, there are aspects of Michael Moore that are genuine. He is genuine in his pursuit of leftist politics, he is genuine in his desire to increase the size of the Federal Government, and he...

"Reviving the Hamilton Agenda." That's the headline the New York Times gave David Brooks's recent column honoring Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father perhaps least interested in limiting political power. Unlike his rival Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton favored strong central government and weaker states.

Dropping out of college didn't stop Bill Gates from making tons of money, but it kept him from classes where he might have learned about the beauty of spontaneous market processes. Never mind. I forgot that he attended Harvard. He might not have learned about markets after all.

Some people hate me because I defend free markets. Once someone accosted me on a New York City street and said, "I hope you die soon." Why the hostility to commerce? What could be more benign than the freedom to trade with whomever you wish? I suspect ignorance about economics leads many to believe that when two people exchange goods and money, one wins and the other loses. If rich capitalists profit, the poor and the weak suffer. That's a myth. How many times have you paid $1 for a cup of coffee and after the clerk said, "thank you,"...

Spring is here, but you may have been too busy filling out tax forms to enjoy it. The unpaid job of gathering W-2 and 1099s, sorting through receipts, and tabulating deductions, credits, and exemptions takes a lot of time. Americans spent 6.4 billion hours complying with the tax code in 2005 — a chunk of time worth $265 billion, according to the Tax Foundation [The Rising Cost of Complying with the Federal Income Tax ]. That's more than the 2006 federal budget deficit. Those of you who do your taxes yourselves spend an average of eight to 27 hours toiling...

Why do we let politicians name buildings after each other? I understand building monuments to honor leaders like Washington and Jefferson. But monuments to current members of Congress? Haven't we lowered the bar too far? Today all a congressman has to do to get his name slapped on a building is bring home enough pork. Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott has lots of facilities named after him: a middle school, an airport, the Trent Lott Center at Jackson State, the Trent Lott Leadership Institute, and more. West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd has even more named after him. My show, "20/20," discovered...

Worry About the Right Things By John Stossel Wednesday, April 4, 2007 For the past two weeks I've written about how the media -- part of the Fear Industrial Complex -- profit by scaring us to death about things that rarely happen, like terrorism, child abductions, and shark attacks. We do it because we get caught up in the excitement of the story. And for ratings. Worse, because many reporters are statistically illiterate, personal-injury lawyers get us to hype risks that barely threaten people, like secondhand smoke, or getting cancer from trace amounts of chemicals. Sometimes they even con us...

WE CAN scare ourselves stupid. Consider vaccines. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the mercury in them has "poisoned an entire generation! It's causing IQ loss, mental retardation, speech delay, language delay, ADD, hyperactivity!" The news media love this kind of story. They repeatedly invite Barbara Loe Fisher, who heads the Vaccine "Information" Center, to tell parents about vaccine risks. She warns of "seizures, brain inflammation, collapse shock, and of course the most serious effect is death." Causing autism is the biggest accusation. "Before kids received so many vaccines," says Fisher, "you didn't see autistic children. ... We can't build the...

Preview: ABC's John Stossel Highlights Greater Conservative Charitable Giving Posted by Megan McCormack on November 29, 2006 - 11:35. ABC’s John Stossel is well known for his libertarian views and for challenging liberal conventional wisdom. On Wednesday’s Good Morning America, Stossel was at it again as he debunked the widely held perception that liberals are more generous in their charitable contributions than conservatives. As part of a 20/20 special airing Wednesday night, Stossel interviewed Syracuse University professor Arthur Brooks, who conducted a study which found that conservatives, while making slightly less money than liberals, actually contribute more: John Stossel: "But...

I have a question for federal Judge Robert Sweet: If your own children blamed McDonald's for making them fat, would you buy it? I don't think so. Yet the judge has given the green light to a lawsuit against McDonald's by two teenaged girls who claim the popular fast-food chain tricked them into eating food that made them fat and sick. At first it looked as if this lawsuit was going to be pushed down the garbage disposal, but now it's back. What's going on?

Sept. 15, 2006 — Are whites smarter than blacks? Are men better than women at science? Those are the stereotypes. But now psychologists say, wait a second, you don't understand the power of a stereotype. One study showed that women who watched commercials with stereotypical ditzy females before taking a math test scored 38 percent lower than women who didn't see the ads. The Kaplan Education and Test Prep company helped us run similar tests. And sure enough: Even in our unscientific test, the women who viewed the sexist commercials did worse. This stereotype effect has been found in study...

This week's back-to-school ads offer amazing bargains on lightweight backpacks and nifty school supplies. All those businesses scramble to offer us good stuff at low prices. It's amazing what competition does for consumers. The power to say no to one business and yes to another is awesome. Too bad we don't apply that idea to schools themselves. Education bureaucrats and teachers unions are against it. They insist they must dictate where kids go to school, what they study, and when. When I went on TV to say that it's a myth that a government monopoly can educate kids effectively, hundreds...

Is anyone watching 20/20? It's a pretty good episode. They are exposing teachers unions. Pretty good stuff I'm supprised this is on ABC.

Received via email: You may remember back in January that ABC News aired a special program of 20/20 with John Stossel called “Stupid in America.” It tore back the curtain of public school to graphically reveal a few of its disastrous failings. The network has decided to rebroadcast that show on Friday, September 1 at 10:00 PM Eastern & Pacific - FOR MOST OF YOU, THAT’S TOMORROW! If you missed it before, please tune in. This is one of the truly great critiques of government involvement in school, because it uses the visual media so effectively. If you saw it,...

This week's back-to-school ads offer amazing bargains on lightweight backpacks and nifty school supplies. All those businesses scramble to offer us good stuff at low prices. It's amazing what competition does for consumers. The power to say no to one business and yes to another is awesome. Too bad we don't apply that idea to schools themselves. Education bureaucrats and teachers unions are against it. They insist they must dictate where kids go to school, what they study, and when. When I went on TV to say that it's a myth that a government monopoly can educate kids effectively, hundreds...

The Association of Trial Lawyers of America recently changed its name to the American Association for Justice. It may be a smart PR move, because everyone likes the word "justice," and apparently the name "trial lawyers" has acquired a negative tinge. It's good that it has, because although trial lawyers say they "protect the little guy," that's a myth. In truth, for every little guy they help, they hurt thousands. When those big medical malpractice awards hit the headlines, it sounds like the little guy was helped. "$1 million awarded to victim of medical device!" But the headline leaves out...

MYTH: More Foreign Aid Will End Global Poverty Food and Financial Aid Often Reaches Only Corrupt Officials, Not the Poor By JOHN STOSSEL AND PATRICK McMENAMIN May 12, 2006 — - This myth may really rattle your brain. Lots of well-meaning people believe foreign aid will cure poverty. U2's lead singer, Bono, stops almost every concert to tell his fans that Western governments can end poverty. "We have the resources, we have the know-how to end extreme poverty," he said last year in Chicago. Angelina Jolie visited a model village in Africa to promote what she believes would be possible...

You've probably heard of Hooters -- the restaurant chain known for attracting male customers by hiring waitresses who are well-endowed and dressed to show it.The firm now employs more than 30,000 people. Some would consider this a success story, but our government didn't. Not because Hooters is using sex to sell -- but because its waitresses are -- get ready -- women!"Discrimination!" cried the federal government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).The business of Hooters is food, said the government, and "no physical trait unique to women is required to serve food." EEOC lawyers demanded Hooters produce all its hiring data,...

John Stossel thinks sweatshops are good for workers, while minimum wages hurt the poor. Controversial? Sure. Just don't call him a Conservative. "I'm a Libertarian," according to Stossel, the TV network consumer reporter turned staunch free-market defender. "I hold beliefs Conservatives abhor." Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the conservative Fraser Institute think tank yesterday, Stossel made it clear his politics don't quite fall within the traditional left or right wing spectrum. He takes no issue with gay marriage, for example, while he says sending troops to Iraq "wasn't a good idea." At the same time, lefties likely won't love...

Stocks go up and down, but eventually, most go up. So if you invest and hold on, odds are you'll do quite well. As my former Princeton economics professor, Burton Malkiel, told me, "The stock market is like a gambling casino with the odds in your favor. Over the long pull, it beats inflation, and beats it by a great deal."If you want to beat other investors, too, it's logical to think that you should turn to the most visible specialists for advice. These men and women make their living studying stocks, and they sound so confident on CNBC. You'd...

I always thought victimhood was something to avoid. It meant that something bad was happening to you, something you didn't want. But since today's laws give victims special power and attention, some people seem to aspire to the title of "victim."What taught me how far things have gone was one small workplace in Ithaca, N.Y., where a group of "victims" said they were being poisoned by the office air. This was odd since the building was in a rural area and the windows could be opened. The air seemed fine to me, but the workers' demands might make you sick.They...

If you're a scientist working for private industry, it helps to invent something useful. But if you're a scientist trying to get funding from the government, you're better off telling the world how horrible things are. And once people are scared, they pay attention. They may even demand the government give you more money to solve the problem. Usually the horrible disaster never happens. Chaos from Y2K. An epidemic of deaths from SARS or mad cow disease. Cancer from Three Mile Island. We quickly forget. We move on to the next warnings. This is the story of a looming disaster...

Last month, 500 angry schoolteachers assembled outside my office. The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) was furious that "Stupid in America," a "20/20" show I did on education, suggested that some union teachers were lazy. They shouted that I didn't understand how difficult teaching was, and chanted, "Shame on you!"Randi Weingarten, head of New York City's union, took the microphone and hollered, "Just teach for a week!" She said I could select from many schools. "We got high schools, we got elementary schools, we got junior high schools!" I accepted. I even said I'd let the union pick the school....

March 22, 2006 Public Schools Evade Real Accountability By John Stossel I hope the teachers in America's public schools are more candid than their union officials and some of the public-education advocates and leftist smear groups who are criticizing my TV special "Stupid in America." They are promoting myths: The National School Boards Association (NSBA) accused me of making a "sweeping generalization" about poor American student performance from test results from a few American and Belgian students. Nope. I reported the results from the actual International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. The little test ABC gave matched the PISA results. MediaMatters,...

Several hundred people showed up at my door Wednesday to teach me a lesson by offering me a job. They were unionized public-school teachers, and they wanted me to go into a school and teach for a week. "Teach, John, teach!" they chanted.I wasn't expecting that.I did expect them to demand an apology for my TV special on education, "Stupid in America," which was critical of union work rules.I didn't expect one of the speakers to be so blunt as to complain that school choice, whose value I had shown in the broadcast, would "take money away from . ....

Teachers unions are mad at me. The New York State United Teachers demands I apologize for my "gutter level" journalism, "an irresponsible assault on public school students and teachers." This is because I hosted an ABC News TV special titled "Stupid in America," which pointed out: -- American fourth graders do well on international tests, but by high school, Americans have fallen behind kids in most other countries. -- The constant refrain that "public schools need more money" is nonsense. Many countries that spend significantly less on education do better than we do. School spending in America (adjusted for inflation)...

One exciting thing about the free market is that you can't predict what the market will create. Big-government advocates tell you exactly what will happen when their plans work (as if they actually would work!), but we who trust the free market can only say that people will compete and good ideas will win. We do know that competition works. It works because it gives people the chance to be creative...

"The teachers united will never be defeated!" chanted thousands of public-school teachers at a union rally. They may be right -- unfortunately. Teachers unions in this country are very influential because they can assemble a crowd. Randi Weingarten, head of New York's teachers union, put out the word, and thousands of teachers filled Madison Square Garden to demand a new contract and more money. That clout brings timid politicians into line. The unions can pay for expensive rallies at "the world's most famous arena" because every teacher in a unionized district like New York must give up some of his...

February 15, 2006 Teacher Unions Are Killing the Public SchoolsBy John Stossel Bosses, have I got an idea for you: Don't pay your best employees more, don't ease out your least productive workers, and for crying out loud, never fire anyone, not even for the most blatant misconduct on the job. It works for the public schools, doesn't it? Actually, it doesn't, but since they're government monopolies, they don't care. They never go out of business. They just keep doing what they're doing, year after year, churning out class after class of students handicapped by a poor education. Don't...

$10 million spent annually by district for classroom subs... Driven by parental concerns about teacher absenteeism, the Chicago Public Schools for the first time will start scrutinizing schools with high numbers of teachers taking sick days. On any given school day in Chicago, an average of 1,500 teachers, about 6 percent of the teaching staff, call in sick or take a personal day, according to a Tribune analysis of teacher payroll records. The absentee rate is highest on Fridays, when an average of 1,800 teachers don't show... For each of the last six school years, Chicago teachers missed an average...

The New York City teachers union has decided not to stage a demonstration at ABC's offices on Feb. 14 to protest John Stossel's recent 20/20 feature criticizing the public education system, Stossel said in an email to viewers of the show on Thursday. "They are apparently planning something else," he wrote. "Stay tuned." Earlier in the week, Stossel said that he had been scheduled to receive an award from the union's Social Studies Conference "for the oustanding work which you have done for social causes." However, he said, after the broadcast the union wrote a letter withdrawing the invitation and...

John Stossel's "Myths, Lies and Nasty Behavior" Think Gas Is More Expensive, Urban Sprawl Is Bad? Think Again Do you think farmers need more government assistance? Do you think gasoline is more expensive than ever? John Stossel may make you reconsider. (ABC) Here's my latest list of things you may have been led to believe are true ? but aren't. I'm also including some nasty behaviors that are more than just annoying, they cost us all money. I hope this will give you a different perspective about your money, your neighbors and your politicians.

When Mark and Jenny Sanford moved from Charleston to Columbia, S.C., they had a big concern: Where would their kids go to school? They wanted to send their kids to public school, but the middle school near their new home was not particularly good. But it turned out that this wouldn't have been a problem for the Sanfords because the reason they had moved to Columbia was Mark had just been elected governor. While students are normally assigned to schools based on where their house is located, Gov. Sanford's family was offered special options: People from better school districts invited...