Washington Metro Objectivism Discussion (WMOD)

                      February 1997 Meeting

                   "The Libertarian Challenge" 
                   
                   by David Boaz, Cato Institute


At the February meeting of WMOD, David Boaz will speak on
the nature of libertarianism, as described in his two new
books "Libertarianism, A Primer" and "The Libertarian Reader".
David will discuss the misrepresentation of libertarianism as
atomistic individualism, the importance of cooperation, and the 
differences among various approaches to libertarianism. After
his talk there will be a question and answer period.

David Boaz is executive vice president of the Cato Institute.
His two new books on libertarianism were published by the Free
Press in 1997.  He is also the editor of "Left, Right, and
Babyboom: America's New Politics", "Assessing the Reagan years", 
"The Crisis in Drug Prohibition", and "Liberating Schools: 
Education in the Inner City", and coeditor with Edward H. 
Crane of "An American Vision: Policies for the 90s", "Market 
Liberalism: A Paradigm for the 21st Century", and "The Cato 
handbook for Congress".  An expert on such issues as the failure 
of big government, the politics of the baby-boom generation, 
drug prohibition, and educational choice, Boaz writes widely on 
those subjects and others in such publications as the "New 
York Times", the "Washington Post" the "Wall Street Journal", 
and the "Chicago Tribune".  He previously served as editor of 
"New Guard" magazine and executive director of the Council 
for a Competitive Economy.  Boaz is a graduate of Vanderbilt 
University.

Note that Reason magazine and the Laissez Fair Books catalog
(800/326-0996) both review David's new books this month.


       When and Where is the WMOD Meeting?

Join us on Wednesday Feb 19.  You can either join us for
dinner at 7 pm and/or for the discussion at 8:15 pm at the
Fortune Chinese Restaurant at Baileys  Xroads, VA on Route 7
between 7 Corners and Columbia Pike (5900  Leesburg Pike
703/998-8888). You can take METRO to the West Falls  Church
stop and then take METRO buses 29A or 29B East on Route 7
toward Baileys Xroads. The Fortune is on this route. After
the meeting we can give you a ride back to a METRO station.
WMOD has arranged for a $15 fixed price dinner (including
tax and tip).  Or you can order from the menu.  Please RSVP
to WMOD (703) 820-7696 before noon Wednesday 2/19 so that we
can tell the restaurant how many tables to set up.

          
          Mises Archives found In Russia

 From: "Scott A. Kjar" <70402.3124@CompuServe.COM

Researchers in the archives of the Soviet Union have 
discovered a huge cache of materials on Ludwig von Mises.

In the 30s, after Mises had already moved to Switzerland, 
he still maintained his apartment in Vienna.  He had books, 
notes, and correspondence there, since he anticipated being 
able to move back eventually, after the fall of the Nazis.

One day, the Nazis went to his apartment, and confiscated 
everything.  They took his personal letters, his drafts of 
articles and books not yet published, his jotted ideas, 
lecture notes, minutes from meetings he had attended, 
everything.

After the end of WW II, this material fell into Soviet hands, 
where it was carefully logged and archived.  The Soviets 
apparently even added additional information, acquired 
from spies and informants they had in place in Vienna for
many years.  Thus, this cache apparently even includes 
transcriptions of lectures he gave as a professor, or 
lectures to local businessmen, and even conversations 
he had with high-ranking political officials of Austria.

This material, recently uncovered, is primarily in German, 
and some perhaps in Russian.  Thus, it will require 
translation before it is accessible to us.  In
the meantime, the Mises Institute has commissioned Guido 
Hulsmann, a young Misesian scholar in Germany, to review 
the material, and to finally write the definitive biography 
of Mises, a task never before undertaken.  With access to
this huge bank of information, Hulsmann will be able to 
provide insights into Mises's daily life, including even 
glimpses into his personal life, through love letters to 
his wife, correspondence with friends, and other such personal
mementos.

It is expected to take 2 years to fully research this 
material.  Fortunately, Hulsmann speaks and writes German, 
French, and English, as well as some Russian,
so he will be creating a document that, once completed, 
will be immediately accessible to people all over the world.

The Mises Institute is currently raising funds for this 
effort.  It is expected that Hulsmann will be flying between 
Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Russia, and New York to 
complete this project, and will likely be providing "gifts" to
Russian archival clerks in order to assure timely and 
thorough access to the material.

For further information about this awesome project, 
write to The Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn University, 
Auburn AL 36830.


                      DC AREA CALENDAR

=====Smithsonian Institution Resident Associate Program(RAP)
     Registration: 202/357-3030

* 2/10: Ken Burns presents "Thomas Jefferson". Documentary
film maker Burns will talk about the making of this
documentary to be sown on PBS on 2/18-19. $15/$20.  

* 4/16-6/4: "The Novels of Ayn Rand: The Human Ideal in Action"
by Shoshana Milgram, associate prof of English at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute, at 6pm for seven Wednesdays. RAP  
members $88, general admission $136. Cosponsored by the 
Ayn Rand Institute. 

====Institute for Objectivist Studies 1997 Summer Seminar

*7/5-13 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA.
Contact http://ios.org, ios@ios.org, or phone 914/471-6100.


====Future of Freedom Foundation

>>>The Untouchables Lecture Series
(6 pm at the National Press Club, 529 14th St NW, Washington DC
No reservations required, free admission, 202/662-7500.

* 2/13: Sue Blevins, founder and president of the Institute for 
Health Freedom on "Repealing, not Reforming Social Security"  

* 4/17: David Boaz, Executive vice president of the Cato Institute
on "Ending, Not Reforming the War on Drugs"

>>>The Vienna Coffee Club
  (6 pm dinner and talk $20, 7:30 talk only $5, at the Sheraton
  Premier Hotel, Rt 7 and Dulles Tollway, RSVP 703/934-6101.

* 3/6: Jeffrey R. Hummel, prof and author of "Emancipating Slaves,
Enslaving Free Men: A History of the American Civil War" on
"A Libertarian Looks at the Civil War"

*5/22: Richard M. Ebeling, prof of econ at Hillsdale College
on "The Lost Papers of Ludwig von Mises: Their Discovery and
Importance"

               WMOD Contact Information

The WMOD newsletter is $10/yr,  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) -------------------