After I wrote a critical history of libertarian thought, I’ve sometimes been told that the book is of marginal interest because libertarianism is a marginal movement — it attracts scammers and cranks, but it doesn’t have much influence in policymaking. That is a dangerous delusion. The core notion of libertarianism, that we will be freer if we cripple the government, is alive and dangerous.
The narrow difference between the cranks and the people with actual influence was on display earlier this month at FreedomFest, an annual libertarian gathering that attracted thousands.
I explain in a new column at The Hill.