“One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary.”
These words were written more than 30 years ago, but they apply exactly to today’s financial crisis. Today’s problems are the result of a government-controlled financial and housing system that rewarded irrational behavior and punished responsible behavior. Yet they are being blamed on “the free market”—with more controls offered as the solution.
Why? For the same reason that the controls were passed in the first place. The dominant moral and political ideas in our culture lead Americans to believe that a free market, with its unfettered pursuit of self-interest, is immoral and destructive—whereas a government that controls and manipulates the economy in some indefinable “public interest” is seen as a source of economic security and prosperity.
On these pages, ARC experts clarify the fundamental issues involved in the current crisis—the controls that led to it, the ideas that led to the controls, the destructiveness of the government response so far. And they provide the antidote: an explanation of the true, benevolent nature of the morality of rational self-interest and the political-economic system of laissez-faire capitalism.
Op-Eds
To Protect the Defenseless, We Must Abolish the Minimum Wage [Forbes.com] Wednesday, March 27, 2013
We Should Be Embarrassed by the Sequester Debate [Politix.com] Wednesday, March 20, 2013
3 crucial lessons Ayn Rand can teach us today [FoxNews.com] Saturday, February 2, 2013
Why The Glass-Steagall Myth Persists [Forbes.com] Monday, November 12, 2012
Asking Don Watkins: Can Ayn Rand's Ideas Really End Big Government? [Washington Times - Communities] Monday, September 17, 2012
An Interview with Don Watkins [Education News] Sunday, September 16, 2012
Private Equity Firms Want Their Acquisitions To Profit, Not Fold [Investor's Business Daily] Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Opposing view: Celebrate private equity [USA Today] Tuesday, May 29, 2012
What's Missing from the Budget Debate [Forbes] Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The Un-American Dream Friday, August 27, 2010
Get Real, Bernanke Didn't "Save" Our Economy Thursday, January 28, 2010
Person of the Year? How About Spinmeister of the Year? Monday, December 21, 2009
Misrepresenting "How We Arrived at This Moment" Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Mob Rule Comes to Washington Monday, April 6, 2009
Is Rand Relevant? Friday, March 13, 2009
The Green Energy Fantasy Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Let Bankruptcy Courts Take the Wheel Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Stop Blaming Capitalism for Government Failures Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Maestro vs. the Market Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Let Them Fail Friday, October 31, 2008
In Defense of Speculators and Short-Sellers Thursday, October 2, 2008
An Open Letter to Borrowers and Lenders: Take Responsibility for Your Decisions Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Too Big to Bail Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Project Lifeline: Collaboration or Intimidation? Monday, March 10, 2008
The Injustice of "Doing Something" about Subprime Monday, November 26, 2007
What Is Killing the Stock Market? Government Regulation Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Forbes.com Op-Eds
The Government Did It
From Flat World To Free World
To Stimulate The Economy, Liberate It
Press Releases
Atlas Shrugged on Floor Displays at Largest Bookstores Monday, June 29, 2009
Atlas Shrugged Triples in Sales Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Obama Evades Government's Role in the Crisis Friday, April 10, 2009
Sales of "Atlas Shrugged" Soar in the Face of Economic Crisis Monday, February 23, 2009
How to Stop the Next Madoff Monday, January 12, 2009
Pain of Recession Foretells Agony of Green Economy Monday, January 12, 2009
Obama's Backward Economics Friday, January 9, 2009
Republican Socialists Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The Right's Pathetic Opposition to the Auto Bailout Monday, December 15, 2008
Since When Does America Allow Czars? Thursday, December 11, 2008
Articles
Apple vs. GM: Ayn Rand Knew the Difference. Do You? , by Yaron Brook and Don Watkins, in The Christian Science Monitor
What Would Ayn Rand Say? , an interview with Yaron Brook in The Vertex
America's Unfree Market , by Yaron Brook and Don Watkins
Atlas Shrugged and the Housing Crisis that Government Built
Video & Audio
Lessons from the Financial Crisis: More Government or Less?
A debate between Yaron Brook and Peter Kadzis at the Ford Hall Forum
Part 1
Part 2
A lecture course delivered by Yaron Brook at Objectivist Summer Conference 2009
» Browse Pajamas TV appearances at ARCTV
Yaron Brook on The Thom Hartmann Show
Part 1
Part 2
By John Allisonmore info ]View accompanying slides ]
Egalitarianism and Inflation
In this lecture, delivered in 1974, Ayn Rand discusses the causes of economic instability. [listen ]
By Yaron Brookmore info ]
Yaron Brook and Alex Epstein on “Real Orange” (KOCE)
October 19, 2008
Yaron Brook on Fox Business News
October 10, 2008More Fox Business News appearances
The Resurgence of Big Government
By Yaron Brookmore info ]
Yaron Brook on Capitalism
A lecture by Yaron Brook at Chapman University. See the full seven-part series on YouTube .
Why Unregulated Capitalism Is the Only Moral Social System
A lecture by Yaron Brook at the University of California, Irvine. Full lecture with Q & A available on YouTube .
Essays inThe Objective Standard
The Resurgence of Big Government
The Morality of Moneylending: A Short History
Commentary from Other Sources
From time to time, ARC posts commentary from outside sources that we think may be of interest to our readers. Please note that the following items were not produced by ARC and do not necessarily reflect our views. For commentary by ARC writers, please see the Op-Eds, Articles, Press Releases and Video & Audio sections of this page.
Big Government Is Watching CFA Magazine , January/February 2009
The Decline and Fall of American Conservatism The Objective Standard
Web Interviews & Commentary
Interview with Don Watkins
The Ayn Rand Renaissance The Fox Forum , April 20, 2009
Interview with Alex Epstein KRMS Radio
Who Is To Blame? Newsweek
What Capitalists Need to Understand The Telegraph '
The Bailout: Just a $700 Billion Hedge Fund? Fox News Web site on September 26, 2008
Shunning the Unknown Ideal of Capitalism Created the Market Tumult The Telegraph
Wall Street’s Casualties Were Too Greedy. Or Were They Not Greedy Enough? Globe and Mail
What Would Ayn Rand Have Done? Time.com on September 19, 2008
Letters to the Editor
Britain Should Start "Easing" Government Stranglehold on the Economy Sunday, March 8, 2009
Government Found Guilty of Assaulting the Economy Thursday, October 16, 2008
Free Market Policies Needed to Solve the Crisis Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Abolishing the Housing Welfare-regulatory Apparatus Tuesday, September 16, 2008
No Bailouts for Borrowers or Lenders Wednesday, May 7, 2008
No Bailouts for Homeowners or Lenders Friday, November 23, 2007
Goal of Bailout Plans is Unjust, Not Admirable Sunday, September 23, 2007
Lenders Are Damned If They Lend--and Damned If They Don't Tuesday, April 3, 2007
ARC on the Tea Parties
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