From Vegas to Vancouver: Free Minds Across the World Get Together to Strive for Free Markets

It’s human nature. The more we’re restricted from doing something, the more we want to do it. It’s the same with government regulations. When governments impose restrictions that stifle liberty, people will always try to find a way out. And, this can have an undesirable impact on the economy. This is the reason free market proponents subscribe to the ideology of liberty and limiting the role of the government. As long as one’s actions don’t infringe on the rights of others, we should be free to act according to our best interest.

Free thinkers meet from time to time to share their observations and opinions around the benefits of laissez faire and the elimination of government intervention in market dynamics. Several such gatherings of thinktanks and intellectuals have helped this movement gain steam, allowing for a healthy environment of free-flowing ideas and debates.

Between July and August 2019, two such major events have been organized to further the discourse around these subjects. Renowned businessman, author and economist Rakesh Wadhwa is among the few free market thinkers who have been invited as a guest speaker at both the events. During these events, Mr. Wadhwa will be sharing his opinion on different aspects of free markets.

FreedomFest in Las Vegas, USA

FreedomFest is the world’s largest gathering of free-market and pro-liberty thinktanks. This annual event is expected to be attended by more than 2,000 participants and over 10,000 digital followers. FreedomFest will be an opportunity for participants to engage with more than 200 speakers and 150 exhibitors across different fields.

The 2019 edition promises to be an action-packed event, full of debates, panel discussions, keynote speeches, presentations and workshops on personal and political freedom, economics, philosophy, education, criminal justice reform and several other domains. This three-day event, scheduled to be held at Paris Resort, Las Vegas, will commence on Thursday, July 17 and will culminate with a Saturday night farewell reception and dinner on July 20.

Just to name a few, this year’s keynote speakers include the likes of:

John Mackey – Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods. Mackey enjoys an enviable reputation, having been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 and authoring two must-read books: Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business (2012) and The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity (2017). Mackey is an ardent supporter of free-enterprise capitalism.

Kevin O’Leary – Best recognized from the CBC’s Dragons’ Den. O’Leary has a remarkable reputation built on his entrepreneurial vision and drive to succeed. O’Leary is also the host of BNN’s O’Leary Live and a ‘Shark’ on the ABC show, Shark Tank.

Rakesh Wadhwa will recount some current events and speak on Countries or Jails? In favor of Open Borders.

Capitalism & Morality 2019 in Vancouver, Canada

Capitalism & Morality is a gathering of intellectuals from various walks of life including educationists, geologists and entrepreneurs. Held annually, this event attracts some of the finest minds from across the globe to discuss the philosophy of freedom and liberty. Capitalism & Morality has been hosted every year since 2010, with “Reason, Argumentation & Liberty” being at the forefront of all discussions.

In August 2019, the event is scheduled to be held at the Segal Graduate School of Business in Vancouver, Canada. Mr. Wadhwa has been invited to talk on the benefits of keeping the borders of a country open. Some of the other featured speakers include:
Prof. Ian Plimer – an esteemed Australian geologist and professor emeritus of earth sciences at the University of Melbourne.
Chas Holloway – a leading authority on the topic of Free World Theory and a mentor to business leaders in using blockchain and AI technology to themselves for the future.
Jayant Bhandari – an adviser for institutional investors. Mr. Bhandari was a Director on the board of Gold Canyon, a publicly-listed Canadian company. He has written on political, economic and cultural issues for the Liberty magazine, the Mises Institute (USA), Casey Research, Acting Man, International Man and many more renowned publications.

About Rakesh Wadhwa

Rakesh Wadhwa is a Bastiat award-winning writer and the only person in the world to have been nominated six times for the Frederic Bastiat Prize for Journalism. Mr. Wadhwa has championed the cause of free markets for several years, through speaking at events, authoring books and maintaining a blog.

Rakesh Wadhwa is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, an international free market organization. A professional Chartered Accountant and Economist, Mr. Wadhwa also holds a Law degree from Delhi University in India. He is also a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, a renowned global free market organization which had members like Nobel prize winning American economist Milton Friedman.