Appearing during the first three hours, research scientist John Lott discussed his theory of 'Freedomnomics,' as well as shared his views on gun control and concealed weapons. Free markets bring out the best in society, he contended, while efforts to constrain such markets lead to an increase in problems, such as crime and poverty. Incentives matter-- if something is less costly, people will do more of it, he explained.
When companies become nationalized or taken over by the government, as is happening now in America, they tend to be less successful or profitable because better decisions are made when their own money is at stake, he said. The US government is actually making the recession worse, he added.
There is a drop in the crime rate among states that have passed concealed carry weapons laws, particularly in cases of mass shootings, Lott stated. He believes criminals or gunmen are less likely to attack if they know people might be carrying guns to defend themselves. He cited statistics that Australia and Britain have had higher crime or burglary rates since enacting some types of gun control legislation, and that there are no academic studies demonstrating that the passage of the Brady and Assault Weapons Acts in the US have lowered crime. A recent run on ammunition could be due to a plan to micro-stamp ammo in some states, which would increase its cost, he noted.
The last hour of the program featured Open Lines.