Held Friday, January 30, 2004
At The Independent Institute Conference Center
In his new book, Give Me a Break, Stossel takes on a herd of sacred cows and examines how in the name of the public interest, ambitious politicians and bureaucrats, intellectually lazy and opportunistic reporters, scaremongers, and predatory lawyers make life worse, especially for those most disadvantaged.
In this event John Stossel explained how his investigations of government waste, fraud and abuse; welfare for the rich; victimless crimes; self-serving interest groups; and sensationalist-media hyping (while ignoring real risks) reveal the crucial need to protect the civil and economic liberties of all people.
Stossel is that rare creature, a TV commentator who understands economics, in all its subtlety. Read this fascinating book to learn -- by example after example, -- how the indirect, unseen effects of government policies often dominate the direct, seen effects. Again and again, policies have effects the opposite of those intended.
-- MILTON FRIEDMAN, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Science
John Stossel is the most consistently thought-provoking TV reporter of our time.
-- DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Theres nothing matter-of-fact about John Stossels fact-finding. He seeks the truths that destroy truisms, wields reason against all thats unreasonable, and uses and upholds the ideals that puncture sanctimonious idealism. He loves liberty in a way that goes far beyond liberalism. He makes the maddening mad. And Stossels tales of the outrageous are outrageously amusing.
-- P. J. OROURKE, best-selling author of Eat the Rich and Parliament of Whores
John Stossel has the gift for entertaining while saying something profound.
-- ORLANDO SENTINEL
A riveting, enlightening read from one of Americas ablest and most courageous journalists. Stossel brilliantly practices what most in the media only preach.
-- STEVE FORBES, editor of Forbes Magazine
John Stossel is a breath of fresh air in a world of stodgy, conformist, knee-jerk journalism.
-- BERNARD GOLDBERG, Emmy Award-winning CBS reporter and best-selling author of Bias and Arrogance