Libertarian Solutions 1.0 online learning course

Session 1. Dr Mary Ruwart “How Critiques of the Non Aggression Principle are Addressed by Restitution”

If you were falling from a tall building and landed on the balcony of a person who didn’t want you trespassing, are you willing to fall to your death? If your child’s life depends upon stealing a car, would you do so? Critics of the NAP say no one is a libertarian when it comes to such situations. Is that truly the case?

Session 2. Dr Per Bylund “The Real Impact of Regulations — Seen, Unseen, & Unrealized Opportunities”

Libertarians recognize that regulations are restrictions that hamper economic growth and prohibit actors from certain exchanges — but even libertarians do not understand the destructive impact of regulations on the economy and society. It’s much worse than we thought.

Session 3. Dr Mary Ruwart & Prof. Ken Schoolland “How Liberty Enriches the Poor and Discourages Discrimination”

Free markets bring great prosperity to nations. Intended and unintended consequences of government intervention usually harm the poor: i.e. rent controls, minimum wage laws, occupational licensing, agricultural subsidies.

Session 4. Dr Per Bylund “Sweden Democratic Socialism or a Free Market Vindication”

Join us for an overview of Sweden’s history and political economy. We will discuss how Sweden went from being one of Europe’s poorest countries to being the world’s fourth richest country — over the course of just one century. This course will also cover the rise and fall of Sweden’s welfare state and an overview of Sweden’s current political and economic conditions.

Session 5. Dr Kyle Varner “How Regulations Increase Health Care Costs and Lower Quality Care”

For most people, the biggest question they have about American healthcare is: Why is it so expensive?  The answer is regulation — and if you don't understand how regulation drives up prices and drives down quality, you'll never understand why the healthcare system is broken (or how to fix it!). Dr. Varner has worked for years on the inside, and combining his insider's knowledge of the industry and a lifetime of study of free-market economics, he’ll show you where the system is broken, the perverse incentive structures that influence market actors, and multiple realistic policy proposals that can fix the terrible problems. Don't enter another debate about healthcare unprepared.

Session 6. Dr Mary Ruwart “How to Slash Drug Prices 80% Virtually Overnight”

The published literature indicates that about 80% of what we pay at the pharmacy are due to regulations that harm instead of help us. Why not get rid of them and slash drug prices virtually overnight?

Session 7. Prof. Ken Schoolland “How Immigration Enriches Us”

Throughout history and around the world, people have migrated to improve the conditions of life for themselves and their families, either fleeing oppression and natural calamity or seeking opportunity and improved livelihood. This has often been met with resistance — fear of race, religion, or competition. Prof. Schoolland helps us examine these fears and opportunities.

Session 8. Dr Per Bylund “Entrepreneurship as a Force for Political Change”

We rightfully celebrate the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution as great changes that facilitated our present standard of living — but it was really entrepreneurs who built this world. These entrepreneurs are creating our future in more ways than producing goods and services. This lecture will focus on how entrepreneurial action can be truly revolutionary — economically, politically, and socially.

Session 9. Prof. Ken Schoolland “Why Protectionism Threatens National Security”

Nineteenth century economist Henry George asserted that protectionism in all of its forms does to a nation in peacetime what an enemy would do to it in wartime. Prof. Schoolland invites us to examine routine practices of blockade in wartime throughout history and compare with the impact of protectionism in many forms of trade, shipping, and migration.

Session 10. Dr Mary Ruwart “How Liberty Saves the Environment”

Libertarians have a three-part program that provides the solution to pollution, vanishing rain forests, endangered species, and even manmade impacts on climate change.  However, few libertarians are aware of it.

Session 11. Dr Mary Ruwart & Prof. Ken Schoolland
“How to Stop Terrorism Before It Starts & What to Do If That Strategy Fails”

Thomas Jefferson advocated for the young America: “Peace, commerce, and friendly relations with all, entangling alliances with none.” Dr. Ruwart and Prof. Schoolland will examine the multitude of ways throughout U.S. history that politicians have behaved counter to Jefferson’s advice — with consequences harmful to a peaceful and prosperous existence.

Session 12. Dr Per Bylund “Fallacies that Ruin Economics”

Economics is an enormously powerful tool. The economic way of thinking uncovers many hidden truths about how the world works. Yet modern mainstream economics has in several ways turned its back on the power of economic reasoning. This lecture will discuss several important and fundamental ideas that once made economics great, but that modern economics has turned its back on.

Session 13. Dr Jim Lark & Prof. Ken Schoolland “The Pitfalls of Big Education”

Join two university professors as they expound on their personal journeys in the academic world, examining problems and pitfalls for a free and prosperous world.

Session 14. Dr Mary Ruwart “How the War on Drugs Kills More People than the Drugs Themselves”

The War on Drugs kill at least 5X as many people as the drugs themselves. Indeed, countries that have decriminalized drugs find that students do less drugs than under prohibition.

Session 15. Dr Mary Ruwart & Prof. Ken Schoolland “Does Intellectual Property Help or Hinder Wealth Creation”

Dr. Ruwart and Prof. Schoolland will critically examine problems and controversies concerning the notion of intellectual property rights. Is there an ethical and pragmatic basis for IP?

Session 16. Final Q&A Session

Learning about who will build the roads — and answering any other questions during our final session!