Subversion for Fun and Profit: An Evening with Karl Hess and Robert Anton Wilson

Karl Hess

Karl Hess was a noted speechwriter (for Barry Goldwater among others) and author, and later in his life became known as a tax resister and market anarchist.

Robert Anton Wilson

Dr. Robert Anton Wilson was the author (along with Robert Shea) of the popular Illuminatus! trilogy, which won the Prometheus Hall of Fame award for science fiction in 1986. His other books have found great acclaim as well, many of them achieving “cult classic” status. Wilson has been described at various times throughout his life as a novelist, philosopher, psychologist, essayist, editor, playwright, poet, futurist, civil libertarian and agnostic mystic.

Dr. Robert Anton Wilson was the co-​author of the popular Illuminatus! trilogy, which won the Prometheus Hall of Fame award for science fiction in 1986. Wilson has been described at various times throughout his life as a novelist, philosopher, psychologist, essayist, editor, playwright, poet, futurist, civil libertarian and agnostic mystic.

Karl Hess was a noted speechwriter (for Barry Goldwater among others) and author, and later in his life became known as a tax resister, welder, and market anarchist.

In this video from the Libertarian Party’s Nominating Convention in 1987 Wilson and Hess team up and field questions from the audience in a humorous, frequently witty, and occasionally irreverent dialogue on everything from early 20th century European and American literature to politicians’ inflated egos to pranking the government, yuppies, jaywalking tickets, what the average American should know, and covert operations in Cuba.