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On February 17, I’ll be speaking in Milwaukee. I’m honored to be part of Wisconsin Forum’s line-up for the 2021-2022 season.
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My question will be: The economic, political, and historical evidence for the superiority of free societies is substantial — yet so many are suspicious or outright hostile, and often authoritarian policies prevail over genuinely liberal ones. Why?
My answer will be: Whoever has the ethical high ground most often wins. The entrepreneurial moral principle of being a self-responsible individual committed to making his or her way in the world — that must be well defended against those committed to the opposing principles of paternalism, collective sacrifice, and egalitarian leveling.
Related: My article in The Wall Street Journal on “What Entrepreneurship Can Teach Us About Life” (or at WSJ’s site or in audio version).