Dear freedom lovers,
I’m excited about this year’s big show in Memphis. Here’s my personal schedule. See you there!
Wednesday, July 12:
12 noon – 12:50 pm. Main Stage #2. “Welcome to FreedomFest,” an introduction to our Memphis show. A fun review of what to expect at this year’s FreedomFest and Anthem film festival. At 12:30 pm, I’ve invited Dr. Rainer Zitelmann, author of “In Defense of Capitalism,” who will talk about “Myths and Facts about Capitalism.”
1:00 – 1:50 pm. Main Stage #2. “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: A Debate Over the Modern Libertarian Movement.” I’ll be moderating a debate between two law professors about Northwestern’s Andrew Koppelman book, “Burning the House Down: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed.” NYU Professor Richard Epstein will respond. I’ve never seen Richard Epstein lose a debate.
2:00 – 2:50 pm. Rooms 202-203. “They Say, ‘Health is Wealth,’ But Actually Health is Freedom.” Panel moderated by Dr. Matthew Morgan, MD, and panelists Carta Gericke, Laura Spath, and Spike Cohen. This session will address what our leaders ignored during the 2020 Covid pandemic: healthy people survived.
3:00 – 3:50 pm. Main Stage #2. “Left, Right, Liberal, Conservative, Progessive: Do These Labels Help or Hinder the Fight for Freedom?” I’ll be moderating this big debate based on Hyrum Lewis’s book, “The Myth of Left and Right: how the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America” (Oxford University Press, 2023), which will be awarded the Leonard E. “Read This Book” Award at FreedomFest. We will hear response from Steve Moore, Grover Norquist, and Andrew Koppelman.
4:30 – 7 pm. Opening Ceremonies. MC: Lisa Kennedy (Fox News) Hear from former NBA star Enes “Freedom” Kanter, T. K. Coleman, Glorida Alvarez, a presidential candidate in Guatemala, and entertainer Daryl Davis, blues/rock n roll pianist extraordinaire.
Afterwards, enjoy the Opening Cocktail Party in the “Trade Show for Liberty” Exhibit Hall. Enjoy over 150 exhibits of various free-market think tanks, financial services, the FreedomFest bookstore, and other freedom organizations. Be sure to check out my “White Mates in Two Chess” problem and win a silver dollar. Plus see Pop Up artists throughout the exhibit hall, including our own Elvis impersonator. The Anthem film festival will show the film “The Unredacted” that was censored at Sundance and Southwest film festivals.
Thursday, July 13:
7 – 8 am. Room 205 Balcony. Morning Yoga with Michelle Roberts.
8:50 – 9:15 am. Main Stage #1. Global Financial Summit with Steve Forbes (North America), Barbara Kolm (Europe, Russia), Preity Uupala (China and India), and Gloria Alvarez (Latin America), moderated by Garrett Baldwin (Money Map Press).
That morning we’ll also hear from Dan Slepian, an NBC reporter who has been in the forefront of getting innocent inmates released from prison; Grover Norquist and Heather Wagenhals on tax cut strategies;
“Anti-Davos” with Brad Lips, Tom Palmer, and Magette Wade; Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democrat, on how to preserve peace in the world; and a big debate, “Have the Environmentalists Gone Too Far?,” between historian Douglas Brinkley, author of “Silent Spring Revolution,” and Michael Shellenberger, author of “Apocalysis Never!” with Michael Shermer of Skeptic magazine as the moderator.
It will be followed by a “meet and greet” luncheon with Tulsi Gabbard and Enes “Freedom” Kanter.
1:10 – 2:00 pm. I’m torn between two sessions, a panel (Main Stage #2) on the topic “Who’s Winning the Battle of Ideas: Adam Smith, Marx or Keynes?” moderated Wolf von Laer; and another panel (Ballroom E) on “Unleash Prosperity: The Future of Tax and Spend in Washington,” with Steve Moore, Grover Norquist, and Keli’i Akina (Grassroot Institute of Hawaii).
2:10 – 3 pm. Main Stage #1. Michael Shermer on “How Lives Turn Out: Genese, Environment, Luck, and Tools for What We Can and Cannot Change in Life.”
Or Ballroom C, Global Financial Summit, “High Yield Income” by Bryan Perry and “You Aint Seen Nothin Yet: The Next Stock Market Tech Boom” by George Gilder.
3:10 – 4:00 pm. RF 3-4-5. “Getting Small: The Tiny Home Revolution” with John Papola and others.
Or Room 205. “Disinherit the IRS: How to Prepare for Tax Doomsday,” with estate planning specialist Dave Phillips.
4:00 – 4:30 pm. Coffee break in the Exhibit Hall, autograph session with speakers at the FreedomFest bookstore, visiting exhibits and sponsors, chess game, etc.
4:30 – 7 pm. Main Stage #1, with MC Lisa Kennedy. Matt Taibbi on “Media Misinformation”…Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy….and my interview with Mike Rowe, followed by a private “meet and greet” 7-8 pm with Mike Rowe (limited to 100 attendees).
Friday, July 13:
9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Ballroom B. I’ll be attending mostly the Anthem film festival on Friday morning, watching films about the importance of fathers, followed by panel discussions with John Papola, Dan Slebian, formerly incarcerated inmate J. J. Valesquez, and Jo Ann Skousen moderating.
12 – 1 pm. Luncheon with Steve Forbes and his new educational series.
1:10 – 2 pm. RF 1- 2. “Wokeness in Business and Business Schools: How Did We Get There, and How Do We Move Forward?” with Daniel Sutter (moderator), Chuck Salvo, Scott Shephard and Phil Magness.
2:10 – 3 pm. Main Stage #1. Debate: “Supply Side Economics, Success or Failure?” with Art Laffer vs. Lanny Ebenstein. Alex Green, moderator. The debate will be over Art Laffer’s new book, “Taxes Have Consequences.” Lanny Ebenstein favors taxing the rich more.
3:10 – 4 pm. Ballroom C. “This Chart Shows Why Inflation Can Only Get Worse: What Rising Prices mean to Investors and the Dollar.” I’ll be moderating this panel: Steve Forbes, David Bahnsen, Alex Green, Louis Navellier.
4 – 4:30 pm. Coffee break in the Exhibit Hall. Autograph session with authors at the FreedomFest bookstore, etc.
4:30 – 6:45 pm. Main Stage #1. MC Lisa Kennedy. Talks by David Boaz on “Classical Liberal Response to a Growing Illiberalism”… Chinese dissidents on “Human Rights Violations,”…Larry Sharpe and Afroman on “Criminal Justice Reform”…and last but not least, the mock trial: “Open Borders on Trial,” with Michael Shermer as judge, Larry Elder as prosecuting attorney, and Christine Barnard as defending attorney, plus star witnesses.
6:45 – 7:45 pm. Larry Elder reception and fundraiser.
7:45 – 9:14 pm. Main Stage #2. Punch Up Comedy Show (Clean).
Saturday July 15:
7:30 – 8:30 am. Heritage Ballroom #1 Sheraton Hotel. My breakfast talk, “How to Profit from Adam Smith’s Model of Prosperity.” I’ll also be autographed copies of my book “The Making of Modern Economics” and “The Maxims of Wall Street.”
8:45 am – 10:30 pm. Main Stage #1 and #2. Sessions on politics with Ohio congressman Warren Davidson, and Presidential candidate Larry Elder….education with Corey DeAngelis, Robert Enlow, Michael Shermer, and Phil Magnus, among others.
10:30 – 11 am. Coffee break in the exhibit hall. Autograph sessions at the FreedomFest bookstore, chess problem, etc.
11:00 – 11:50 am. Ballroom C. “The Big Four in Supply Side Economics,” with Steve Forbes, Mark Skousen, Grover Norquist, and John Fund, moderated by David Bahnsen.
12:00 – 12:50 pm. Main Stage #1. Closing Panel #1 with David Boaz, Zilvenas Silenas, Elizabeth Nolan Brown, and Michael Beas. Followed by Closing Panel #2 with FreedomFest Ambassadors Steve Forbes, Larry Sharpe, Spike Cohen, and Lisa Kennedy. Then we have awards, announcement about next year’s FreedomFest, July 10-13, 2024, at the new Hard Rock Café Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas, and finally everyone who has a silver dollar (our symbol of liberty and sound money) comes up to the stage and has photos with Steve Forbes and other speakers.
2:10 – 3:00 pm. Room 204. Brian Thomassen on “The Rise of the West: Why the West Became the Dominant Global Civilization…and Why It Will Remain So.”
3:10 – 4:00 pm. Ballroom E. “Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World: Diving Deeper in China’s Policies.” Simon Lee and other dissidents, moderated by Li Schoolland.
4:10 – 5:00 pm. Rooms 202-203. Dr. Matthew Morgan (U of Utah Medical School) on “Live Simply, Live Heathy: The EASIEST Tips to Live a Heathy Life.” Dr. Morgan is one of the few medical experts who has noted that the elderly and the unhealthy were the most vulnerable victims of the Covid-19 pandemic. His talk will focus on the importance of diet, exercise and good sleeping habits as the best formula to avoid the next pandemic instead of depending solely on vaccines and mask-wearing.
6-7 pm. River View Lobby. Banquet reception.
7:00 – 10 pm. Main Stage #1 East Hall. Banquet, Anthem film festival awards, keynote by Larry Elder, dancing to “901 Heavy Hitters.” Always a great way to celebrate liberty and a successful FreedomFest.
Sunday, July 16:
Elvis Presley’s Graceland Tour, 10 am – 2 pm.
There’s still time to join us. Check out the entire schedule and individual speakers and their sessions at www.freedomfest.com. Use code MIKEROWE77 to get $77 off the register free.
Yours for peace, prosperity, and liberty, AEIOU,
Mark Skousen
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