Why Don’t Americans Have More Saved For Retirement?

Eduardo Porter has a piece in The New York Times blaming Wall Street for the fact that the average American is allegedly going to run out of money in retirement. According to Porter, the average working family nearing retirement has just $104,000 in retirement savings—obviously not enough to keep someone afloat for twenty or thirty years.



I’m not convinced that we are in fact facing a “retirement crisis.” But I want to set that aside. What’s interesting is who Porter blames for this problem.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1xe7wpn

What You Missed on Yesterday's The Yaron Brook Show

Yesterday, Elan Journo joined Yaron Brook as co-host of The Yaron Brook Show to talk about what America should do about the Middle East. Topics included: Why radical Islamists hate the West; Whether we should be friendly with Saudi Arabia; How American rules of engagement have damaged the morale of soldiers; Who is to blame for innocents killed in war.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1Hxnjpe

Birth Inequality?

Now I’ve heard everything. We read about income gaps, and wealth gaps, and racial gaps, and gender gaps. But now The Atlantic warns us about the ominously growing “unplanned birth” gap.



Poorer women have always had more unplanned children than affluent women, but it turns out that the gap has been widening since the mid-1990s, leading the article’s author, Gillian White, to wonder if this is an outcome of economic inequality.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/18YhWUL

Monday on The Yaron Brook Show: What America Should Do About the Middle East

Tune in Monday, March 9 for an all new episode of Yaron Brook’s radio show. Elan Journo, ARI’s director of policy research and an expert in foreign policy, will join Yaron as co-host to talk about what America’s role in the Middle East should be. They’ll give their take on ISIS, Saudi Arabia, Israel and much more.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1zV7zqk

Why should you care about the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict?

Why should you care about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict? Most Americans think of it as a fight over a narrow strip of land, by adversaries who each have some legitimate grievances but also some marks against them. It is, therefore, far from obvious why outsiders should be concerned. But this apathy is misguided: much of what people think they know about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is just dead wrong.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1w4FilP

Recent Guests on The Yaron Brook Show: Ambassador John Bolton Grover Norquist and Others

Last Friday, Yaron broadcasted live from CPAC, the largest annual conference for conservatives in America. In addition to giving his take on all the happenings at the conference, Yaron interviewed the following guests: Ambassador John R. Bolton; Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform; Adam Mossoff of the Center for Protection of Intellectual Property; Peter Schwartz, author of the forthcoming In Defense of Selfishness; Larry Spiwak, president of the Phoenix Center and an expert on net neutrality.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1DGUtiF

Special Edition of The Yaron Brook Show: The Conservative Movement

Tune in tomorrow, Friday, February 27, for a special episode of The Yaron Brook Show. Yaron will broadcast live from CPAC, the largest annual gathering of conservatives in America, and will give his take on the conservative movement.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1zLeqmS

Today on The Yaron Brook Show: The Oscars, ISIS and More

On today’s episode of The Yaron Brook Show, topics included: whether Obama loves America; whether ISIS is Islamic; Scott Walker; the virtues necessary for a selfish life; and the Oscars.





from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1D4N10l

Selfishness Part III: What Does Living the Good Life Require?

On Monday, February 23, Yaron Brook will talk about the virtues of rational selfishness as presented in Ayn Rand’s essay “The Objectivist Ethics” in The Virtue of Selfishness.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1vlACHR

Panel: Freedom of Speech or Tyranny of Silence? [Audio]

We at the Ayn Rand Institute regard free speech as essential to a free society; you can’t have one without the other. That’s why we have a long and proud history of taking an uncompromising and unequivocal stand for free speech.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/17w7p1w

The Yaron Brook Show: Living a Flourishing Life

On today’s episode of The Yaron Brook Show, Yaron talks about altruism in practice and the virtue of rationality. Topics included: The terrorist attacks in Denmark; the debt crisis in Greece and the morality of sacrifice; the value of reason and the virtue of rationality; selfishness and charity.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1DmMrQN

The Debt Dialogues [Episode 39]: Steven Horwitz on Inequality, Mobility and Being Poor in America

The Debt Dialogues is a weekly podcast that aims to educate young people about the welfare state and how it will affect their future. In this episode, I interview Steven Horwitz, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics and department chair at St. Lawrence University, on his new paper “Inequality, Mobility, and Being Poor in America.”



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1AiwuHC

Selfishness Part II: Living a Flourishing Life

Don’t forget to tune in Monday, February 16 for an all new episode of Yaron Brook’s radio show, where Yaron will continue his discussion of the meaning of selfishness and how to practice it.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1D5tSQX

How the World Turned against Israel [Podcast]

Last summer, you might remember the street protests, the op-eds, the academic denunciations, the UN statements all rebuking Israel’s retaliation against Hamas-controlled Gaza. Rewind a couple of years to an earlier Israel-Hamas war, and the international reaction was similarly vociferous. Going back many years, the pattern holds firm. But if you go back far enough, the picture is radically different.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1E4Vh2m

ARI to Award 2015 Essay Contest Winners More Than $67,000 in Prize Money

ARI is giving away more than $67,000 in prize money to high school students who participate in its annual essay contests for Ayn Rand’s novels Anthem and The Fountainhead. This is your chance to take home cash to help pay for college, a new computer, tablet, gaming system or anything else you’ve been looking to buy. More than 400 students will be awarded cash prizes.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1DfD2sw

The Debt Dialogues [Episode 38]: Phillip Magness on Thomas Piketty’s Empirical Claims

The Debt Dialogues is a weekly podcast that aims to educate young people about the welfare state and how it will affect their future. In this episode, I interview Phillip Magness, a policy historian and Academic Program Director at the Institute for Humane Studies, on the empirical problems with Thomas Piketty’s book on inequality, Capital in the Twenty-First Century.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1A91wEZ

Today on The Yaron Brook Show: What Does It Mean to Be Selfish?

On today’s episode of The Yaron Brook Show, Yaron talked about the nature and morality of selfishness. Topics included: The definition of selfishness; the superficial “selfishness” of Bernie Madoff; selfishness and benevolence; Objectivity, rationality, and happiness; why Objectivism is a philosophy of love.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1zCZefd

Next on ARI’s “Road to a Free Society” tour: Rituparna Basu Addressing The Impossible Math of Medicare

This month, you will have the opportunity to hear ARI analyst Rituparna Basu’s new talk, “Fifty Years Later: The Impossible Math of Medicare.”



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1D6dxd8

Monday on The Yaron Brook Show: Why You Should Be Selfish

Don’t forget to tune in Monday, February 9 for an all new episode of Yaron Brook’s radio show, where Yaron will talk about selfishness vs. altruism. Topics will include: What it means to be selfish; examples of selfishness in the world today; why altruism is immoral.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1IiZhTi

Today on The Yaron Brook Show: How Ayn Rand Changed the World

On today’s episode of The Yaron Brook Show, Yaron celebrated Ayn Rand’s 110th birthday and ARI’s 30th anniversary. Topics included: How Ayn Rand changed the world; Ayn Rand’s view of selfishness; the launch of ARI Europe; why Medicare is immoral.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/16or3Ne

Tomorrow on The Yaron Brook Show: Happy Birthday, Ayn Rand

This Monday, February 2 marks Ayn Rand’s 110th birthday. Join Yaron Brook as he celebrates the occasion on an all new episode of his radio show. Other topics will include: ARI's 30th anniversary, new intellectuals, and an interview with ARI analyst Rituparna Basu.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1zsJQSA

Bringing freedom and capitalism to campus

At the core of ARI's work is the goal of reaching students, encouraging them to rethink conventional ideas, and educating them about reason, individualism, and capitalism. Here are two snapshots of ARI intellectuals doing just that.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/15UJIA8

Ayn Rand Institute to Launch Ayn Rand Institute Europe

IRVINE, Calif. — The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) announced today the launch of Ayn Rand Institute Europe. ARI Europe will further ARI’s mission to foster awareness, understanding and acceptance of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. As Rand’s ideas continue to gain interest across Europe, ARI will establish a presence to engage audiences and advance the Objectivist movement.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1De46GU

Explore an Intellectual Career by Enrolling in the OAC

If you’re serious about a career in academia or policy, the Objectivist Academic Center (OAC) may be the next step to your professional goal.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1JXHhtc

What You Missed on Today’s Episode of The Yaron Brook Show

On today’s episode of The Yaron Brook Show, topics included: Yaron’s review of American Sniper; the elections in Greece; everything wrong with President Obama’s State of the Union address; the policies Yaron would pass if he were president.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1LcXPk9

Monday on The Yaron Brook Show: My State of the Union

Don’t forget to tune in Monday, January 26 for an all new episode of Yaron Brook’s radio show, where Yaron will critique the President’s State of the Union address and present “My State of the Union.” The show begins 11 a.m. Eastern/8 a.m. Pacific. Listen here.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1ECAJiv

Announcing 2014’s Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest Winner

When Stephanie Aldrich first picked up Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged at age twelve, she never dreamed it would eventually earn her more than $10,000. But that’s exactly what happened.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1EsClLv

Obama’s Mirages in the Middle East

The first rule of contemporary diplomacy: if you say something is true, that makes it so. The second rule: never doubt the first rule. You can see these precepts operating in President Obama’s State of the Union speech: “Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time in a decade, we’ve halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material.”



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1AOqNyr

Sorry Obama, We Aren’t Family

“My fellow Americans,” Obama said at the close of last night’s State of the Union, “we too are a strong, tight-knit family,” It’s not unusual for politicians to invoke folksy metaphors of this kind, but in this case it just about sums up Obama’s worldview.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1CQ8Mm3

What You Missed on Today’s Episode of The Yaron Brook Show

On today’s episode of The Yaron Brook Show, Yaron talked about “Why I Hate Washington, DC.” Some highlights: Why Yaron used to love DC and why his attitude has changed; the issue that Yaron predicts will dominate the 2016 election; how Objectivism differs from libertarianism; why Yaron loves classical music; the films that should win big next month at the Oscars.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1DVSdZx

Arming You in the Intellectual Battle against Islamic Totalitarianism

The attack on Charlie Hebdo reminds us that Islamic terrorism remains a very dangerous phenomenon in the world. The reaction to the attack, and particularly the expressions of support for freedom of speech, are cause for some hope, but attitudes about Islamist doctrine and the terrorism it spawns still range from dangerously naïve to frighteningly sympathetic.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1BDR9Ya

Monday on The Yaron Brook Show: Why I Hate Washington, DC

Don’t forget to tune in Monday, January 19 for an all new episode of Yaron Brook’s radio show, where Yaron will discuss “Why I Hate Washington, DC.”



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/17Q4b9Z

Flemming Rose Event at Rutgers University, Jan. 22; Jeff Jacoby Added to Event in Boston, Jan. 21

We are pleased to announce a panel discussion at Rutgers University on January 22 featuring Flemming Rose and ARI's Onkar Ghate: “Freedom of Speech or the Tyranny of Silence?” The panel will include Robert Shibley, Senior Vice-President of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. The moderator will be Dr. Gregory Salmieri. Dr. Salmieri is a philosophy fellow at The Anthem Foundation and teaches at Rutgers University and Stevens Institute of Technology.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/152Zwje

Onkar Ghate on Religion in America

If you missed it when it went up on YouTube, be sure to catch Steve Simpson’s interview with ARI Senior Fellow Onkar Ghate on religion in America.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1z6sFHq

New Episode of The Yaron Brook Show: Charlie Hebdo and the Threat to Free Speech

On today’s episode of his new radio show, Yaron Brook discussed the attacks on Charlie Hebdo and others in Paris and what this means for the future of free speech in the West.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1wRXxpi

Charlie Hebdo and Free Speech, Webinar with Dr. Onkar Ghate

Join ARI and The Undercurrent on Wednesday, January 14, at 6:00 PM ET for a special students-only webinar with senior fellow Onkar Ghate, “Charlie Hebdo, the Danish Cartoons and Free Speech.”



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1tZMQzS

#JeSuisCharlie, but for How Long?

The aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack has brought an encouraging reaction. You can see it on the streets of Paris and other cities. Last week, tens thousands of people joined vigils in solidarity with the murdered journalists. Upwards of a million Parisians took the streets on Sunday. “Je Suis Charlie” read the signs. Online the corresponding hashtag has swept across social media. Some news outlets — more than I expected — have reprinted Charlie Hebdo cartoons. But what's more, the outlets that have refused to publish the images (or pixelated them) have been deservedly bashed. They shame themselves by cowering.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/14PigCw

Introducing The Yaron Brook Show

The Yaron Brook Show premiered on Wednesday. Broadcast on the BlogTalkRadio network, the show covers news, culture, and politics from the perspective of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. Following the shooting in Paris, the first episode of the show was a special edition focusing on freedom of speech.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1Ktqj8U

“Freedom of Speech or the Tyranny of Silence?” Event in Boston, January 21, with Flemming Rose

Following the massacre of journalists at Charlie Hebdo in Paris, the intimidation of Sony Pictures over The Interview, and a growing climate of self-censorship, ARI will host a panel discussion on the freedom of speech with Flemming Rose.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1xMrEmg

Join Yaron Brook in the Battle for Free Speech

For too long the right to free speech has been undermined by the weak and apologetic intellectual and political leaders of the West — leaders who are more concerned about not offending the assailants than they are about standing up for the victims and their right to speak their minds. And for too long we have seen the results of that appeasement in an endless series of shocking headlines. The senseless slaughter at Charlie Hebdo is just the latest in a long list of death threats and attacks going all the way back to 1989 with the fatwa on Salman Rushdie.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1Fw2Owb

Freedom of Speech: We Will Not Cower

Following the slaughter at Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine, Onkar Ghate, senior fellow at ARI, writes that “When foreign governments, religious leaders and their faithful followers threaten and murder individuals for daring to speak, anyone who values his own life and freedom must stand with, and speak for, the victims.”



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1BA8lgQ

The Debt Dialogues [Episode 37]: Daniel Mitchell on the OECD Inequality Study

The Debt Dialogues is a weekly podcast that aims to educate young people about the welfare state and how it will affect their future. In this episode, I interview Cato senior fellow Daniel J. Mitchell on the OECD’s recent study claiming that inequality harms economic growth, and that redistributive policies to fight inequality don’t.



from Ayn Rand Institute - Blog http://bit.ly/1DuNURQ