Currently, the greatest threat to human thriving isn’t government, believe it or not. Yes, government remains a problem, but it’s also dead on its feet in several ways. I’ll save that discussion for another time, but I believe that government and war are losing their underpinnings. Likewise disease and famine are shadows of their former…
Stock Market Crash???…Or Perhaps…To Infinity and Beyond!!!
Risk and the perception of risk are two different things. Until we believe this fact, we are trapped in a cycle of small thinking. We are right where the mavens of Wall Street want us to be, a mass of sheeple fearful about investing outside the box, content to invest in mutual funds along with…
How Bitcoin Provides Freedom
The government can move in at any moment; however, they can’t censor, devalue or steal math. History repeats itself. Although the world is experiencing major global unrest, it is also true that there is “nothing new under the sun” – regimes change, power structures shift, and the fourth turning is upon us. It is indisputable…
Less is Best: Comparing Models of Sex Trade Governance
The sex trade is a vast and complex economy where people from all walks engage in erotic acts in exchange for money, goods, resources, and services. Policies governing erotic transactions have historically been crafted through moral outrage. The outcome has been state overreach into the affairs of consenting adults, and the increased endangerment of sex…
Cancel Culture, Woke Mobs, and Our Kids
In George Orwell’s 1984, citizens are subjected to the “Two Minutes Hate” — a daily stream of new things they’re supposed to be outraged about. We’re experiencing that same outrage today–two minutes (or two paragraphs, or two sentences, or 144 characters and a meme) of outrage over the most recent misstep. And a growing element of…
Money or Currency?
For most of human existence, gold and silver have been used as both money and currency. Money is something that has intrinsic value and is universally recognized. Currency is a medium of exchange. While land and oil could be considered money, they are not easy mediums of exchange, making them unsuitable as currency. Gold and…
Embracing the Widening American Dream
In 2020, I became a proud American citizen. Native critics don’t know how good they have it. I closed out 2020 with one of the best moments in my life. On December 8, I became a citizen of the United States of America. It ranks in significance right behind marrying my wife and the births of my…
How to Stop the Biden Agenda
By Cristen Wohlgemuth During the Democratic primary race, some saw Joe Biden as a more moderate alternative to other Democratic candidates on the ballot such as Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. But in the weeks since the election, Biden has rapidly filled his cabinet with a collection of names and faces—some new and some who…
Crisis in the Making: The Convergence of Communism and Secularism in the Assault Against Judeo-Christian Values
by Gloria Z. Greenfield I recently came across the headline of an article that declared “millennials support socialism because they want to make America great — but for everyone.” The author continued on, proudly stating that the word “socialism” is becoming more mainstream. Membership in the Democratic Socialists of America has exploded, and the 2019…
The Death of Deadwood’s Sex Industry — And Why to Revive It
By Ariela Moscowitz, Communication Director, Decriminalize Sex Work This year’s FreedomFest will take place minutes from the famous Wild West town of Deadwood, South Dakota. Home to legends like Calamity Jane and Alice Ivers, Deadwood was a bustling town with numerous brothels and sex workers from 1876 – 1980, when state and federal authorities…
The Greatest Economist Who Ever Lived: And the Winner Is…
It was the reading of his book that made an ‘economist’ out of me. — Ludwig von Mises I found it such a fascinating book, so satisfying. — Friedrich Hayek No book since David Ricardo’s Principles has had such a great influence on the development of economics as… — Knut Wicksell The revolutionary book that these three writers praised is…
New Ways to Use Minerals and Plants to Promote Healing
Generally, people are used to dealing with body and skin issues with more traditional remedies that generally come with their own list of side effects. DAG Worldwide provides the best solutions to our clients’ health needs by taking state of the art technologies developed by the greatest minds worldwide and using them to develop groundbreaking…
How Extremists Took over the Duopoly — And What To Do about It
We greatly appreciated the thoughtful FreedomForum Op-Ed “We Will Not Be Silenced” (January 11, 2021), especially its honest criticism of the violence in the trashing of the Capitol Building. Five dead. This follows a summer of inner cities rioting, looting, and killings committed in the pursuit of social justice. The most recent political violence follows…
3LP: To Live and Let Live… and Thrive!
We need to start thinking much bigger. The world has presented us with the best opportunity we have ever had to really advance the causes of freedom, peace and civility. People are increasingly weary of the status quo and the endless struggle of groups wanting to coerce each other towards often worthy goals. They want…
Gandhi Was Right…the Change Has to Start with Us!
by Valerie Durham Gandhi was onto something when he said: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.” And then he personally applied that…
Missing the Forest for the Trees
After my workout this morning, I stopped at the cliffs above Capitola, overlooking the Monterey Bay. It had just rained lightly, so the air was crystal clear, and the brownish gold of the kelp beds at low tide made a vivid contrast with the blue gray ocean. The little bit of sun that peeked through…
Lockdowns Stunt Women’s Progress
by Amelia Janaskie One hundred years ago on August 26, 1920, women obtained the right to vote by the adoption of the 19th Amendment. The Amendment allowed them to vote and participate in political life and symbolized their expanding independence, individuality, and personal freedom. Since then, women continue to enjoy greater economic freedom. The…
We Will Not Be Silenced
Many years ago I went with a large group of protesters to the Virginia State Capitol to tell our legislators how we felt about a particular issue. We did not have appointments, but we did not need them. The Capitol was a public building, and we arrived during business hours. We simply walked in. Some…
Facts – Not Fear – Will Stop the Pandemic
by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya The media relish negative news. “If it bleeds it leads” still holds, and perhaps it’s never been truer than in the COVID-19 era. Every day the news highlights the spread of the virus and tells the sad stories of some of its victims. And yet, much of the media does not pay…
Covid Regulations in Loco Moco
by James Bovard In August, I reported here on how Montgomery County, Maryland, was seeking to shut down private schools as part of their Covid-19 strategy of abolishing all risk by abolishing all freedom. As more individuals have recently tested positive for Covid, the county government is responding with a new array of iron-fisted…
FreedomFest Moves to the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave
Over the years, we’ve made some pretty big announcements at FreedomFest. 2011: The Anthem Libertarian Film Festival made its debut. 2013: John Stossel began filming his show live from our stage. 2015: Nobel laureate and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman agreed to debate Wall Street Journal columnist Steve Moore. 2015: We made room for…
Loss Of Freedoms In Hong Kong–and Where to Find Them
Hong Kongers have been protesting since Hong Kong rejoined China in 1997, but since March 2019 these protests have increased until they have at times included 26% of the entire country’s population . On June 30, 2020, China passed the Hong Kong National Security Law , and on July 29, 2020 officials started arresting and…
Galt’s Gulf: Seasteading’s 2021 Frontier for Freedom
Suppose we told you that the space available for freedom is more than twice the size of all the land on earth, and we could make it legally available at the stroke of a pen? The path forward for liberty is right in front of us, if we just seize it. Circling the globe at…
#Yes, America’s President — Like it or Not
When I was in graduate school in 1993, a colleague confessed gleefully during a class discussion, “When I heard that Ronald Reagan had been shot, I cheered.” Others in class nodded and chuckled in agreement, certain that we all shared the same political views. We were all in academia, right? I felt shocked and offended…
A Day to Celebrate Human Achievement
The third week of October marks the anniversary of a great human achievement. On October 21, 1879, Thomas Edison ran an electric current through an experimental light bulb. He had tried thousands of filaments in other bulbs in the past. While none worked, he considered them successes in that they limited the possibilities of what…
In a True Republic, Where Citizens Are Customers, Police Brutality Isn’t an Issue
Police brutality, reform, and defunding became very hot topics this past summer as politicians began deliberating on the types of new laws and regulations to enact to fix this problem. From a law and order perspective, it’s hard to fathom that some politicians are advocating the dissolution or defunding of one of the most vital…
10 LESSONS FOR 10-10-2020
The year 2020 has been anything but a year of seeing clearly. It has been characterized by uncertainty, divisiveness, and conflicting views. In the January prediction issue of my newsletter, “Forecasts & Strategies,” I stated, “The outlook for stocks, gold and the dollar is positive as we enter 2020, but beware of a ‘black swan’…
Anthem Film Festival Partners with Salem Media for a Virtual Series
Humans are resilient, adaptive and resourceful. When an obstacle is placed in our way, we remove it or circumvent it. When we lose something, we devise a substitute. When a door closes, we begin looking for a new opening. We’ve seen examples of this innovation and resilience throughout the pandemic lockdown. Manufacturers adapted their factories…
Why Inflation is Inevitable
by Donald Kirchinger On June 15, 2020, the stock market dropped 700 points and then recovered upon the news that the Fed would be buying corporate bonds in the secondary market. It has been projected that by the end of 2020, the Fed will have purchased $3.5 trillion in government securities. The Fed should not…
Don’t Hurt People and Don’t Take Their Stuff
Don’t hurt people and don’t take their stuff. It’s really that simple. It’s what your mom taught you. And it’s the philosophy of liberty in a nutshell. Everyone should be free to live their lives as they think best, free from meddling by politicians and government bureaucrats and Nanny State Karens, as long as they…
Should FreedomFest Go Virtual?
As we have gone through the painful process of cancelling FreedomFest this year, many of our followers have suggested that we go virtual instead, as some other conferences have done. We truly appreciate how much all of you wanted to experience FreedomFest this year. But that’s the point: FreedomFest is an experience. it isn’t just…
At Risk: The Twin Towers of Freedom
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. “ – Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan once warned, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one…
What Will You Do When Your World Crumbles?
Many of us fail to see the largest problems in life, especially when they are up close and in our face. While this is hard to believe, history shows us that this is simply the case time and time again. The old saying that, “The shoemaker’s kids go barefoot” could not be truer for most…
Not a Safe Space, Not an Echo Chamber: A Rollicking Good Time
By Marc Beauchamp Editor’s note: This is a reprise of the article Marc Beauchamp wrote after attending FreedomFest 2019. People ask me what I like about FreedomFest. Just got back from my fifth. I think “eclectic” is the word that sums it up best. Mark and Jo Ann Skousen and their team erect a big…
Dangerous Documentaries To Screen at Anthem and FreedomFest
The Capital Research Center is excited to attend our third FreedomFest! Through our Dangerous Documentaries film brand, we’ll be screening four of our films at the Anthem Film Festival and participating in 6 panels. We hope you can join us! And please visit us in booth # 406. Tuesday, July 14th, 3pm – Anthem/Milano –…
Election Integrity: Securing the Sanctity of the Ballot Box
FreedomWorks The way that 2020 has gone so far (we’re less than halfway through, believe it or not), it’s easy to forget that we have fewer than 150 days remaining until our next national election. The stakes surrounding election security could scarcely be higher. Gallup polling continues to show that a majority of Americans polled…
Retirement Accounts and the Business Cycle
Long before the days of the Virus Lock Down Quarantines and our current Socialist Revolution, economists spent almost 150 years attempting to understand, explain, and navigate what is commonly known today as the Business Cycle. The concepts of inflation and deflation are widely used among all disciplines of economic thought, including the Austrians, Monetarists, Keynesians,…
When They Want a New Normal and You Want to Scream
Everywhere we look for what seems like forever (has it really been only a couple of months??) we’re bombarded with the new words and phrases endlessly repeated in media and politics and subsequently adopted by the masses. “In this unprecedented time…” “Social distance…” “Stay Home, Stay Safe…” “Alone together…” And in my opinion, the worst—“New…
An Open Letter to All Freedom Lovers from John Galt
To all lovers of liberty, This letter is a call to action. These are the times that try men’s souls. Today you must ask yourself: Are we still the land of the free and the home of the brave, or are we a conquered nation controlled by opportunistic politicians and slanted journalists? Do we want…
Did We Just Break The World?
Sean W. Malone I’ve never called COVID-19 a “hoax” or thought that it was “just the flu.” I criticized the Erickson video, and I didn’t bother to watch Plandemic. But I’ve been publicly skeptical of most dire coronavirus predictions since the beginning. I’m also extremely concerned about panic-based policy overreactions. This has put me at…
Welcome Mat is Still Out at this “Old Folks Home”
My mom and dad just celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary last Sunday, May 3. They are healthy and happy at 92 and 88 (almost 89) and when my husband and I decided to drive halfway across the country to join them for this momentous day, they welcomed us with open arms. They didn’t hesitate one…
Why You Should NOT Stay Home
Go to the beaches… Mingle with friends… Get back to work. In the long run, this is best for everyone. If you’re like me, you’re going on Facebook and seeing a lot of people urging others to stay home. Some posts are quite angry. There is a growing fury against the protestors who want to…
Suddenly, An Opportunity to Rethink Government Education
At least 33 states have ordered or recommended that government schools stay shut down through the end of the year. This sweeping decision, like others in the Great Coronavirus Suspension, will cause problems seen and unseen. Many grandparents, for instance, will become childcare providers of last resort, exposing a very vulnerable population to the threat…
And the People Woke Up
If you have any presence on social media at all, you have surely seen Kitty O’Meara’s sentimental prose poem “And the People Stayed Home,” which has circled the globe faster than a corona virus in the past couple of weeks. O’Meara says that she had been feeling sad and anxious about the pandemic and the…
“Songs of Sequestration”: A Live Radio Broadcast Just for You!
By Gary Alexander Tune in April 10 or 13 (3-6 pm Pacific) for Some “Songs of Sequestration” I’m a jazz junkie. On February 6, just a month before cruise ships were ghosted from the oceans of the world, I won my fifth crown in “Name That Tune” –among a shipload of jazz enthusiasts –on the…
What We Should Learn from China Now
Just in time for our mass incarceration – I mean, our leisurely sheltering at home — Amazon Prime has released its award-winning documentary about a killing scourge that invaded China. No, this is not the scourge currently circling the globe and leading to draconian measures to eradicate it, but China’s draconian population control that upended…
COVID-19 and the Trolley Problem
Most wannabe moral philosophers know the “trolley problem” or, to be more accurate, the class of trolley problems, which seek to reveal whether you’d take a deliberate, positive action that you know will harm someone in order to reduce harm to others. The purpose of these thought experiments is to shed light on morality and…
Using a Sledge Hammer to Crack a Nut
Today the Wall Street Journal issued its best editorial regarding the current crisis: “No society can safeguard public health for long at the cost of its economic health.” The WSJ is finally saying what a lot of us have been saying all along — government officials are using a sledge hammer to crack a nut.…
In Praise of Business
All week I’ve been receiving emails from the companies I do business with, telling me what they are doing to keep customers safe during the coronavirus scare. My airline companies have waived cancellation and change fees to help me navigate my changing travel plans. When Royal Caribbean was forced to cancel a cruise I was…
Big Tech Suppression
Remember when you woke up, opened the newspaper and enjoyed your morning coffee. It was such a simple time. You flipped to the sports section and knew you were seeing the same news as everyone on the block. But now those days are gone. Two-thirds of Americans rely on social media to get their news, and over time,…