Stossel, Boaz discuss 'Freedom and Its Enemies'
Shyam Patel
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: News
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"Freedom can protect us far better than government ever can," Stossel, journalist and anchor for ABC's 20/20, said.
However, he does not assert that there should not be any government; rather, he asked a different question: how much government does one need?
The event began with assorted images from popular culture that define liberty, such as "Wall-E," to which the audience reacted particularly well.
According to Boaz, the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, people's liberties are being threatened due to an increasing trend of power in the federal government. He also spoke about the United States' general trend toward increased spending and regulation.
When people put their money into the government, he said, they do not always know what it goes toward. Stossel touched upon a beach home he purchased with a low insurance rate that was eventually destroyed by the tide.
"Thank you all," Stossel said jokingly, about how Americans' money in the government can go to pay for things like his damaged property.
Stossel also said people are taking for granted the many benefits of capitalism, which are being threatened by over-regulation.
"The way to really get rich in America is to give people what they want," Stossel said.
He reinforced many of Boaz's positions and mentioned that early on in his life, he was just like everyone else who thought, "Wise elites in Washington will run our lives better than we can."
"President [George] Bush talked about deregulation, but he didn't do it," Stossel said.
Boaz corroborated his arguments using quotes from famous individuals such as Thomas Paine while grounding his assertions in a historical context. For example, he compared the current, massive government spending to the New Deal.
Student Liberty Front had been trying to get a "big name" speaker to come to Drexel since they became recognized on campus early in 2008, according to Rick Schlesinger, the organization's president.
Student Liberty Front plans to have similar events in the future with speakers such as "Drew Carey" and "Penn & Teller," Schlesinger said.
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