Free Lunch or Shit Sandwich? Nick Gillespie, Steve Forbes, Jim Rogers, Wayne Allyn Root, Jenny Beth Martin

I appeared on the final panel at this past summer’s Freedom Fest
in Las Vegas. Freedom Fest is the planet’s largest annual gathering
of libertarians and free-market types, pulling together 2,000-plus
folks to discuss and debate every possible topic under the sun,
from Bitcoin to drone strikes to laissez-faire history. The theme
for this year’s event was “Are We Rome?”

Here’s the writeup for the final panel, which was originally
posted at Reason.tv on November 1. Go here for
more links and downloadable versions.

The final panel at Freedom Fest 2013 was titled “Are We Rome?”
and featured Reason’s Nick Gillespie, publisher Steve Forbes, Tea
Party Express head Jenny Beth Martin, writer Wayne Allyn Root, and
investment guru Jim Rogers.

At one point, Rogers noted that about half of Americans lived in
households who were getting direct payments from the federal
government, a situation he felt made real political change next to
impossible. 

“Fifty percent of the country is getting a free lunch, said
Gillespie, “but nobody wants a shit sandwich anymore. And that’s
what you’re getting in terms of education, health care and
retirement.”

Moderated by conference organizer Mark Skousen, the panel
discussed a wide variety of topics including government spending,
regulation, foreign policy, the drug war, and more.

Held each July in Las Vegas, Freedom Fest is attended by more
than 2,000 limited-government enthusiasts and libertarians. Each
year, Reason TV talks with dozens of activists, speakers, and
authors such as David Boaz of the Cato Institute, economist Peter
Boettke, publisher Jeffrey Tucker, journalist Gene Epstein, legal
scholar Randy Barnett, and tax advocate Grover Norquist. For a
playlist of 2013 videos, go
here.

About 45 minutes. Video courtesy of Mark and Jo Ann Skousen.