Washington Metro Objectivism Discussion (WMOD)
Wednesday, February 18, 1998 Meeting
"Advancing Libertarianism with Rand"
A Talk by
Jacob (Bumper) Hornberger
Founder and President of
The Future of Freedom Foundation
Why is it that the American people continue to embrace the socialistic
welfare state and the regulated society rather than join libertarians and
Objectivists in our attempt to dismantle these destructive aspects of
society? Everywhere we look, government programs are a failure in terms of
what they purport to accomplish: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid,
public schooling, the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on racism,
and so forth. Moreover, government agents treat the American people in
increasingly extreme and bizarre ways: Waco, Ruby Ridge, the IRS, the
DEA, etc.
Why don't Americans wholeheartedly embrace the political and economic
principles of libertarianism and Objectivism? Part of the answer lies in
their conviction that A is not A--that life under government control is a
life of freedom. And another part of the puzzle is their conviction that
they are not worthy of freedom--a mindset that is explained in Nathaniel
Brandon's principles of self-esteem. This talk will address these challenges
and address how we might be able to overcome them.
Jacob G. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom
Foundation, a nationally oriented foundation based in Fairfax, Virginia.
FFF's mission is to present an uncompromising case for libertarianism. He
began his professional life as a trial attorney in Texas, later became
program director at The Foundation for Economic Education in New York, and
founded FFF in 1989. He was the keynote speaker at the 1996 national
Libertarian Party convention. Jacob's first exposure to individualist ideas
was in 1974, when he saw the movie "The Fountainhead".
The Future of Freedom Foundation was founded in 1989. Its mission is to
present an uncompromising moral, philosophical, and economic case for the
free society. Its monthly journal, Freedom Daily, publishes libertarian
essays on current events ($18 per year--12 issues). FFF has also published
the following books edited by Jacob G. Hornberger, FFF's president, and
Richard M. Ebeling, FFF's vice president of academic affairs: The Dangers
of Socialized Medicine; The Case for Free Trade and Open Immigration; The
Failure of America's Foreign Wars; and, most recently, The Tyranny of Gun
Control. FFF most successful book has been Separating School and State: How
to Liberate Americas families by Sheldon Richman, which gives the
definitive libertarian case for ending public schooling.
In 1987, Mr. Hornberger left the practice of law to become director of
programs at The Foundation for Economic Education in Irvington-on-Hudson,
New York, one of the oldest free-market organizations in the country.
In 1989, Mr. Hornberger founded The Future of Freedom Foundation. He is a
regular writer for The Foundations monthly journal of libertarian essays,
Freedom Daily. He has spoken on libertarianism to groups all over the U.S.,
as well as in England, Eastern Europe, and South America.
Jacob has served three terms on the platform committee of the national
Libertarian Party. He was the keynote speaker at the 1996 national
Libertarian Party convention, where he was also awarded the Thomas Paine
award for the L.P. member who has most effectively communicated libertarian
ideas. His personal interests include hiking and cycling. In 1997, he cycled over
2,500 miles. You can contact him by email at FFFVA@compuserve.com.
January Meeting
Thanks to Bob Bidinotto for his stimulating talk on "Building Bridges
Between Libertarians and Objectivists" at the January 21, 1998 WMOD meeting.
Over 75 people attended the meeting, and the debate was was still going strong
at midnight.
When and Where is the WMOD Meeting?
Join us on Wednesday February 18. Anyone who is interested in
rational discussion of Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome. Note that we have a
NEW MEETING LOCATION that is Metro accessible. You can either
join us for drinks at 6:30, dinner at 7 pm and/or for the talk (free) at 8:15 pm
at the Lighthouse Tavern in Rosslyn, VA, just across the Key Bridge
from Georgetown. The street address is 1901 North Fort Myer
Drive, but the front door of the Tavern is actually on 19th Street.
If you come by Metro, get off at the Rosslyn Metro Exit and the
Tavern is only a block away. Take the street
exit on N Moore Street (across street from Roy Rogers/Burger King),
go out of Metro and take left on block to the intersection of N Moore
and 19th Street, and the Tavern is directly across the street. There
is a blue awning over the door and a sign for the lobster special on the
wall. If you drive, there is a Colonial Parking Garage on N. Moore that
offers free parking after 5:00 if you get your ticket validated at the
Tavern. WMOD has arranged for a $15 fixed price dinner (including
tax and tip). Or you can order from the menu. Please RSVP
to WMOD at (703) 820-7696 before noon Wednesday 2/18 so that
we can tell the restaurant how many tables to set up and how many
to expect for dinner. For more information, call the Tavern at
(703) 351-6100, or call David Saum at (703) 820-7696 (W) or (703)
671-5119 (H). If you have transportation problems, give us a call.
Future Meetings
WMOD meetings are generally held on the 3d Wednesday of each month.
We are always looking for new stimulating meeting topics related to
Objectivism. Please contact WMOD if you have suggestions for
meeting topics and locations, or if you can volunteer some time to
arrange meetings.
WMOD Contact Information
The WMOD newsletter is $10/yr, the email newsletter is free.
Contact:
Dave Saum
WMOD
PO Box 8007
Falls Church, VA 22041
Email: DSaum at infiltec.com
Phone: (703) 820-7696
Fax: (703) 671-9350
Web: http://www.infiltec.com/wmod.htm
----------- "Sapere aude" (dare to know) -------------------
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