Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
What is an American? | Dr Onkar Ghate
Excerpt from "Heritage vs Creed: What Actually Makes You an American?" on The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast
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What is an American? | Dr Onkar Ghate
Excerpt from "Heritage vs Creed: What Actually Makes You an American?" on The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast
Subscribe to ARI’s YouTube channel to make sure you never miss a video:
youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AynRandInstitute
Download or stream free courses on Ayn Rand’s works and ideas with the Ayn Rand Institute app:
– App Store itunes.apple.com/us/app/ayn-rand-university/id1452535178?mt=8
– Google Play play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aynrandu
ARI is funded by donor contributions. You can support our work by becoming an ARI Member or making a one-time contribution: ari.aynrand.org/donate
Explore these ideas further! ARI's online publication, New Ideal, explores pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism: newideal.aynrand.org
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![The L.A. Riots and Mass Deportation: Both Evil
In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss the ongoing mass protests in Los Angeles and how the Trump administration’s response also shows a disregard for the rule of law.
Among the topics covered:
· The scale of the violence [00:01:33]
· Evidence that the rioters do not care about immigrants’ individual rights; [00:05:37]
· Why the right to peaceably assemble does not imply a right to mass protest; [00:15:49]
· The bad jurisprudence that supports the alleged right to mass protest; [00:21:59]
· The lawlessness of Trump’s immigration policies; [00:30:07]
· What a proper response to Trump’s lawless immigration policy looks like. [00:47:52]
Recommended in this podcast are The Ayn Rand Lexicon’s entry on free speech [https://courses.aynrand.org/lexicon/free-speech/], Ghate and Bayer’s article “Ending Campus Protests Protects Free Speech,” [https://newideal.aynrand.org/ending-campus-protests-protects-free-speech/] and Bayer’s article “The Specter of Lawlessness Is Darker than You Think.” [https://newideal.aynrand.org/the-specter-of-lawlessness-is-darker-than-you-think/]
The podcast was recorded on June 9, 2025 and posted on June 11, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.
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ARI is funded by donor contributions. You can support our work by becoming an ARI Member or making a one-time contribution: https://ari.aynrand.org/donate
Explore these ideas further! ARIs online publication, New Ideal, explores pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism: https://newideal.aynrand.org/
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Visit ARI’s website for more about our content and programs: https://ari.aynrand.org/ The L.A. Riots and Mass Deportation: Both Evil](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YchKm3DnUFo/mqdefault.jpg)



![How Friendship Can Be Selfish
In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Tristan de Liège and Gregory Salmieri discuss friendship as a moral and philosophical value and explore the relationship between friendship, egoism, and altruism.
· Introduction 0:00
· Friendship in Rand’s fiction 2:10
· Visibility in friendship 8:03
· Egoism and Friendship 23:07
· Valuing Friendship 41:10
· Altruism and sacrifice 48:17
· Unconditional love 1:01:30
· Compromise and reciprocity 1:05:29
Resources:
• Tristan de Liège’s lecture “How to Value Friendship” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBTy_9VVhuE]
• A Companion to Ayn Rand, edited by Gregory Salmieri and Allan Gotthelf. [https://www.amazon.com/Companion-Rand-Blackwell-Companions-Philosophy/dp/1405186844]
The podcast was recorded on October 6, 2025.
Thumbnail: Compassionate Eye Foundation/Steven Errico/DigitalVision via Getty Images
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– Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aynrandu
ARI is funded by donor contributions. You can support our work by becoming an ARI Member or making a one-time contribution: https://ari.aynrand.org/donate
Explore these ideas further! ARIs online publication, New Ideal, explores pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism: https://newideal.aynrand.org/
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![America Responds to Decades of Iranian Aggression
In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Ben Bayer interviews Elan Journo about the American and Israeli attack on Iran.
• [0:00] Introduction
• [0:56] The Institute’s Position on Iran
• [3:46] Answering critics
• [5:36] Congressional approval
• [8:11] Evaluating Trump
• [14:46] Prospects for Success or Failure
Resources:
• ARI Resources on the American Conflict with Iran
[https://new-ideal.aynrand.org/p/ari-resources-on-the-american-conflict]
This episode was recorded on March 3, 2026.
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– App Store https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ayn-rand-university/id1452535178?mt=8
– Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aynrandu
ARI is funded by donor contributions. You can support our work by becoming an ARI Member or making a one-time contribution: https://ari.aynrand.org/donate
Explore these ideas further! ARIs online publication, New Ideal, explores pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism: https://newideal.aynrand.org/
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![Trump’s Monument-Building vs. American Founding Ideas
In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Sam Weaver and Ben Bayer discuss the significance of President Trump’s efforts to construct new government monuments and put his name and face on federal buildings and documents.
Timestamps:
● [0:00] Introduction
● [1:20] Trump’s initiatives
● [5:22] Why symbols matter
● [8:49] Historical monument-building
● [12:59] America’s distinctive history
● [23:58] How Trump compares
● [30:34] Relation to Trump’s policies
● [33:18] Rand on monuments
● [45:55] Trump’s pursuit of prestige
● [48:48] Public response
Resources:
● “The Monument Builders” in The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand [https://www.amazon.com/Virtue-Selfishness-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/0451163931]
● “Don’t Let It Go” in Philosophy: Who Needs It by Ayn Rand [https://www.amazon.com/Author-Philosophy-Who-Needs/dp/B00N4GGIKS]
● “The Anti-Intellectuality of Donald Trump” by Onkar Ghate [https://new-ideal.aynrand.org/p/the-anti-intellectuality-of-donald]
● “One Small Step for Dictatorship” by Onkar Ghate [https://newideal.aynrand.org/one-small-step-for-dictatorship/]
This episode was recorded on May 8, 2026.
Image Credit: Kevin Dietsch / Staff / via Getty Images
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ARI is funded by donor contributions. You can support our work by becoming an ARI Member or making a one-time contribution: https://ari.aynrand.org/donate
Explore these ideas further! ARIs online publication, New Ideal, explores pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism: https://newideal.aynrand.org/
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