The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

9/11 Livestream: The Attack, the Response, and the Radicalness of Objectivism

September 11, 2026·2h 21m
Episode Description from the Publisher

9/11 was one of the most consequential events of the 21st century. Yet twenty-five years later, the attacks and their aftermath are still widely misunderstood. In two consecutive talks at our student conference in Austin, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo analyzed America’s failures before and after 9/11, drawing on more than two decades of work on the subject. They show how the self-abasing morality of altruism shaped American policy, leading the US to betray its ideals, appease its enemies, sacrifice its soldiers, and lose its wars. This double lecture is a must-watch for anyone who cares about America and wants to make it secure.Topics include:Introduction by ARI’s CEO, Tal TsfanyHow 9/11 was experienced and perceived in the immediate aftermathThe religious, modernity-hating motivation behind 9/11America’s emboldening of Islamists in the decades before 9/11America’s abject, craven response to the Danish cartoons of MuhammadThe intellectual rot 9/11 exposed and Objectivism’s potential to change itHow American altruism crippled its troops’ ability to fightHow America refused to recognize or defeat its enemiesThe devastating consequences of our altruistic approach to the Afghanistan and Iraq warsQ&AResources:Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo, Failing to Confront Islamic Totalitarianism: What Went Wrong After 9/11.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.