Living Free in an Unfree World

Students apply for an admission scholarship here. View the event schedule here

The state knows no limits when it comes to intervening in the economy and our lives. From devaluing our dollars to regulating the flow of water in our showerheads, nothing is out of reach for the state’s army of bureaucrats and enforcers.

Yet, opposition to state power isn’t enough. It’s never enough to just be against something. We also have to be for something. The key lies in supporting institutions that replace and undermine government power.

After all, there are certain institutions that have long challenged the state, displaced the state, and made the state unnecessary. These institutions include markets, families, churches, and private organizations of all types. Only by building up these institutions can we create meaningful and necessary alternatives to the state.

Communists of all eras have understood this which is why Marx wanted to destroy not just markets, but also families and all of the private sector. The fascists were the same, with Mussolini declaring he would tolerate “nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.”

The key to preserving freedom lies in creating a world “outside the state.”

On September 14, join Peter Klein and Ryan McMaken from the Mises Institute to discuss the challenge of creating a free world through markets and other private institutions in the midst of ever-growing government power. We’ll explore the prospects of political decentralization, new technology, and alternative media.

Peter Klein is a Senior Fellow at the Mises Institute, where he also serves on the Board of Directors. He is the W. W. Caruth Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. His research focuses on the economics of entrepreneurship and business organization, with applications to innovation, public policy, and economic growth. Klein is a veteran teacher and scholar and has authored or edited seven books and has published over 75 academic articles, chapters, and reviews.

Ryan McMaken is the executive editor at the Mises Institute. With an academic background in public policy and finance, he spent more than a decade as an economist, lobbyist, and college instructor in Colorado. He is the author of more than 1,000 op-eds for the Mises Institute and he is the author of two books and is the editor of a forthcoming book titled “The Struggle for Liberty: A Libertarian History of Political Thought.”

This event is an essential gathering for anyone committed to understanding and applying the principles of freedom and Austrian economics to navigate and thrive in a world dominated by the state.

Schedule

10:00 a.m. - Registration and bookstore open (the bookstore will be cash only)

11:00 a.m. - Dr. Peter Klein, “Can Technology Make Us Free?”

11:30 a.m. - Ryan McMaken, “Families, Churches, Schools: How to Replace the State”

12:00 p.m. - Lunch

1:00 p.m. - Q&A with Peter Klein and Ryan McMaken

Registration

We’ll meet on Saturday, September 14, at Tomasita’s Albuquerque New Mexican Restaurant, 4949 Pan American Freeway NE. Registration is $60 per person and includes a catered lunch.

Special thanks to George and Sally Gundrey for sponsoring this event.