America
Subjects Discussed: * What "bleeding heart libertarianism" (BHL)-- or rawlsekianism, liberaltarianism, new libertarianism – is
* why BHL matters
* What's new about BHL, as a form of libertarianism
* The meaning of "social justice"
* The seeming incompatibility of libertarianism and social justice
* Why BHLs want to reconcile libertarianism and social justice
* How BHLs attempt to reconcile libertarianism and social justice: Friedrich Hayek
* Hayek's views
* Hayek + Rawls = BHL
* BHL verus altruistic defenses of libertarianism
* The moral assessment of BHL
* The need to develop a better defense of a win-win world
* How to talk about how capitalism helps the poor: benefits versus goals
* The success of BHL
* The potential effect of BHL on American politics
* Silver linings and take-home points
* Rawls' conception of justice.
Question: How is American culture better today better than people think? I've heard lots of depressing claims about the abysmal state of American culture lately, particularly since Obama won the election. You've disputed that, arguing that America is better in its fundamentals that many people think. What are some of those overlooked but positive American values? How can they be leveraged for cultural and political change?
Question: What should we think of the results of the 2012 election? Many free-market advocates are despairing over the election results, particularly the re-election of President Obama. They claim that America has sunk to a new low in re-electing an openly socialistic and egalitarian hater of America. Do you think that such despair is warranted? Also, how can intellectuals, activists, and others effectively promote individual rights over the next four years?
Subjects Discussed: * Evaluating the past
* What life was like in early America
* Cultural changes in America, including for women and marriage
* Federal versus state and local governments now and then
* The 14th Amendment
* Improvements in the law, including marriage law, morality regulations and cultural mores, blasphemy law, and obscenity law
* The American north versus south
* Andrew Jackson's duel
* The caning of Charles Sumner
* Today's Republicans and Democrats
* The value (or lack thereof) of voting.

