Books that we usually organize events around here at cato. But i can assure you the authors that we are featuring today are serious accomplished economist with decades of scholarly work in forming this publication. The subtitle of the book two economists drink their way through the unfree world gives us the flavor of their unconventional approach for a couple of academics. That subtitle didnt surprise me though. I attempt to run into ben powell and bob lawson at academic conferences around the country and around the world and inevitably they have drinks in their hands probably because we chat at event perceptions and the like but the conversation is always interesting, informative and fun. That is also true of this new book. This is a light book about a heavy topic. So its fortunate for two it is rather that we are featuring today the first day of the late lovell Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman one of the great economists of the 20th century and a champion of economic and overall human
Than policy books that we usually organize and bounce around at cato. I can assure you that the authors that we are featuring today are serious accomplished economists who decades of scholarly work inform this publication, the subtitle of the book two economies think their way and unconventional approach for a couple of academics, that subtitle didnt surprise me, though, i tend to run into bob lawson at economic or academic conferences around the country and around the world and inevitable they have drinks in their hand probably because we chat at the Reception Hotel bars and the like, but the conversation is always interesting, informative and fun. And thats also true of this new book. This is a light book about a heavy topic, so its fortunate that we are featuring it today on the birthday of free can freedman and we were lucky to have known him and for some of us to have worked with us to a limited degree. Im sure he too would agree with the title of your book so i cant really recall
[inaudible conversation] good afternoon and welcome everybody to the Cato Institute. I direct the center for global liberty and prosperity here at cato. The title and the style of the book were featuring today, socialism sucks, is admittedly more irrev van the typical more staid pock policy book wed Public Policy books we organize evented around but i assure you the authors today are serious, accomplished economists to decade of scholarly work inform the publication. The subtitlele of the book, who economists drink the way through the enfree world, give us flavor of the unconventional purchase for a couple of academics. That subtitlelesurprise me. I ten to run into ben powell and bob lawson at economic or academic conferences around the country and around the world, and inevitably they have drinks in their hand probably because we chat at conventions and receptions and hotel bars and i the like. The conversation is always interesting, informative and fun and thats true of this new book
Hour the hearing is still going on behind me, but already there have been several fiery moments, including some from senator sherrod brown, the ranking democrat on the committee. In his opening statement, he compared facebook to a toddler playing with matches and said that it would be delusional for anyone to trust facebook with their finances, when the company has already broken so many promises on privacy. He then tried to get david marcus, a facebook executive whos testifying to make his own promise, and that is to receive his salary in libra. Senator, if your question is whether i would trust all of my assets in libra, the answer is yes. Do you trust this enough to make your compensation paid fully in your currency senator, i would, because it is backed one for one with a reserve. You could have said yes at the beginning of the question, then senator, with respect, i wanted to clarify that were not trying to compete with Bank Deposits he has said that statement repeatedly, that fac