David Azerrad, a scholar at The Heritage Foundation, will speak at the 2019 Aspen Ideas Festival on June 27 in Aspen, Colorado.
This is the second time Azerrad has been invited to participate in a discussion on conservatism at the festival, which is hosted by The Aspen Institute and The Atlantic. The Aspen Institute is a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., whose mission is to promote discussion, leadership, and action through its seminars, conferences, and other initiatives. At the festival, thought-leaders and scholars across the ideological spectrum discuss a variety of topics in the public policy and social spheres.
Azerrad is the director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics and the AWC Family Foundation Fellow at Heritage. His work focuses on analyzing and studying American political thought from the Founding until today, with a particular emphasis on contemporary political ideologies and movements. Azerrad also teaches classes on American conservatism and progressivism at American University in Washington, D.C.
Azerrad will participate in two different panel discussions in Aspen. The first panel will address the question of “The Future of Conservatism in America” and feature speakers that span the ideological spectrum on the right.
“Whatever one may think of Donald Trump the man and his time in his office, conservatives must recognize that the issues that he focuses on—immigration, the well-being of the working class, and the rise of China in particular—are not going away and must be part of any sound conservative governing agenda, even after Trump leaves office,” Azerrad explains.
He will also speak on a panel titled, “What Liberals and Conservatives Can Learn from Each Other.” Azerrad believes that the main lesson the right can teach the left pertains to the fragility of civilization.
“Liberals have a tendency to think that history is progressive and that countries, once established, last forever,” he explains. “Conservatives know better. We understand how readily order can give way to disorder. Once achieved, peace, prosperity and the rule of law, must be vigilantly guarded.”
The Aspen Ideas Festival runs from June 23-29 and is now in its 15th year. Visit the festival’s website to watch the sessions or learn more.
