In late October, I had the privilege to attend the Mont Pelerin Society’s annual meeting as a guest of a very generous Reliance supporter, Peter Cooper. It was beautifully hosted by the American Institute of Economic Research (AIER) at the Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. This was a particularly historic event as the venue was the location of the 1944 Bretton Woods conference.
Set in the picturesque White Mountains, the 1944 meeting brought economic experts and political leaders from around the world to discuss and agree on a new, international monetary system. Three commissioners, famous in their own right, led the discussion: Henry Dexter White, from the U.S., John Maynard Keynes from the U.K., and Eduardo Suarez from Mexico. The Mount Washington Resort has plaques on their rooms and those of other famous people from the conference, plus a room of memorabilia about its history.
The purpose of the 1944 conference was to stabilize trade and fiscal events around the world, with the idea that a central authority could prevent further dire problems, such as the hyperinflation of Germany in the ‘20 which led to World War II. However, many would disagree with the reasons for this agreement, and are disturbed by its consequences! But that’s a discussion for another time.
The Mont Pelerin Society (MPS) was formed in 1947 in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland by a cadre of classical liberal economists and thinkers, such as journalist Henry Hazlitt, Ludwig Erhard, chancellor of post-war Germany, and economists Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Ludwig von Mises. Classical liberalism had reached a nadir amidst the world’s intellectuals’ love affair with collectivism. The Society was formed to reboot the use of classical liberal principles, including researching and developing the intellectual tools to support and advance the classical liberal order of private property, free markets, and a free society.
This year’s theme was “Liberalism and the Global Economy.” The word “Liberalism” is used here as it is everywhere but the U.S.; it means Classical Liberalism, an ideology that believes in the dignity of individuals and the objective superiority of private property, free markets, and the rule of law for societies. I heard many substantial talks about issues from “The Gold Monetary System” to “Why Is Liberalism So Hard?” to “Can Ukraine Win?”
I was able to network with astoundingly accomplished people from around the world, such as the inimitable Ron Manners, head of the Mannwest Group and the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation in Perth, Australia (also a Reliance supporter!). At 87 years old, Ron is not slowing down and puts younger people to shame in the most cheerful way! He is my role model.
I hope I continue attending their meetings and join the Society soon!
Charcon
From November 10th to the 12th, I attended a conference in Charlotte, NC created and hosted by Reliance supporter Cynthia Roeth, my favorite energizer bunny!
Charcon’s theme was Self-Esteem, Purpose, and Reason and included such wonderful talks as “Aristotelian Character Friends and Self-Integration” by Reliance Advisor, Carrie-Ann Biondi and “Capitalism: The Premier Habitat for Humanity” by Richard Salsman.
I led a Reliance-style seminar on a reading from Nathaniel Branden’s book “The Psychology of Self-Esteem,” delving into his definition of self-esteem.
I was also able to offer material and information to attendees about Reliance College, our Summer Seminar, Overseas Trips, and online discussion groups.
AmericaFest
From December 16th to the 18th I tabled for Reliance College at AmericaFest in Phoenix. An enormous event of TurningPoint USA! Over 13,000 people attended to hear a huge roster of speakers, including James Lindsay co-author of Cynical Theories, professor and evolutionary biology business researcher Gad Saad, and politician Tulsi Gabbard among many, many others.
The conference included a gigantic media hall, with radio and live-stream programs galore. I wasn’t able to partake of this because I had so many young people, parents, and grandparents to talk to at my table!
I was impressed with how knowledgeable the parents and grandparents were of the awful state of current education in the U.S. They were quite attracted to our program because of its emphasis on thinking skills, independence, confidence, and Great Books. Conversation with them revealed they had a good knowledge of U.S. foundational principles and the Constitution.
We had several buttons on our table as swag and the most popular one was “Think for Yourself”! I obtained a long list of sign-ups for information about our Summer Seminar at this conference. Next month, our Assistant Program and Admissions Director, Felicia Goglia and one of our students from our last Summer Seminar, Mya Hardamon, are going to table at LibertyCon in DC. Hopefully, we’ll have as much success there!
