Bob Murphy Show Ep. 503 How Is the Progressive Analysis of Jeffrey Dahmer Like the Libertarian Analysis of Putin?
May 9, 2026
Adam Haman, podcast crossover co-host and defender in a liberty series, returns. He and Bob compare a progressive reading of Jeffrey Dahmer to libertarian critiques of U.S. foreign-policy narratives. They play and respond to clips about media inflation, criminalization, institutional incentives, and how humanizing complex actors shifts public perception.
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Cartoon Narratives Short-Circuit Deeper Analysis
- Political messaging that paints opponents as pure evil short-circuits deeper analysis of causes.
- Bob compares Oleemi Oluren's 'copaganda' critique of serial-killer mythology to Dave Smith/Scott Horton critiques that de-cartoonize foreign enemies.
Extreme Cases Legitimize Punitive Systems
- The media's focus on extreme cases legitimizes punitive systems and desensitizes the public to routine harms.
- Oluren argues Dahmer's dehumanization makes society indifferent to everyday jail deaths and mass incarceration harms.
Accepting Born Monsters Blocks Social Explanations
- Accepting monsters as born rather than made prevents examination of ordinary social causes.
- Oluren highlights that Dahmer's background (loneliness, neglect, religious shame) was common, which challenges the 'born monster' narrative.