At a gala dinner in Washington, the Cato Institute awarded the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty to Jimmy Lai, a businessman and vocal advocate for democracy and freedom in Hong Kong. Lai was unable to accept the award in person because he is presently imprisoned by the Chinese government.
Libertarians are tempted to be too depressed. We read the morning papers, or watch the cable shows, and we think the world is indeed on “the road to serfdom.” But we should reject a counsel of despair. We’ve been fighting ignorance, superstition, privilege, and power for many centuries. We and our classical liberal forebears have won great victories. The fight is not over, but liberalism remains the only workable operating system for a world of peace, growth, and progress.