Tuesday 1 May 2012

Capitalism without Guilt: The Moral Case for Freedom

Like I said, these live-streamed Objectivist events are coming thick and fast now.  Given this is a talk examining why the free market has erroneously been blamed for the financial crisis, perhaps someone could send the link to David Cunliffe?

Capitalism without Guilt: The Moral Case for Freedom

A talk at Northwestern University by Yaron Brook, live-streamed at: www.facebook.com/aynrandcenter

Description: Many regard the financial crisis as a failure of the free market and "greedy" businessmen. But is capitalism really to blame for our current economic mess?

In this talk, Dr. Brook argues that today's crisis is a failure of the un-free market. Massive government intervention, from Washington's affordable housing crusade, via Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to the Federal Reserve's easy money policies, laid the groundwork for the crisis. Dr. Brook will then evaluate the government's response to the crisis and suggest alternatives.

Dr. Brook will also explain why the free market has taken the blame for a crisis caused by government intervention. While most people are quick to blame capitalism for any evil because it encourages selfishness and rewards the profit motive, Dr. Brook will argue that these traits are precisely what make capitalism a moral system.

    Who: Dr. Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute
    What: A lecture examining why the free market has erroneously been blamed for the financial crisis
    When: Thursday, May 3, 2012, at 12:30 p.m. NZ time

Bio: Dr. Brook (MBA, University of Texas at Austin; PhD, Finance, University of Texas at Austin) is executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute. He is a columnist at Forbes.com, and his articles have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Investor's Business Daily, and in many other publications.
A frequent guest on a variety of national television programs, he is co-author of Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea and contributing author to Winning the Unwinnable War: America's Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism.
His newest book, Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand's Ideas Can End Big Government, is co-authored with Don Watkins, a fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, and due out September 2012. 
A former finance professor, Dr. Brook speaks internationally on such topics as the causes of the financial crisis, the morality of capitalism and ending growth of the state.

NB: As always with these live-streamed events, you can either watch them in the comfort of your own domicile, or if you’re near Mt Eden bring your lunch and join us here at the Organon Architecture offices, Level 1, 236 Dominion Rd (corner of Valley Rd and Dom Rd).

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