Episode 133 — How Government Stripped Us Of Our Humanity w/ Wayne Hoffman
What does Taoism have to do with Idaho politics? More than you might think.
This week, host David J. Reilly sits down with Wayne Hoffman — founder of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and one of the most influential figures in Idaho politics over the last two decades — for a wide-ranging conversation about freedom, government overreach, and why doing nothing might be the most radical political act of all.
Wayne traces his unlikely journey from self-described "objective journalist" in the late 80s, to a libertarian awakening sparked by a faxed pamphlet and a gravelly-voiced businessman named Ralph Smead, to building one of the most impactful free-market think tanks in the American West. Along the way, he shares what running a home daycare taught him about government bureaucracy, why COVID exposed just how fragile the freedom movement really is, and why he now identifies not as a conservative or a libertarian — but as a Taoist.
Together, David and Wayne dig into the cascading consequences of government intervention in healthcare, housing, education, and welfare — and make the case that many of America's deepest problems were created, and are sustained, by the very programs meant to solve them. And the conversation doesn't stop at America's borders — David and Wayne don't shy away from the hard questions surrounding U.S. foreign policy, the conflict in Gaza, and the dehumanization of civilian populations that too many in political media refuse to talk about.
If you've ever wondered why nothing the government does seems to actually work — and why the same political class cheering on domestic welfare programs looks the other way at atrocities abroad — this episode is for you.
Follow Wayne on X: https://x.com/WayneHoff
Buy Wayne's Book - Tao of Liberty: https://amzn.to/4dyKvvx
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