Reason in Amsterdam, 2006

Press Conference with South Park Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker
August 23, 2006

Matt Stone and Trey Parker

At the sold out Reason in Amsterdam conference, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the smash hit and Peabody Award-winning show South Park, discussed the label "South Park Republicans," Michael Moore, and their favorite South Park episodes.

Click Here to Listen to Excerpts from a Press Q&A with South Park Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker at Reason in Amsterdam (mp3; 04:49)

Reason magazine's full interview with Stone and Parker will appear in an upcoming issue, and audio excerpts of that interview will be posted here next month.

In The New York Times, columnist John Tierney writes, "Stone and Parker were never thrilled to be G.O.P. poster boys and said they weren't sure what a South Park Republican was. They were generally reluctant to be pigeonholed ideologically, but last week they clarified it by headlining at a Reason magazine conference in Amsterdam, the libertarian version of Davos. Stone and Parker said that if you had to put a label on them, they were libertarian — and that didn't mean Republican to this crowd. The G.O.P. used to have a sizable libertarian bloc, but I couldn't see any sign of it at the conference. Stone and Parker said they were rooting for Hillary Clinton in 2008 simply because it would be weird to have her as president. The prevailing sentiment among the rest of the libertarians was that the best outcome this November would be a Democratic majority in the House, because then at least there'd be gridlock. 'We're the long-suffering, battered spouse in a dysfunctional political marriage of convenience,' said Nick Gillespie, the editor in chief of Reason. 'Most of the libertarians I know have given up on the G.O.P. The odds that we'll stick around for the midterm election are about as good as the odds that Rick Santorum will join the Village People.' Andrew Sullivan, the blogger who coined 'South Park Republican,' was at the conference with a preview of 'The Conservative Soul,' his new book on the spiritual corruption of Republicans. He said he now prefers to call himself a South Park conservative, not Republican." Tierney's full column is available at NYTimes.com (subscription required).

Andrew Sullivan

Andrew Sullivan, Time blogger and author of the forthcoming The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It; How to Get It Back, explores "The Conservatism of Doubt and the Politics of Freedom" at the recent Reason in Amsterdam conference.

Click Here to Listen to Andrew Sullivan's Talk at Reason in Amsterdam (mp3; 29:15)

Mart Laar

Former Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar was among the many illuminating speakers at the recent Reason in Amsterdam conference. Laar’s free market reforms have transformed Estonia into one of the most dynamic and free nations in the world.

Click Here to Listen to Excerpts from Mart Laar's Talk at Reason in Amsterdam (mp3; 12:40)

Jerry Cameron

Former police chief Jerry Cameron, details the total failure and devastating consequences of drug prohibition. As a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), Cameron provides audiences throughout the United States - and the world - with captivating accounts of the failed "war on drugs" through the eyes of a front line veteran.

Click Here to Listen to Excerpts of Jerry Cameron's Talk at Reason in Amsterdam (mp3; 12:00)

Check back soon for more audio from Reason in Amsterdam.

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