THELOGICALINDIAN - For added than a decade Freedom Fest has been a top allure on the appointment ambit for those aptitude against freer markets Through the years it has developed to accommodate speakers and capacity able-bodied above economics In accomplishing so it has admiring some of the best absorbing minds in the world
Also read: William Shatner Joins Bitcoin Mining Project, Admits He Doesn’t Quite Get It
Freedom Fest Founder Talks Crypto
This year’s acquisition in Las Vegas, July 11th through 14th, is continuing to annex out. Cryptocurrency and its basal technology are demography up added bookish amplitude this July, with a host of debates, lectures, and presentations abiding to absorption news.Bitcoin.com readers. We bent up with its founder, allegorical economist Mark Skousen, to accretion acumen into the accepted conference.
News.Bitcoin.com: Freedom Fest is one of the biggest, best abounding libertarian/freedom movement soirees. Why do you anticipate it’s so accepted while added conferences attempt to advertise tickets?
Founder Mark Skousen: We do several things different — aboriginal of all, Freedom Fest is a Renaissance gathering, breadth we allocution added than aloof politics. We additionally altercate and agitation philosophy, history, science & technology, advantageous living, music & dance, law & religion, etc. We alike accept a blur festival. There’s article for everyone. We additionally accept lots of blemish sessions, so there’s affluence to accept from, and cipher is bored. We additionally accept a “financial freedom” advance conference, my breadth of expertise. I anticipate if we were carefully a autonomous conference, we wouldn’t be so successful. I additionally like to anticipate that because we are a “for profit” business, we focus added on what the attendee wants, rather than what the donors want. Also, we aren’t aggressive with non profits and affianced in fundraising.
I do anticipate we could be a lot bigger and added affecting — as “the greatest autonomous appearance in earth,” as the Washington Post calls us — if anybody in the abandon movement, including anticipate tanks, would accompany calm instead of anniversary one starting their own conference, which is what they are all doing. As Ben Franklin says, “We aloof all adhere together, or we shall absolutely all adhere separately.” (So let’s adhere out in Vegas!) We are almost baby in the world, and overextension ourselves too attenuate these days. So we action every above abandon alignment a adventitious to actualize their own mini-conference at Abandon Fest.
Every year Freedom Fest seems to absorb added cryptocurrency capacity into the program. I’ve counted at atomic four contest centered about them, including what looks to be a appealing abundant debate. Is it aloof my bent showing? Or, accept you apparent a advance in absorption by Freedom Fest participants as well?
Yes, I anticipate so. We’ve been accoutrement agenda currencies for several years now, which I attention as a accepted currency, although not abnormally commonsensical accustomed its volatility. That’s why we arrive Patrick Byrne, CEO of Overstock, to abode us this year — he thinks bitcoin and blockchain are revolutionary. I agree.
This year’s Freedom Fest boasts Naomi Brockwell, Bitcoin Girl, as the gathering’s bedmate of ceremonies. We’re, of course, big admirers of her, but why did you accept her as MC?
Not because she’s the Bitcoin Girl, but because she’s young, attractive, and able — and a abundant voice. She’s additionally able-bodied accepted in the abandon community.
Just about every year, there’s a abruptness bedfellow or addition anticipation to be controversial. Two years ago, for example, no beneath than applicant Donald Trump fabricated a angle to participants. Any hints as to what ability appear this year?
We accept arrive a abruptness guest, and if he shows up, it will be continuing allowance only. But it’s a continued shot.
I printed out the agenda, itinerary, for this year’s Freedom Fest. Wow. It’s article like 20 pages. Is accepting a advanced align of topics, from adoration to education, to anarchy, done on purpose? Or has it aloof acquired that way?
We’ve had advanced assortment of topics, debates, panels, etc. from the actual beginning. We additionally assignment adamantine to accomplish the capacity provocative. It’s capital to get a acceptable turnout, back anniversary affair competes with nine others.
We additionally accept a altered affair every year…In the past, it’s been “Are We Rome?”…”Are We Headed for Another French Revolution?”…”Is the American Dream Lost?”…and this year “Where is the Voice of Reason?”
Your seminal textbook, Economic Logic, now in its 5th edition, has a abrupt acknowledgment of bitcoin. Do you anticipate that’s apprenticed to change, say, for the 6th edition? In added words, do you anticipate economists such as yourself will be accountable to attack with it to a greater degree?
I do plan to accommodate a above area of agenda currencies in the 6th edition. I admired I had put in added in the 5th edition.
At atomic one of your quotes about bitcoin went viral a while back. You basically argue it won’t anytime alter gold due to the actuality computers can be finer shut off, shutting off admission to bitcoin. Do you still advance your altercation about it never replacing gold?
I’m of the assessment that the advancement trend in gold seems to accept been afflicted by the accretion absorption in bitcoin and added cryptocurrencies as a accepted alternative. But because it’s agenda and non-physical, it can never alter the allowances of absolute gold ownership.
You were one of the few acclaimed economists to accurate a bullishness appear cryptocurrency. Do you still anticipate able-bodied of crypto? Has the amount bead afflicted your mind?
Volatility is still a problem, and that’s befitting aback its use by everyman. Most investors authority it as a belief rather than a average of exchange.
Do you, or accept you, absolutely acclimated cryptocurrency to acquirement appurtenances and services? Just curious.
Not yet. Like everybody, I admired I had gotten in aboriginal and become a millionaire!
This year Abandon Fest is throwing a 50th Anniversary anniversary for Reason. How important is Reason to the alternative movement in your view?
Reason Foundation has developed abundantly in the accomplished 50 years and now competes with the Cato Institute as the best affecting autonomous abandon organization. I’m a big supporter, and they are appropriately admiring of what we are aggravating to do. We are captivated to accept them co-sponsor abounding of our contest this year. For the aboriginal time, they are captivation their Reason Media Awards at Abandon Fest at the Saturday night feast on July 14 rather than in New York.
We are accustomed to bless appropriate years with all the abandon organizations.
Next year we accept a affair that will draw a big army (I predict): “The Wild West.” July 17-20, 2019, Paris Resort, in Las Vegas. And yes, we are planning a aboveboard dance!
What do you anticipate about Freedom Fest? Let us apperceive in the comments.
Images via the Pixabay.
Verify and clue bitcoin banknote affairs on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its affectionate anywhere in the world. Also, accumulate up with your holdings, BCH and added coins, on our bazaar archive at Satoshi Pulse, addition aboriginal and chargeless account from Bitcoin.com.
