Richard Epstein, George Soros, and Bruce Caldwell Discuss Hayek's Constitution of Liberty

[richardcadbury]

Wow. What a total clusterfuck of an event. It was grim having to wade through the crap in order to get to the Epsteiney goodness.

[GerhardSchroeder]

@richardcadbury Agree.

[vNorilor]

Richard Epstein is brilliant.

[OleJohnnyReb]

I'd like to disagree with Soros, but I miss what he's actually saying due the narcolepsy he gives me every time he starts talking.

[AtibbsSPARTAN]

Epstein is brilliant. I do not think Soros could even begin to understand what was being said. 

[gsapp59]

@AtibbsSPARTAN God forbid you actually try to learn something from the greatest trader in history. And yes, I'm an Austrian who has also learned a lot from Soros about how markets function.

[AtibbsSPARTAN]

@AtibbsSPARTAN

Soros contributes pathetically little here. He did not really respond to what anyone else said nor did he state a clear opinion on Hayek and the tie to constitutional liberty. He just rambled on in the vaguest generalities.

If you've learned something about the markets from Soros, fine. Being an excellent trader does not make anyone the go to authority on economics. Successful traders constantly disagree with one another.

[Visfen]

Haha, Richard Epstein is a robot.

[politicalidiot1]

Richard Epstein is one of the most interesting and brilliant speakers i have ever heard. I have long been a fan of his and I am constantly in awe of his amazing oratory style and substance. I could listen to him debate every day. I sure wish he was given more exposure by the major media.

[ultraback29]

I'm watching a replay of this on C-SPAN right now. At this moment, I'm seeing Professor Epstein's presentation. He sounds so technical I'm laughing my butt off. It's as if he's writing a scholarly article orally. This is far more than technical than anything I was exposed to in college. It seems like he's getting off topic, and I'm like what the hell is he talking about?

[100CommonCents]

My two cents:

Rights are just be a personal inclination on acceptable behaviour. it's not something out there in the world, and not fixed

i think understanding the socio-biological and cultural studies can best answer the 'rights question - but only one half of it. it can only say WHY we feel a certain way. NOT HOW WE SHOULD feel; thus the danger of using studies to support a personal view of 'rights' eg Herbet Spencer

please read: 'The Selfish Gene'

[rahmega7]

Soooo. . . Where's Soros' theory on why governments and central banks expand credit to points that distort markets? I find it funny that he can defend the Fed in this video, while placing all blame on individuals who price financial assets ''incorrectly'' (thus creating bubbles), but not apply that same criticism to those that pump all the credit into society? Soros hasn't done all his homework on monetary policy.

[welkinator]

I really wouldn't mind if these egghead godless people were only academics BUT when they infect the real world, as Soros has done, these social/economic/political theories become cancerous sores on the butt of society.

I never realized that the Cato Institute was such an Anti-Constitution (as in U.S. Constitution) organization. Too bad.

[100CommonCents]

@welkinator anti-constitution?

surely you're joking?

just to give you a heads up, the Cato institute was named after the 'Cato letters' - Essays by British writers John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, first published from 1720 to 1723 under the pseudonym of Cato.

they greatly influenced the American Revolution, and most of the Founding fathers had read the Cato letters, influencing the constitution itself. the Cato institute ideas are largely the same as what the constitution entails.

[welkinator]

@100CommonCents Well, I don't know Hayek but the panel made it plain that our rights do NOT devolve from our spiritual parentage. Hence my characterization as "godless" AND anti-constitutional. Then you throw in Soros as a point of view we should consider. He embodies the Shiva principle who will be the destroyer of our fair country if we let him. And well, I am just disappointed in Cato.

[100CommonCents]

@welkinator lol it's as if you didn't even read what i said.

Cato brought him on to represent OTHER points of views. Cato does not at all endorse Soros. neither do I. (i DISLIKE Soros)

Also, you don't know who hayek is? You've built up all this opinion about this panel, and you don't even know who they're talking about? think about that for a second.

pretty sure Cato is glad to shed ignorant, zealously religious, dimwits like you anyway.

Rights are a behavioural inclination that evolved.

[relativisticvel]

Um, hayek didn't believe in EMH. Soros is misrepresenting Hayek. Nor was hayek a market fundamentalist, he didn't believe that markets were ideal, only better than governments. Hayek didn't use equations and such, so he is the opposite of what Soros is claiming. Furthermore, Soros's problem seems to be that he doesn't have a good model of political economy.

[principles101]

@relativisticvel That is EXACTLY what Soros is attempting to accomplish; misrepresentation and distortion of Hayek's views. Soros rarely if ever operates on the high ground. He is a snake.

[relativisticvel]

Um, hayek didn't believe in EMH. Soros is misrepresenting Hayek. Nor was hayek a market fundamentalist, he didn't believe that markets were ideal, only better than governments. Hayek didn't use equations and such, so he is the opposite of what Soros is claiming.

[relativisticvel]

Um, hayek didn't believe in EMH. Soros is misrepresenting Hayek. Nor was hayek a market fundamentalist, he didn't believe that markets were ideal, only better than governments.

[analogiest]

I recall hearing a debate over tax policy at Cato, and the "progressive" conceded that yes, such-and-such policy would indeed help the poor a great deal, but, it would also help the rich, therefore, she reasoned, we MUST not do it!

[a4finger]

I hate it when people who don't have the SLIGHTEST clue about science, especially physics, pretend like they do.

Free market capitalism, or Austrian Economics, is the best economic system

[MrWittr]

Epstein speaks wisdom, Soros not so much.. Soros is a steaming pile.

[eddypimp]

I understand Cato's point to bring people so that we can the difference in ideas and point of view that go beyond the statists and typical talking points but George Soros wants think tanks like the CATO institute to be destroyed likewise with Barney Frank. Yes he runs around in circles and made a fool of himself but Soros has so much money to make what I said possible so I wouldn't have Soros there.

[LibertyDownUnder]

I found this discussion too general and borderline meaningless.

Soros goes around in circles, throws random historical facts and claims in the air, stuff about Isaac Newton, London, Chicago, some guy called Popper and then out of nowhere concludes at 31:50 that Government regulations are the best solution here because 'financial markets are inherintley unstable and need to be regulated'...

Please correct me if I missed something.

[nabilhentabli]

@LibertyDownUnder lol, I'm not making fun of you, I just think it's funny how you refer to Karl Popper as "some guy called Popper" XD If you've never read of Popper, I suggest you check him out, he's a great philosopher and champion for liberty :)

[pinegrove33]

George Soros? I can't believe he's at a Cato event...that's absolutely bizarre! No man more promotes socialism than Soros. He should change it to "totalitarian closed society" institute.

[residentzombie]

@pinegrove33 CATO has Soros to debate against Hayek. That's it. Don't read too deep into this. Soros is just a voice of anti-Hayekian theory.

[pinegrove33]

@residentzombie Okay

[Valamarth]

George S.: Planning is imperfect so we have to plan planning in order to make planing better.. jhc give me a break

[apacaicedo]

Soros makes a fool of himself from the first momento, and keep doing it again and again. He has no idea on the difference between the Chicago School and the Austrian School, does not get it.

[eatinbongrips]

Cato pisses me off sometimes. Barney Frank a few months ago and now Soros??? Come on Cato....

[residentzombie]

@eatinbongrips It's called debate. You can't learn to argue against the statist point of view unless you hear the statist point of view. Soros is just there to argue against Hayek's theory. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Wormtail81]

What on EARTH is that evil man Soros doing there?!

[rumco]

Hayek failed to define coercion properly. Furthermore, it is naive to think that a piece of paper such as constitution guarantees rights of people or creates a free society, certainly not while the State interprets the Constitution via its judicial system. The State itself is an immoral and destructive institution that is in direct violation of property rights and liberty.

Read Murray Rothbard's Ethics of Liberty.

[TheConservatveLibral]

@rumco Can I meet you... So that I may kiss you? lol... no homo...

[rumco]

@TheConservatveLibral A handshake will have to suffice ;)

[TheConservatveLibral]

@rumco :-/ lol

[wadams19]

I'm glad Caldwell tried to call Soros out on his strawman. When did Hayek ever advocate for the mathematization of economics? When did Hayek advocate that the financial markets we have are always correct? He didn't, Mr Soros. Who are you trying to disprove? Because it isn't Hayek.

[Zontertes]

Soros, in his own words, is diametrically opposed to Chicago School Econ.--which is also known as Reaganomics. He is an enemy of the free market. Soros = Evil.

[Akatam0t0ma]

@Zontertes:

The Austrian school is also opposed to the Chicago school. Does that make them "enemies of free market"?

[Zontertes]

@Akatam0t0ma The statement that Soros is an enemy of the free market was made independently of the previous statement. It would take much explaining to demonstrate that Soros is an enemy of the free market, but I assure you he is. As to the Austrian school, I am unfamiliar. It is my personal belief that social engineering is evil and Soros is certainly guilty of it, so I stand by my declaration that Soros is evil.

[TheConservatveLibral]

@Zontertes Soros isn't just Evil... He is Satan incarnate...

[Joe11Blue]

@Akatam0t0ma Chicago School under whom? Hayek? Friedman? Chicago school has changed a lot in the past 60 year's. As of Friedman, it's more of a Keynesian Supply-Side.

[mwmace]

Soros really misrepresents and misinterprets Hayek..

[vNorilor]

Haha, people, please vote-down the conspiracy theorist's comment. Rosenkrantz.

[RosenKrantz666]

Oh lookie Belway'Libertarians' prove they can kiss Convicted CurrencyManipulator/Fin.Terror­ist extraordinaire Soros' ass, as much as living off of KOCHtopus largess. Liberals watch & learn; there are only TWO sides, We the People, & THEM the bloodsucking degenerate NWO.WallSt.Banksters/sycophant­s that are using the tired false L vs.R propaganda to divide & conquer. Liberals don't u wonder WHY u were suddenly told2 look into Kochs & libertarianism via NYmag's Jane Mayer, when Kochs also fund PBS?

[goodatbasebal]

Is it me or is Richard Epstein a Robot who was created to destroy Leftists for fun?

[CircusCat]

George Soros honoring Hayek?

The man has spent his adult life paving the road to serfdom and won't be happy until it's a fully constructed four-lane highway.

[richardcadbury]

Soros is a stupid cunt.

[AshillaBeige]

@richardcadbury Don't be insulting cunts, now.

[upsidown13]

This is interesting 59:57 George Soros explains why he has converted to market fundamentalism

[jbelich]

@BobbyW3363 ... it's called DEBATE, something both left and right have completely forgotten about.

[fargley001]

@gabrielguitarman

If Darth Vader was a Jedi... I suppose Soros could be called an intellectual.

[mike420rvd]

im no fan of soros but glenn beck is a nut...soros aint even near that bad

[AshillaBeige]

@mike420rvd Well, the people he props up are. He and Rupert Murdoch are two sides of the same coin. Murdoch's got Beck, Soros has his liberal equivalents.

Don't even pay attention to Beck. He's just a loudmouth puppet who thinks gays and blacks are almost as scary as a woman who isn't a housewife a la Leave it to Beaver. Focus on the interest groups, the puppeteers, who'e got their hands shoved up that tool's arse getting him to spit out Republican, statist rubbish.

[BobbyW3363]

Can someone PLEASE explain to me why Soros was invited to speak at an event held by a supposedly libertarian organization?

[fargley001]

@BobbyW3363

I've seen Barny Frank here too... I guess CATO wants to see both sides - even those with flawed thinking. I suppose its a celebration of free speech.

The good news - if I get tired of listening to them, I'm 1 click away from sparing my ears.

[HaroldRehling]

@BobbyW3363 CATO commonly brings in both progressives and conservatives to speak. Libertarians, unlike statist conservatives, illiberal liberals, and regressive progressives are typically very willing to compete in a free-marketplace of ideas

[LeGioNoFZioN]

wow, thanks for sharing I will have to watrch this again to make sure I caught everything

[GrizzlyGroundswell]

How the hell did Soros appear here and no one arrested this enemy of our state?

[Akatam0t0ma]

@GrizzlyGroundswell:

How can a statist like Soros be an "enemy" of a state?

[GrizzlyGroundswell]

@Akatam0t0ma If a tree falls in the middle of the deepest darkest woods, does it not still make a sound?

[Akatam0t0ma]

@GrizzlyGroundswell:

Please clarify...

[greengringo2003]

@GrizzlyGroundswell If that tree contributed to "global schwarming" or other Lib perils de jour, would Soros, Media Matters and the Greenie watermelons still blame humanity? Soros (aka Georgy Schwartz, pre WW2 days) is after total control of the world by his Kapo rules. He is not and never has been a kindly old gentleman. Fervently hope that he finds that funny piece of cheese in his dinner and croaks soon.

[GrizzlyGroundswell]

@greengringo2003 Soros and his ilk will not be as lucky as to have a chunk of cheese end the hell they have created for themselves. No, can you imagine being on the wrong side of history and every core of your being being so wrong about everything? The funny thing is they know it and yet they can not stop their madness as they keep trying to create and recreate ever so many layers of self deception. In the end we know who wins and it will not be the Soros of this world. I pity the fools.

[mallardhead]

Its hard not to vomit while listening to Soros.

[Amadeus5150]

Oh no it's George Soros, no one tell Glenn Beck or he'll think Cato is a shadow government.