The debate was held online this past Wednesday, September 17. It was hosted by noted libertarian Tom Woods, who served as the debate moderator. The debate was one hour long. It was recorded and will be posted on September 24 on Tom's popular podcast The Tom Woods Show. We will also be linking to the debate in our FFF Daily.

The following is a non-verbatim transcript of my Opening Statement in the debate:

Debate Opening Statement
by Jacob Hornberger

Walter, it will be my contention in this debate that your repugnant policies with respect to the Israeli government have greatly damaged the brands of principled libertarianism and Austrian economics and that you are 100 percent responsible for the social ostracism that you are now experiencing in both of these movements.

As you know, for many years now you have been describing yourself as an "anarcho-capitalist." You have appeared at numerous conferences telling audiences, including impressionable young libertarians, that anarchy and capitalism are the solutions to the woes of the world.

To be sure, you want to abolish the entire U.S. government — the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidency. You also want to abolish all state and local governments. You want anarchy all across America. Indeed, you want anarchy in every country all over the world.

With one exception: the Israeli government, which you claim has a "right to exist."

But you are wrong. The Israeli government does not have a "right to exist." That's because governments don't have rights. Only individuals have rights.

Moreover, as Jefferson suggested in the Declaration of Independence, whenever any government becomes tyrannical — destructive of liberty — it is the right and even duty of people to alter or even abolish that government.