As we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, political forces on the religious right are trying to define the essence of America in terms of blood and soil. Yaron Brook argues, to the contrary, that America is a nation of ideas, founded on, and defined by, the Enlightenment ideal of individual rights, and that this individualistic ideal has always faced opposition from tribal, collectivistic forces, both internally and externally. Brook further argues that, consistent with its founding principles, immigration and assimilation have always been central to America's identity, and that the Trump administration's attempts to discourage and impede immigration are un-American.
About the speaker: Yaron Brook is chairman of the board of the Ayn Rand Institute. He can be heard on The Yaron Brook Show, which airs live on YouTube and Spreaker. He is also a frequent guest on national radio and television programs. His most recent book, “In Pursuit of Wealth: The Moral Case for Finance,” makes the case that few industries are more vital to our prosperity – and more maligned – than the financial industry. Brook and coauthor Don Watkins also authored the national bestseller “Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government” and “Equal Is Unfair: America’s Misguided Fight Against Income Inequality.”
