Robert Bidinotto
Encyclopedia
Robert James Bidinotto (1949- ) is a contemporary novelist, journalist, editor, and lecturer. His 2011 vigilante novel, HUNTER: A Thriller, is the first in a series.
He is perhaps best known for his critiques of the criminal justice
system, and of the environmentalist
movement and philosophy. Bidinotto advocates the philosophy and writings of Ayn Rand
, and from July 2005 until October 2008, he was editor-in-chief of The New Individualist, the monthly magazine published by The Atlas Society
.
Bidinotto has written for many different publications. He also hosts his own website dedicated to criticism of the environmental movement, publishes a blog
, and lectures at colleges and universities.
, for which he authored many high-profile pieces dealing 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, helped make murderer Willie Horton
and prison furloughs among the decisive issues in the defeat of Michael Dukakis
. He also wrote about environmental issues, such as the Alar scare and Global Warming
. Bidinotto later 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.
Subsequently, he worked 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 CRT in July 2005 to return to The Objectivist Center, now called The Atlas Society
, where he served as the editor-in-chief of their monthly magazine of politics and culture, The New Individualist, until October 2008.
Bidinotto writes a blog addressing political and cultural issues, as well another blog, "The Vigilante Author," which focuses on his own novels, fiction-writing generally, and independent publishing. He maintains a website called "ecoNOT" which deals specifically with environmental issues, and another site promoting his freelance writing and editing work.
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
and is at work on fiction and nonfiction book projects.
He is perhaps best known for his critiques of the criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
system, and of the environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
movement and philosophy. Bidinotto advocates the philosophy and writings of Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
, and from July 2005 until October 2008, he was editor-in-chief of The New Individualist, the monthly magazine published by The Atlas Society
The Atlas Society
The Atlas Society — of which The Objectivist Center is a part — is a research and advocacy organization promoting "a culture that affirms the core Objectivist values of reason, individualism, freedom, and achievement." It is part of the Objectivist movement that split off from the Ayn Rand...
.
Bidinotto has written for many different publications. He also hosts his own website dedicated to criticism of the environmental movement, publishes a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, and lectures at colleges and universities.
Background
In the mid-1980s, Bidinotto was a contributing editor for the Objectivist political newsletter On Principle; then, in 1987, for its brief-lived successor, Oasis magazine. Also during the mid-1980s he self-published several research papers and lectures on libertarianism, styles of thinking, and the philosophy and practice of individualism as mediated or foiled by organizational influences. During the late 1980s and until 1995, Bidinotto was a staff writer for Reader's DigestReader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
, for which he authored many high-profile pieces dealing 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, helped make murderer Willie Horton
Willie Horton
William R. "Willie" Horton is an American convicted felon who, while serving a life sentence for murder, without the possibility of parole, was the beneficiary of a Massachusetts weekend furlough program...
and prison furloughs among the decisive issues in the defeat of Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
. He also wrote about environmental issues, such as the Alar scare and Global Warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. Bidinotto later 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.
Subsequently, he worked 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 CRT in July 2005 to return to The Objectivist Center, now called The Atlas Society
The Atlas Society
The Atlas Society — of which The Objectivist Center is a part — is a research and advocacy organization promoting "a culture that affirms the core Objectivist values of reason, individualism, freedom, and achievement." It is part of the Objectivist movement that split off from the Ayn Rand...
, where he served as the editor-in-chief of their monthly magazine of politics and culture, The New Individualist, until October 2008.
Bidinotto writes a blog addressing political and cultural issues, as well another blog, "The Vigilante Author," which focuses on his own novels, fiction-writing generally, and independent publishing. He maintains a website called "ecoNOT" which deals specifically with environmental issues, and another site promoting his freelance writing and editing work.
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 Rush Limbaugh Show
The Rush Limbaugh Show is an American talk radio show hosted by Rush Limbaugh on Premiere Radio Networks...
, The Bob Grant Show, CNBC's Rivera Live, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
He currently resides with his wife on the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and is at work on fiction and nonfiction book projects.
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?"
Selected bibliography
- "Terrorism and Unilateral Moral Disarmament" in
- "Prison Furloughs Allow Criminals to Commit More Crimes" in
- "What Is Freedom For?" in
- "What Is the Truth about Global Warming?" in
- "Global Warming" in
- "Environmentalism: Freedom's Foe for the '90's" in
- Editor.