We hope you’re excited about the Liberty League Freedom Forum 2012, to be held in Newcastle on 30th March – 1st April. Tickets have been selling fast, so it’s a good idea to book your place there straight away by clicking here. Remember, accommodation, meals and the seminars and lectures are provided for the duration of the conference for only the £30 cost of the ticket. Here’s a list of all the sessions and speakers we’ve confirmed:
Josie Appleton, Claire Fox, Jan Macvarish, Max Wind-Cowie:
- Should the State ever Intervene in Parenting? “All ideologies have a problem with children. Where do their rights begin and end? To what extent are they dependents, and what is the responsibility of the parent? Some fear that young minds will be misinformed or fed propaganda by their parents and schools, and others fear that parents might be unfit to raise their children. And what about children without parents or family? Whose responsibility is it to look after them? In a libertarian model, is there ever room for the state to intervene, or should this be the exclusive role of society?”
Josie Appleton:
- Pavement Injustice – Rise of the Busybodies? ”Public spaces have become policed by unaccountable officials bearing open-ended powers. With on-the-spot fines running at 200,000 a year, people have been fined for littering when feeding ducks or dropping a £10 note, and for handing out leaflets for charity art exhibitions or lost cat posters. This session will look at the new breed of badged busybodies. Who are they and what powers do they have? What are the implications for civil liberties and civic life? If so many punishments are issued out of court, does the rule of law even exist any more? And how can citizens put a check on these new officials?”
Claire Fox:
- Is Consumerism Bad for Education? ”With universities now charging tuition fees of up to £9000 a year, many claim that a consumer revolution is taking place in education. Similarly, the ‘student voice’ movement places student satisfaction and the aim of social mobility at the centre of education. But is this a good thing? Are students being empowered to hold universities to higher standards, or does a complaint culture lead to grade inflation by demanding their ‘money’s worth’? If the customer is always right, does this mean that professors will sell flattery rather than frank feedback?”
Emma Boon:
- Saturday After-Dinner Keynote Speech
Kevin Dowd:
- Free Banking and Currency Reform: ”Do we really have a free market? Some economists believe that limited liability rules and a national monopoly on currencies mean we have a system of corporate capitalism at odds with the free market. What are the problems posed, and what kind of policies can deal with them effectively?”
- Doom & Gloom: Where is the Economy headed?: “The economic prospects of the country, Europe and the world are looking shaky. But is this just another recession about to pass, or are we in a much deeper crisis than is commonly imagined?”
Dan Hamilton vs. Patrick Hayes:
- The Great Foreign Policy Debate. To Intervene or Not to Intervene? “Apart from a belief in the free movement of peoples and goods to promote freedom, foreign policy is rarely discussed within the pro-liberty movement. For some classical liberals, the state should guarantee liberty and combat tyranny wherever it appears, with humanitarian intervention. For others, reflected in the alliance between the anti-war movement and libertarians in the US, all use of force is either counterproductive or abhorrent, reflecting libertarianism’s inherent pacifism. Is it possible to justify the use of force in foreign countries? Or should other countries just be left alone?”
Angus Kennedy:
- Ancient Greeks & Freedom: “Concepts of liberty have their roots in the ancient world. But what were these classical ideas of liberty, and where did they come from? Perhaps most importantly of all, are there lessons to be learned from the ancient Greek philosophers and political thinkers? Or was their concept of freedom flawed, particularly in light of slavery and the treatment of women?”
- The Renaissance & Liberty: “The Renaissance is known for the rebirth of ancient political ideas including the republican tradition of free citizens living in free cities and the struggle for liberty against tyranny as exemplified by Brutus. But to what extent were Graeco-Roman concepts of freedom applicable or realisable in a world of Popes, Kings and Emperors? What lessons can be learned from the period by classical liberals and libertarians?”
Mark Littlewood:
- Friday After-Dinner Keynote Speech on the pro-liberty movement and the threats, opportunities and challenges it faces.
Rob Lyons:
- Food: Myths and Morality: ”Is food a moral issue? For classical liberals, this sometimes boil down to the issue of how far the no harm principle extends to animals and the environment. But is there also a degree of alarmism and misinformation? With food miles, obesity ‘pandemics’, farming concerns, and a distrust of supermarkets by food critics, how have wealthy societies that have solved the age-old problem of famine become so concerned about what we eat?”
Mark Pennington:
- What is Free Market Environmentalism? ”Within the libertarian tradition, property rights are often king. Many support even the right to pollute, so long as it provides economic progress. But to what extent are we able to pollute without threatening the rights of others? And are there free market mechanisms for dealing with this problem, or might it fall to Rothbard’s solution of imposing bans on certain levels of pollution? At its extreme, and accepting the threat of climate change, can we find a free market environmentalist
alternative solution?”
Nick Pickles:
- Internet Free Speech vs Internet Privacy? “Should we regulate the internet to stop British citizens being able to access content that may not be conducive to the public good? And does the saying ring true that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear about your internet connection being monitored? Is there a balance between freedom of speech and privacy on the internet, and what are the implications of moves to regulate it?”
Madsen Pirie:
- Economics made Fun: “What are the basics, and what is the best way to present them?”
- Philosophies of Freedom: ”Where does libertarian and classical liberal thought come from, and how has it evolved? Who are the key philosophers and why are they important?”
Kevin Rooney:
- Football’s Free Speech Wars: The Right to be Offensive? “What’s the bigger problem in Britian right now? Is it fans verbally abusing each other at football grounds with racist, homophobic or sectarian abuse? Or is it the contemporary politics of anti-racism, anti-homophobia and anti-sectarianism which is increasingly patronising and illiberal? Should libertarians draw a line between ‘acceptable’ and ‘unacceptable’ speech? Do words lead to actions? Is it time to rediscover a thick skin when defending football fans’ right to be offensive, or is a new law need to stamp out ‘hate speech’ once and for all?”
Alex Singleton:
- How to be a Journalist: What makes them tick? “How does the world of journalism really work, how can you become one, and how do you get them interested when you have something to promote?“
Chris Snowdon:
- How to be a Prohibitionist: “Smoking, drinking, drugs, fat, sugar… The list is endless. But why do prohibitionists keep appearing, and how are they able to get away with banning things? What are the facts around endangered substances and activities, and how can we enter the mind of the prohibitionist to best stop them?”
Jamie Whyte:
- How to win the argument: Addressing fallacies and persuading audiences
- Philosophies of Freedom: “How does classical liberal and libertarian thought fit into the wider context of philosophical thought? Who are the key philosophers and why are they important? And what are the big flaws and questions that freedom’s advocates should address?”
Remember, the Liberty League Freedom Forum 2012 is only a few weeks away. Make sure you grab the opportunity and book right away by clicking here.
