“Because of Yearning for an Ordinary Life” The Fight for Freedom Yaron Lectures

Protest movements have broken out against the oppressive regimes in Iran and China. Young Iranians posted their reasons for rebelling under the hashtag Baraye, meaning “because” and the singer-songwriter Shervin Hajipour compiled many of these reasons into a song of the same title that has become an anthem of the Iranian movement and an inspiration to those fighting for freedom around the world. One line in particular stands out. Young people are rebelling because of their “yeaning for an ordinary life”—for the opportunity to lead lives of the sort many around the world take for granted. By historical standards such “ordinary lives” are extraordinary, and indeed the way of living that freedom fighters long for has not been fully realized, even in the freest and most prosperous societies. It is a way of life that is demanded by human nature, such that the best among us and the best within us yearn for it, often without being able to define it or chart a course towards it. In this talk hosted by the Salem Center at Univesrity of Texas, Austin, Dr. Brook articulates the object of this yearning, discusses how it animates the movements in Iran and China, and draws implications for the fight for freedom in these countries and around the world.00:00 Intro00:20 Iranian protest song Baraye02:50 Death of Mahsa Amini starting protests in Iran09:18 Protests in China18:24 Exodus from Cuba, Russia and Venezuela20:04 Price paid by the protesters26:24 Yearning for an Ordinary Life30:34 Why do we have freedom? 34:55 What happened 250 years ago?37:30 Reason, see http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/reason.html39:27 Individualism, see http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/individualism.html 39:55 What is Freedom?, see http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/freedom.html42:32 Enlightenment45:40 Noble cause for freedomLive Questions:49:41 Israeli–Palestinian conflict52:29 Western companies doing business in China1:00:48 Western press coverage of those uprisings1:06:37 Fall of the Berlin Wall1:11:44 Silence towards Iran1:12:42 Civil Rights Movement1:18:56 Moral culpability of US1:20:34 Covid lockdowns1:23:21 Self-esteem1:27:10 Is freedom necessary progression of any society?1:31:55 Property rights1:35:21 Way to improve western system1:40:10 Minority neighborhoods1:42:10 How to influence political decisions?1:46:00 OutroShow is Sponsored by Ayn Rand University https://university.aynrand.org/ as well as by https://www.expressvpn.com/yaron & https://www.fountainheadcasts.comJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/@YaronBrook/joinLike what you hear? Like, share, and subscribe to stay updated on new videos and help promote the Yaron Brook Show: https://bit.ly/3ztPxTxSupport the Show and become a sponsor: https://www.patreon.com/YaronBrookShowOr make a one-time donation: https://bit.ly/2RZOyJJContinue the discussion by following Yaron on Twitter (https://bit.ly/3iMGl6z) and Facebook (https://bit.ly/3vvWDDC )Want to learn more about Ayn Rand and Objectivism? Visit the Ayn Rand Institute: https://bit.ly/35qoEC3#iranprotests #iranianregime #China #Freedom #baraye #liberty #immigration ​ #Economy ​#Objectivism​ #AynRand #politicsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/yaron-brook-show--3276901/support.Yaron is the executive chairman of the Ayn Rand Institute and a world class speaker. He is the coauthor of the national best-seller Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government, Equal is Unfair: America's Misguided Fight Against Income Inequality and In Pursuit of Wealth: The Moral Case for Finance. He speaks around the world on a variety of topics including the morality of capitalism, Ayn Rand and her philosophy, finance and economics, and the value of inequality.