The Rise of Authoritarianism in the West

The West has experienced a rapid increase in political movements that embrace authoritarian ideas. Our freedom of speech is constantly under threat, Islamic fundamentalism is on the rise and gradually taking hold in much of Western Europe, and the green movement is jeopardizing the West's energy supply while promoting a concept of "Degrowth." These are just a few examples of the many philosophically driven dangers facing Western civilization.

In his talk, Dr. Yaron Brook will explain these dangerous developments and provide a reason-based alternative that will enable us to preserve our moral Western civilization.

Dr. Yaron Brook is chairman of the board of the Ayn Rand Institute.

Brook 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.

In addition to podcasting and speaking globally, Dr. Brook authors works that inspire critical thinking. 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 explain why finance has faced so much criticism, and why, despite the conventional image of financiers as “greedy” and reckless, finance is a moral industry. Brook and Watkins also authored national best seller “Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government” and “Equal Is Unfair: America’s Misguided Fight Against Income Inequality.”

Above and beyond his best-selling books, Dr. Brook is a contributing author to “Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea,” “Winning the Unwinnable War: America’s Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism,” and “Big Tent: The Story of the Conservative Revolution — As Told by the Thinkers and Doers Who Made It Happen”.

Brook was also a columnist at Forbes.com, and his articles have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Investor’s Business Daily and many other publications.

Brook was born and raised in Israel. He served as a first sergeant in Israeli military intelligence and earned a BSc in civil engineering from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. In 1987 he moved to the United States where he received his MBA and PhD in finance from the University of Texas at Austin; he became an American citizen in 2003. For seven years he was an award-winning finance professor at Santa Clara University, and in 1998 he cofounded BH Equity Research, a private equity and hedge fund manager, of which he is managing founder and director.

Location:
Gamle Raadhus Scene, Oslo

Agenda:

12:00: Doors open/mingle
13:00: “The Rise of Authoritarianism in the West”
14:30: Break
15:00: Musical performance
15:10: “The Decline of Art in Western Civilization”
16:30: Mingle

Contact person:
Eva Aamondt +47 410 04 324