Robert Bidinotto

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Robert James Bidinotto is a contemporary writer, editor, thinker, and lecturer. He is a staff member of The Atlas Society, is editor-in-chief of The New Individualist magazine, and advocates the philosophy and writings of Ayn Rand. He has authored criticisms of the criminal justice system, and of the environmentalist movement and philosophy.

Bidinotto has written for many different publications. He also hosts his own website, ecoNOT, a blog, and lectures at colleges and universities.

[edit] Background

During the late 1980s and until 1995, Bidinotto was a staff writer for the periodical Reader's Digest. During this time, he authored many high-profile pieces which dealt with failings in the United States criminal justice system. The most well-known of these was "Getting Away with Murder" (July 1988), which, during the 1988 presidential campaign, made murderer "Willie" Horton and prison furloughs the decisive issues in the defeat of Michael Dukakis. He also wrote about environmental issues, such as the Alar Scare and Global Warming. Bidinotto subsequently edited a book, Criminal Justice? The Legal System Vs. Individual Responsibility, and wrote Freed to Kill, a compendium of horror stories about the justice system.

Bidinotto worked subsequently for several years for The Objectivist Center, and later for The Capital Research Center where he edited two monthly periodicals: Organization Trends and Foundation Watch. He left this latter position in July 2005 and returned to The Objectivist Center, now renamed as The Atlas Society, where he serves as the editor-in-chief of their monthly magazine of politics and culture, The New Individualist.

Bidinotto writes a blog where he addresses political and cultural issues, including his opposition to the philosophical foundations of environmentalism, appreciation for the literature of Ayn Rand, and criticisms of the philosophy of Anarcho-Capitalism. He also maintains a website called "ecoNOT" which deals specifically with environmental issues. Politically, he supported the 2002 American military intervention in Iraq, backed George W. Bush in the 2004 election, and was in favor of removing Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.

In September 2007, The New Individualist was honored with Folio magazine's prestigious Gold "Eddie" Award for Bidinotto's article "Up from Conservatism," which appeared in the magazine's March 2007 issue. The American Society of Magazine Editors recognized Bidinotto's prison-furlough article in the July 1988 Reader's Digest as one of five national finalists for "Best Magazine Article of the Year in the Public Interest Category." He also was honored with the Free Press Association's Mencken Award for "Best Feature Story" and the annual journalism award from the National Victim Center, "for sensitivity and fairness in reporting victim issues." Bidinotto has appeared as a guest on numerous radio and television programs, including CBS radio's "Crosstalk," CNN's "Sonya Live," "Geraldo," "The Rush Limbaugh Show," "The Bob Grant Show," CNBC's "Rivera Live," and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

He currently resides with his wife on the Chesapeake Bay.

[edit] Quotes

• "Problems loom large when men don't." (Quoted in Reader's Digest)

• It's time that we define and defend a new vision: an inspiring individualist vision of human potential, in which each human being is honored as an end in himself, with reason as his guide to action, and his own life, well-being, and happiness as his ultimate reward. From his manifesto, "Environmentalism or Individualism?"