May 6, 2008May 3, 2008April 27, 2008A Few More Brazilian Debate PhotosFrom the debate in Porto Alegre on “Free Trade: Threat or Opportunity?”
The crowd (of about 3,000 people) before the debate began
Discussion and rebuttals
After the debate April 24, 2008April 23, 2008Cato University LineupSchedule, registration information, and scholarship information (for enrolled students), at Cato-University.org. Rejoice Ngwenya, a leader of the opposition to the brutal policies of President Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. He organizes the Zimbabwean Coalition for Market & Liberal Solutions (COMALISO) and is a regular columnist for Cato’s African initiative, AfricanLiberty.org. Gene Healy, Senior Editor at the Cato Institute, editor of Go Directly to Jail: The Criminalization of Almost Everything and author of the new book The Cult of the Presidency: America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power. Professor Robert McDonald, department of history, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and author of the forthcoming book Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson and the Politics of Personality. Dr. Andrei Illarionov, a senior fellow at Cato’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, who served as chief economic adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin before resigning publicly at a Kremlin News Conference, saying he could not work for a dictatorship. Dr. Karen Horn, head of the Berlin office of Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln, a private economic research institute in Germany, and former economics editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, one of Europe’s leading daily newspapers. Dr. Peter Van Doren, senior fellow at Cato and editor of the quarterly magazine Regulation. Me…, senior fellow at Cato and director of Cato’s Center for Promotion of Human Rights, which promotes libertarianism in 11 languages. Gabriela Calderon, Editor of ElCato.org, Cato’s outreach to the Spanish-speaking world. Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at Cato, who will address what will be one of the great struggles of the next decade - the fight over socialized medicine. April 16, 2008April 14, 2008March 30, 2008Cato on CampusYou can liven up your own blog or website by adding a Cato on Campus banner. Details here. March 24, 2008Freedom Properly Understood in ChineseMy paper on “Freedom Properly Understood” has been published in Chinese. (Some browsers may not be able to produce the Chinese characters.) It was also translated into French. March 23, 2008Call for Papers
The Istituto Bruno Leoni has issued a call for papers on “Competition, Regulation and Anti-Trust” for the Fifth Mises Seminar, which will be held in Sestri Levante (Italy), October 3-5, 2008. It is open to authors under 35 years of age. March 21, 2008Azeri Libertarianism
I’m very pleased that my colleagues have unveiled to the world a new initiative to carry libertarian ideas to the crossroads of Europe and Asia: AzadliqCiragi.org. That’s “Lamp of Liberty” in Azeri (also known as Azerbaijani), a language spoken by tens of millions of people in Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and other countries. It is a joint project of the Cato Institute’s Center for Promotion of Human Rights and the Free Minds Association of Azerbaijan. It joins three other “Lamps of Liberty,” in Arabic, Persian, and Kurdish. March 17, 2008Democracy, Liberty, Limited Government, Foreign PolicyThe Northwestern University Law Review (Issue 102:1 (Winter 2008) has published my oral remarks during the 2006 Federalist Society panel/debate on “Limited Government and Spreading Democracy: Uneasy Cousins?” Judge A. William Randolph, Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, National Democratic Institute president Kenneth Wollack, and French lawyer François-Henri Briard were the other participants. (Complete journal here.) The remarks got a bit sharp at times. March 14, 2008My Discussion/Debate on the Second Amendment with Walter Dellinger
Click here and then select the right video: “March 14, 2008: Tom Palmer talks about the DC gun ban on Reporter’s Roundtable” March 11, 2008Interview with Washington Post Radio on the Supreme Court Gun-Ban ChallengeI was interviewed today on Washington Post Radio, along with Dennis Henigan from the Brady Center, about the Supreme Court case. I’m hoping to have a seat to see the oral argument next Tuesday. March 9, 2008Cato in Europe and North AfricaOur partnership with the Institute for Economic Studies - Europe will result this year in English-language seminars on classical liberal thought in the Federal Republic of Germany (July 27 - August 3) and in the Republic of Georgia (July 7 - 13) and one French-language seminar in the Kingdom of Morocco (July 20 - 26). I will be teaching at the seminar in Germany. The French-language seminar is a joint project between IES-Europe and UnMondeLibre.org, which is directed by my good friends (and colleagues) Drs. Emmanuel Martin and Nouh El-Harmouzi. We will also organize or cooperate on seminars in other regions and languages around the world. I’m still working on various possibilities. March 8, 2008February 29, 2008February 27, 2008February 24, 2008Students for Liberty ConferenceThe Students for Liberty conference was an enormous success. I and the other speakers and presenters were greatly impressed by the organizers and the participants. (My presentation was on “Making the Case for Freedom of Trade and Travel with Passion, Logic, and Evidence.”)
David Boaz signing copies of The Politics of Freedom
Nicole Kurokawa and Joey Coon at the Cato on Campus table. February 22, 2008Students for LibertyThe opening talks at the Students for Liberty conference (the first annual conference) by Alexander McCobin, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, and David Boaz, the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, are outstanding. I am very optimistic about the future of this group. Libertarianism in Portuguese
I will address the Forum da Liberdade (after a long flight from Switzerland) in April. Here’s an interview I did for the event. February 21, 2008Another Lamp of Liberty in the Works
The Azeri Lamp of Liberty (Azadliq Ciragi), a project the Cato Institute’s Center for Promotion of Human Rights and the Azeri Free Minds Association, will be ready in early March. It will join the other many programs, including the Arabic, Persian, and Kurdish Lamps of Liberty, that are supported by the Center. February 16, 2008February 6, 2008Be There......
I’ll be speaking, as will lots of interesting people, including my colleague David Boaz, who will offer an informative and inspiring presentation of one of the themes of his new book, The Politics of Freedom: Taking on the Left, the Right, and Threats to Our Liberties.
January 29, 2008Paper on Globalization and Governance
Coming Soon to an Academic Portuguese-Language I gave a paper at a conference on governance at the University of Aveiro, Portugal in 2006 and it’s about to appear in the book that resulted from the conference. (I also debated the leader of the Left Bloc in the Portuguese parliament and did, I think, rather well, as he seemed not to understand the concept of “evidence.”) Here’s the paper in English. The Debate:
Thanks to André Azevedo Alves for the invitation, the book, and the whole experience! January 22, 2008Portuguese LibertarianismMy colleague Diogo Costa, editor of Cato’s OrdemLivre.org, has a great interview (I can’t understand more than a bit, but the language is so beautiful) on Manhattan Connection, a major Braziian program. November 18, 2007Liberalism.ro
There’s a useful classical liberal website in Romanian: www.Liberalism.ro. (My little essay on globalization is included: “Globalizarea este minunată!.”) November 6, 2007November 4, 2007October 29, 2007The Lamp of Liberty Re-Lit!
Thanks to the hard work, dedication, and intelligence of my colleagues Fadi Haddadin and Ghaleb Hijazi, and our Jordanian internet magicians, the Lamp of Liberty (MisbahalHurriyya.org) has a completely new look, brilliant new features, and much, much more to offer. (It was just relaunched today and it takes time to redirect all the servers around the world to the new site, but the new one should look like the image above. If not, wait a few hours; the photo at the top need not be the one of the lady with a camera; they rotate every minute.) I am proud to be associated with such people. October 19, 2007Free Paul Jacob
For the offense of petitioning government for a redress of grievances, the state of Oklahoma is bringing felony charges against an old friend, Paul Jacob, who has already shown his mettle by standing up against state coercion and violence. This case is important for many reasons, including simple justice, but high on the list is that opportunities for citizens to influence — or even choose — their governments are being choked off one by one and that process must be resisted. Paul’s case is but one element in the attempt to limit the ability of citizens to influence their rulers. Political campaign finance is so highly regulated that “outsiders,” third parties, and independents are severely hobbled. As “loopholes” (read, exercise of freedom of speech and association) are discovered in the restrictions (e.g., Political Action Committees, independent expenditures, etc.) they are closed off. There is increasing talk of restricting the broadcast media, of placing campaign-finance-like restraints on non-governmental grass-roots, advocacy, and research organizations, and even of controlling the rights of newspaper owners to editorialize in their own papers. The legislators don’t want to “represent” the people; they want to direct and control them, and above all, they want to be free from meddlesome, uppity citizens who put initiatives on ballots, recall elected officials, and even dare to put limits on how long the politicians keep their offices. I have contributed to Paul’s campaign and I hope you will, too. October 16, 2007It's Gonna Knock Your Socks Off
When the new Chinese libertarian website my colleagues are developing goes live (we’re shooting for December 1), it’ll be simply beautiful. If all goes according to plan, it will be preceded by the launch of the all new look and architecture to the Arabic website Misbah al Hurriyya, the proper launch of the Kurdish and Persian websites. Coming right after it will be Portuguese and French, to be followed by an All-Africa project. Watch this space. October 8, 2007Cato on Campus
Thanks to the work of a talented team of young Catoites headed by Manager of Student Programs Joey Coon, the Cato on Campus site is now available. It’s intended to accomplish several things: 1) direct students to programs that are tailored for them; 2) introduce students to the thinking behind libertarian public policy analysis (theories of individual rights, the history of power, etc.; 3) provide access to Cato policy studies organized by categories more familiar to students, e.g., “history,” “economics,” “law,” etc. September 24, 2007Cato University Home Study Course Now Available
All 12 modules of the Cato University Home Study Course are now available in mp3 format. They can be purchased on CDs at the moment (and either played from the CDs or transferred to an iPod or other mp3 player) and soon via download. (Information on the Cato University 2008 Summer School is also available. I haven’t finalized the schedule yet, but give me time…..) *James Madison while jogging. September 13, 2007Mark Your Calendar for Cato University 2008
And Watch That Space for the News on the Cato University Home Study Course, Soon to Be Available in MP3 Format, via Download or CD! September 11, 2007Photos from the Opening Dinner at the Cato.ru Summer School*
Cato.ru Editor Anya Krasinskaya
The Proprietor of this Website And here are some of the most important participants, who represent the future of freedom:
*More available here. (Anyone interested in helping to ensure that we can run a similar summer school next year, please drop me a note! You could sponsor a student for a modest sum.) September 6, 2007Student Group Reports in Crimea
Kakha Bendukidze is chairing a really brilliant set of student group reports and discussions on topics such as monopoly and antitrust, intellectual property, markets for narcotics, privatization, public goods, and so on. I’ve known him as a successful businessman, a principled and tireless reformer for liberty, and a great conversationalist, but until this seminar I had no idea that he is a truly brilliant teacher. I don’t know that I have ever seen anyone better at getting people to think through hard problems. (Among his techiques is holding some soft plastic balls in his hand and then throwing them at students; whomever he hits or whoever catches one has to answer any question or solve any problem he throws at them, followed by his comedic commentaries. I just got hit on the question of the definition of monopoly.) Among the points he has made very well is that there are no “libertarian arguments” and “non-libertarian arguments”: there are good arguments and bad arguments and he is a libertarian because he thinks that good arguments support liberty. September 5, 2007Cato.ru PicsI ain’t much of a photographer, but here are a few pics I snapped from the Cato.ru seminar in Crimea:
Piotr Kaznacheev explaining the case for drug legalization
A Student Posing a Question to Kaznacheev
Kakha Bendukidze Exploring the Frontiers of Libertarianism
Students Defending Their Views During Kakha’s Lively Presentation* *Kakha is, as I learned, a wonderful teacher. He challenged, cajoled, joked, and got the students to think about why they believe one thing or another. It was remarkable to witness. Drug Legalization, Unilateral Free Trade, Judicial Privatization, and Other Frontiers of LibertarianismWe just finished a lecture on the libertarian case for drug legalization at the Cato.ru seminar. The discussion, led by Piotr Kaznacheev, was very lively. The negative role of the U.S. government in exporting their irrational, destructive, and counter productive “war on drugs” to Latin America, Afghanistan, and elsewhere was a helpful element of the discussion. This debate is an important one in the countries of the former USSR, which are generally producing draconian drug policies that further undermine the very fragile institutions of the rule of law. Kakha Bendukidze, State Minister for Reforms in the Republic of Georgia, is currently leading a discussion on “Challenges of Libertarianism,” dealing with how far libertarian arguments should be taken, such as total freedom of trade, elimination of all victimless crime laws, elimination of all subsidies, elimination of state monopolies on justice and law, and so on. August 16, 2007Cato-Sponsored Seminars on Libertarian Thought: Ghana, China, Crimea
Inspiring African Transformation I’m pleased that, following on the successful Cato University (with 179 participants) in San Diego last month, two major seminars on libertarian thought have been run this week with support from the Cato Institute. A seminar on “Inspiring African Transformation” organized by the IMANI Center is underway in Ghana and the “Lao Tse and Adam Smith Academy” organized by the Cathay Institute for Public Affairs is underway in China. I will be in France next week for the Summer University on “The Institutional Challenges of Globalization,” followed by Crimea for the Cato.ru seminar on “Global Capitalism and Personal Freedom” (Глобальный капитализм и личная свобода), and then by Bucharest for the European Resource Bank Meeting (which the Cato Institute is also co-sponsoring).
July 20, 2007June 1, 2007Bastiat Prize
If you are eligible or know someone who might be, be sure to check out the Bastiat Prize Contest for 2007. Registration is Open
Cato University is still accepting registrations. Places for paying participants and some scholarships still available for high school and college and university students. May 20, 2007European Freedom SummitWish I could be at the European Freedom Summit, to be held June 2 and 3 in Berlin. It’s sponsored by the Institut für Unternehmerische Freiheit (Institute for Free Enterprise). IMPORTANT NOTE: Die Veranstaltungssprache ist Englisch. May 19, 2007The Chilling Trend in Britain
Thanks, Tony and Co! Brendan O’Neill has a brilliant essay on Tony Blair’s legacy over at Reason.com, “Tony the Nanny: Tony Blair’s shameful record on civil liberties.” May 15, 2007Cool Map of Economic Freedom of the World
My colleagues Fadi and Ghaleb at Misbah al Hurriyya (the Lamp of Liberty) have produced a really cool new global map based on the Economic Freedom of the World Report, produced by the Fraser Institute and co-published in the USA by the Cato Institute. The map (click here and then click on the spinning globe in the upper left corner — then pick a continent and a country and the data appear) supplements the full Arabic text of the report (on the same page — scroll down), which provides all text, charts and tables, the statement of methodology, and an essay on the failures of foreign aid by William Easterly. May 7, 2007The Right to Self-Defense
I was on ABC News last Friday to talk about the right to self-defense. Here’s the link. May 4, 2007Enrollment Open at Cato University
It’s for businesspeople, engineers, writers, doctors, entrepreneurs, Indian chiefs, high school students, computer programmers, autoworkers, college students, bus drivers, and everyone else. It’s open to individuals, couples, and families. (We’ve had some families with three generations in attendance.) Enrollment is open now. April 20, 2007In Defense of Global Capitalism Now in Russian
Johan Norberg’s outstanding introductory work In Defense of Global Capitalism is now available online in Russian. The print edition will be out soon from Новое издательство (New Publishing House). We’re sponsoring an essay contest based on the book and winners will be invited to the first Cato.ru summer school in Alushta, Crimea. April 17, 2007Подкаст 4 LibertyCato.ru has added a new feature: the Подкаст! The first “Podcast” is with Jaroslav Romanchuk of the Mises Research Center in Minsk, Belarus. Cato also podcasts in Spanish and English. Arabic will be soon. April 11, 2007April 7, 2007This and ThatOn Thursday I secured the rights to translate into Arabic the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics for Misbahalhurriyya.org (the Lamp of Liberty), a project that has great potential for the spread of economic literacy in an important part of the world. I was up in New York on Friday to film a short interview about the right to self defense. And I’m going to be giving some talks soon in Morocco on classical liberal political economy. Several projects are in various stages of becoming…. April 1, 2007A Smear Job at the NYT
I’ve read Brian Doherty’s book Radicals for Capitalism cover-to-cover. I’ve blogged on it and taken part in an online debate occasioned by the book. (Note that the back-and-forth is in “The Conversation.”) So I know something about the book. Today’s New York Times carries a review. I don’t expect reviewers to applaud every book and I certainly don’t expect them to agree with the author’s substantive views. But I also don’t expect a smear job, which is what David Leonhardt delivered in “Free for All.” My colleague David Boaz does a thorough job of responding to the smears in “NYT Clueless on Libertarianism.” March 27, 2007Mudawwanat al Hurriyya -- The Blog of Liberty
Blogging is growing in the Arab world. And now there’s the Blog of Liberty: Mudawwanat al Hurriyya, a project of the Lamp of Liberty, Misbah al Hurriyya. March 23, 2007Washington Blade Coverage of Second Amendment CaseFrom today’s Washington Blade, “Gay scholar helps overturn D.C. gun law.” (The headline might suggest that I’m a scholar of gay subjects, which I’m not, but headlines have to be short.) March 14, 2007Libertarianism or Liberty?
My essay on CatoUnbound (“Libertarianism or Liberty?”) is now up. Be sure to read Brian Doherty’s initial essay, and then those by Brink Lindsey and Tyler Cowen. Virginia Postrel will weigh in soon. Then the back-and-forth will start. March 11, 2007Paris's "Cathedrals of Commerce"Today’s New York Times has a delightful essay on the mid-nineteenth century arcades of Paris, “Making a Pilgrimage to Cathedrals of Commerce.” March 9, 2007Libertarianism's History and Future Discussed
I hope and expect that it will be a stimulating discussion. (Just to be clear, the person depicted above my name int he graphic above is actually Milton Friedman, not me.) March 2, 2007African Libertarianism
Another hopeful sign is that despite decades of suffering across the continent, the net economic growth for Africa as a whole is positive and has been for some time; the average includes, of course, high rates, such as Botswana’s robust growth, and negative rates, such as Zimbabwe’s roughly -5% growth |
Amid all the awful things in the world that are cause for depression, one sometimes finds cause for hope. And the African classical liberals I met are high on the list of the causes for hope. They are knowledgeable; they are smart; they are dedicated. And they are going to transform a continent and with it, the world.