New Atlas Shrugged Initiative Launched; Donor Gifts $500,000
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Volume 15, Number 7, July 2009 New Atlas Shrugged Initiative Launched; Yaron Brook Speaks Donor Gifts $500,000 Matching Pledge to Businessmen tlas Shrugged is experiencing tripled during the first n 2002 ARI developed a A a renaissance amidst the four months of 2009 com- I leadership training pro- financial crisis, and a multi- pared to the previous year. gram, based on the values and million-dollar initiative has been Teachers are requesting virtues of Objectivism, for launched to capitalize on this more copies of Ayn Rand’s Hutchinson Technology at the momentum. The initiative is novels than ever before to request of CEO Wayne Fortun. aimed at expanding readership of teach in their classrooms. The success of this program the novel and educating readers Submissions to ARI es- about the novel’s ideas. It is say contests are at record led ARI to offer a customized off to an excellent start, as ARI levels. And commentary version of the training program board member and donor Carl by ARC intellectuals on to other companies, as well as one-time-only paid Barney has pledged to match, television, radio and other seminars with Yaron Brook. dollar for dollar, all contributions media is in high demand. Demand for these services has shot up over up to $500,000. “It is paramount that the past year. Dr. Brook’s “morality of capitalism” The initiative targets both we act now to educate the seminar has been especially popular, suggesting that new readers and those who read millions that are reading at least some businessmen are eager for a moral the book years ago, but might Ayn Rand and trying to defense of free markets and the profit motive. only now see its importance and understand how the ideas Those participating in the corporate training relevance. Planned components in her novels apply to their program include one of the world’s largest civil- include bookstore promotions— lives. There is a sense of ian vendors of digital map data and Saxo Bank, a including airport bookstores— urgency, both in terms new Web sites, expansion of of the threat to freedom European financial institution. existing Web sites, YouTube currently emanating from ARC vice president of Public Outreach contests, Facebook applications, Washington and in the fact Lin Zinser attributes the heightened demand to talks and conferences, print, television and that, at this moment, more people than ever a number of factors. These include the finan- radio advertising, targeted op-eds, expansion before are listening to what we have to say. cial crisis, which has forced many businesses of the Atlas Shrugged essay contest and “I commend and thank Mr. Barney to reevaluate their basic philosophy, as well as the Free Books to Teachers program, and a for seeing this urgency and making such a word-of-mouth publicity, improved advertising heightened presence at activism events such as generous pledge. Maximizing that pledge and the quality of the product being offered. the Tea Parties. and reaching our target funding level for this “Our efforts over the years have resulted in “More and more people are seeing extra- initiative will lead to major advances in our a honed product that generates a very positive ordinary parallels between Ayn Rand’s mas- fight to bring about a more rational culture.” response from businessmen,” said Ms. Zinser. terpiece and the increasing government in- To learn more about this initiative, and to “Moreover, Dr. Brook’s delivery is inspirational volvement in the economy,” said Yaron Brook. contribute, visit www.aynrand.org/atlas. “Sales of Atlas Shrugged have more than at a time when people want and need to hear his continued on page 2 ARI at Clemson Institute Student Capitalism Conference The Value of ARI wenty-nine undergraduate students from motivation for attending the Clemson conference Taround the world recently gathered at Clem- is to give students an opportunity to learn more Volunteers son University to participate in a student confer- about the underlying philosophical principles ence on Atlas Shrugged and the ethics of laissez- that give rise to various views about how society id you know that offering financial support faire. The three-day event was hosted by the should be organized, and to introduce them to D isn’t the only way you can help ARI pro- Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism, an Ayn Rand’s ethical and political views through mote Ayn Rand’s ideas? For example, a business academic institution dedicated to spreading aware- Atlas Shrugged. The students attending this con- may offer its services free or at a discount; an ness of the moral foundations of capitalism and the ference are bright and motivated to learn. Some individual with media contacts may introduce proper principles of a free society. of them go on to study Objectivism in depth; all our Media department to someone in radio or The conference featured a packed schedule walk away with an experience that they cannot television; and one of the most common forms of seminars and group discussions led by schol- get on their own campus.” of nonmonetary support is volunteering. ars and academics from the fields of philosophy, Attendance at the Clemson conference is by ARI welcomes volunteers into our Irvine, economics, literature, politi- application only. Those California, and Washington, D.C., offices, and cal science and history. accepted receive a full arranges for volunteers to work off-site when The faculty included ARI scholarship, which cov- possible. The work that volunteers are asked to senior fellow and dean of ers room and board and assist with is varied—from preparing mailings the Objectivist Academic includes a limited travel to supporting ARI writing projects. Occasionally Center Onkar Ghate, who reimbursement. ARI’s ARI will ask volunteers to assist with confer- presented a three-part summer internship program ences or other outside events. course on individ- includes automatic “The donation of a volunteer’s time can be ual rights, the law admission to the as beneficial as a monetary contribution,” said and capitalism. Clemson confer- ARI’s Human Resources/Legal manager Steve “Not many ence, a privilege Dougherty, who manages the volunteer pro- universities offer awarded this year gram. “The extra hands allow us to complete courses studying to Dakin Sloss and tasks faster and to better allocate our resources. capitalism and its Isabela Morales. In the Academic division, for example, volun- moral foundations,” “Attending the teers not only save us money but free our writ- said Dr. Ghate. “As conference offered ers to produce more content.” such, our principal Teachers and students at a past Clemson Institute summer conference continued on page 4 continued on page 4 Yaron Brook Speaks to Businessmen, continued from page 1 message. Every business has been affected by the economic downturn and many are looking for answers. Dr. Brook explains what caused the financial crisis, and he teaches a concrete, profit- oriented philosophy and methodology for getting out of the crisis.” The events themselves often lead to further speaking opportunities. This is especially true drudgery of an eighteen-hour workday of manual at events such as the recent Young Presidents’ How Businessmen labor for their barest subsistence, has released Organization conference in West Virginia, where them from famines, from pestilences, from the Dr. Brook delivered his lecture on the morality of Create Wealth stagnant hopelessness and terror in which most capitalism. Groups such as the YPO are composed Each month Impact suggests readings and other of mankind had lived in all the pre-capitalist of business leaders from different companies, resources for fans of Ayn Rand’s fiction who wish centuries—and in which most of it still lives, in meaning that Dr. Brook is speaking to individuals to learn more about her philosophy, Objectivism. non-capitalist countries.” in a direct position to buy training services. At every stage in the creation of wealth, “All companies, and new ones in particu- yn Rand held the honest businessman—the Ayn Rand wrote further, the businessman relies lar, tend to be quite interested in the notion of A man who achieved his wealth solely through on a primary tool: his intellect. establishing a corporate philosophy aligned with productive effort—in the highest esteem. She “Most people lump together into the same the ideas that lead to sustained profitability,” said wrote in Atlas Shrugged that the “self-made man category all men who become rich, refusing to con- Ms. Zinser. “The more Dr. Brook speaks to busi- . the American industrialist” was “the real sider the essential question: the source of the riches, nessmen, the more inquiries we receive.” maker of wealth, the greatest worker,” and else- the means by which the wealth was acquired. For more information about ARC’s custom- where praised American businessmen as the “Money is a tool of exchange; it represents ized leadership and corporate training programs source of America’s unequaled wealth. wealth only so long as it can be traded for mate- and seminars, contact Kara Devar at kdevar@ “America’s industrial progress, in the short rial goods and services. Wealth does not grow in aynrand.org. span of a century and a half, has acquired the nature; it has to be produced by men. Nature gives character of a legend: it has never been equaled us only the raw materials, but it is man’s mind that anywhere on earth, in any period of history. The has to discover the knowledge of how to use them. Yaron Brook’s Business Talks American businessmen, as a class, have dem- It is man’s thinking and labor that transform the Here are some of Dr.