The Day After Iowa and A Sense of Perspective

by Liberty and Power

Ron Paul garnered 10 percent yesterday. I was disappointed by the result. I had hoped that he would do better. I had also feared that he would do much worse.

But let's have some perspective here. In the broader context of modern libertarianism, this is significant progress. The Libertarian Party during its high water mark in 1980 received a mere 1 percent of the vote. As a veteran of the campaign, I remember well the day after that election. We were disappointed then too but in our wildest dreams had never expected to get 5 percent, much less 10 percent.

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Tim Sydney - 1/6/2008

The "Ron Paul Revolution" is not going to make Ron Paul the next US President. The vested interests arrayed against him and the state dependent mentality of the vast majority of the US electorate mean that this is so.

However what this does mean is that the Cold War is really over. The old (unholy?) alliance between libertarians and conservatives forged (right or wrong) in response to the Cold War and glued together by 'anti-communism' is finally kaput.

The Cold War alliance, much criticised by Old Right stalwarts like Rothbard, over time submerged the libertarian / classical liberal voice and allowed both the left and right to pretend that conservatives really did stand for free enterprise.

Ron's revolution has a way to go yet, and there will be backsteps and missteps to come, but the old order has gone.