Capital Idea™ with Michael Williams

Mind Your Business: The Forgotten Motto of America's First Coin

You’ve seen “In God We Trust.” But have you ever heard what America’s first coin actually said? Hint: it wasn’t about belief. The founders weren’t preaching what you should believe - it was about action. In this episode, we explore Benjamin Franklin's 1787 Fugio coin and uncover its message “Mind Your Business” and what it reveals about freedom, responsibility, and the roots of capitalism. We contrast that founding-era philosophy with later shifts in U.S. currency and culture — including the adoption of "In God We Trust" and the move toward fiat money — and invite listeners to read the related newsletter article and reflect on the role of money, individualism, and civic virtue.

May Day for the Mind

May Day has become a rallying point for anti-capitalist protest: “No Work, No School, No Shopping." But what if the deeper crisis is not exploitation, but confusion? In this short solo episode, Mike revisits his “Mayday for the Mind” theme (a speech he gave at Ben-Gurion University in Israel a few years ago) and argues that the real emergency is our failure to understand production, the role of the mind, the morality of work, and the difference between peaceful protest and real intellectual change. With sympathy for many Americans who feel squeezed or unheard, Mike argues that anger aimed at capitalism (freedom and rights protection) is tragically misplaced. From Occupy Wall Street to the Tea Party, from No Kings to May Day Strong, too many citizens protest with passion but without a clear understanding of the principles involved. As the nation approaches its 250th birthday, this episode calls for recovering the meaning of productive work, individual rights and the moral importance of the human mind.

Sue Moore: Inside the Scorecard Keeping CO Lawmakers Accountable

What does civic engagement have to do with capitalism? More than most people think. In this episode, Mike Williams interviews Sue Moore of Liberty Scorecard Colorado [https://libertyscorecardco.us/#/] about why free markets depend on informed citizens, accountable lawmakers, and a culture that takes liberty seriously. They also explore a tougher question: are people on the Right as consistent about free markets and individual rights as they claim? Liberty Scorecard Colorado is a volunteer-run, principles-based tracking system that evaluates legislation and lawmakers by how they affect individual rights, limited government, property rights, and free markets. The episode explains the scorecard’s methodology, how volunteers analyze bills, its role in educating legislators and citizens, and why consistent oversight matters to protect liberty and hold public officials accountable.

Tariffs, Taxes, and Trump's Emergency Play: Who Really Pays?

In this episode of Capital Idea, Mike and Mitch discuss recent tariff actions by the Trump administration, why tariffs function as taxes on American consumers, and how emergency powers have been used to impose them. They examine Congress’s constitutional role in taxation, recent House votes to challenge tariffs, and the economic impact on families and free trade principles.

TerryJosiah Sharpe: A Musician’s Journey from Doubt to Purpose

Mike Williams interviews TerryJosiah Sharpe about his journey from skepticism about capitalism to embracing it as a tool for freedom, and how the Leadership Program of the Rockies helped shape that understanding. TerryJosiah shares how he founded Anthem Music Enterprises to use music and entertainment to address mental health, scale community programs for youth, and create career opportunities for artists. He recounts the impact of the program, the loss of a student whose recorded voice lives on, and his decision to step down as CEO to reclaim creative time while continuing to pursue projects that promote freedom and healing.