I have passed a few key milestones this year. This marks my 25th year of involvement in the libertarian movement, 20 years of full-time service as ISIL's vice-president, and the completion of my 50th ride around the sun. It seems a natural time to reflect on the state of affairs.

     A Chinese saying is "Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man, or of a nation." There was plenty to be discontented about at the time I came into the movement in 1979- 80. Western economies were mired in stagflation. Jobs were scarce. Best-selling authors were predicting hyperinflation, $5000 an ounce for gold, economic collapse and food riots in the streets. There was widespread commentary on the decadence and decline of Western civilization. U.S. president Jimmy Carter talked of "malaise". Political leadership in Western countries was weak and ineffectual. The U.S. endured the humiliation of the Iranian hostage crisis. It appeared that the Soviet Union was gradually winning the Cold War – the result of which would probably not have been outright conquest, but rather of "Finlandization" – the reduction of Western countries to Soviet vassals through blackmail.

     Libertarian legend Karl Hess once told us "Politicians occasionally do the right thing – but only after they've exhausted all the alternatives." Politics trails reality. When reality gets bad enough, there will be a backlash. Bankruptcy is what forces major political changes. Milder situations produce milder changes. So the most radical changes happened in Russia and China, after both had been reduced to economic basket cases by communism. Ditto for many of their former colonies in Eastern Europe. Estonia is now ranked fourth in the world in economic freedom (well ahead of the USA). New Zealand was broke by 1984 and could no longer borrow on the international markets. Chile was broke when they freed up the market and privatized their social security system. The "British disease" was well-advanced when Margaret Thatcher came to power and re-privatized swaths of British industry.

     In America, there was widespread discontent with big government. There was even a major tax-resistance movement within the United Auto Workers union! It was clear that Jimmy Carter was dead meat in the upcoming election. There was a pile of best-sellers lambasting failed government from a libertarian perspective. Three of these books had a major influence on my life. First, I read Harry Browne's How You Can Profit from the Monetary Crisis, which radicalized my economics. Then I read Ayn Rand's epic novel Atlas Shrugged, which radicalized my philosophy. Then I read Robert Ringer's blistering Restoring the American Dream, which radicalized my politics.

     Ringer mentioned the Libertarian Party. I voted for Ed Clark for president in the 1980 election, got involved in the local group in Richmond, Virginia in 1981, met Vince Miller and heard of his fledgling Libertarian International organization when he showed up in town a couple months later, jumped in as a volunteer, went to the LI World Conference in London in 1984 to meet international libertarians, went to work full-time for LI the next year, and here I am. It's been a great adventure, and I have met some of the greatest people in the world.

     Libertarianism is, of course, a political philosophy, and we tend to think of it in terms of the relationship between people and government.

     Two jokes:

1. The definition of politics: poli (meaning many), and tics (blood-sucking parasites) and

2. Democracy being two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for lunch.

     Some libertarians have expended an enormous amount of resources trying to persuade conventional politicians to adopt free-market ideas. I think this work is valuable, but unless the politicians are staring bankruptcy in the face, there will be only minor reforms in the near term.

     But, much as British and French thinkers of the Enlightenment influenced the creation of a far freer America, so today's American libertarian thinkers, while being ignored in Washington, are being listened to in the capitals of poorer overseas countries. Keep publishing!

     Other libertarians (including myself for a while) have attempted to battle the statists on the electoral battlefield. I have become quite unthrilled with this approach. To update Clausewitz, war is extreme politics, and politics is a mild form of war. Governments operate by force, so the battle for control of the apparatus invariably involves collectivist action, which invariably leads to conflict and corruption. The biggest, most vicious liars end up on top. To quote Karl Hess again: "You can't win in a pissing match with a skunk."

     Even libertarian parties, populated overwhelmingly by dedicated, principled individuals, have not been immune from these scourges. And trying to compete with large, statist parties and their big media allies on their playing field and on their terms (which they change as soon as you start to succeed) has simply been futile. The USLP has been trivialized in the public mind by years of 2% votes. If you are going to pursue electoral politics anyway, at least follow the path of least resistance and run for non-partisan local office, or better yet, work with single-issue coalitions.

     I have believed for years that the corrupt American political establishment has a lock on the current system, and will run it in an authoritarian direction until bankruptcy hits. If they don't reform sufficiently then, I seriously believe that the country will break up. When the inevitable economic crisis hits America, cash-strapped local and state politicians will likely take a much harsher position on runaway spending and deficits in Washington. Even now, the word "secession" is popping up frequently. A secession conference was just held in the Vermont state capitol building, and was reported on by some major media.

     Jokes aside, the meaning of the Greek word "Politics" actually encompasses all human relationships. So it involves the family, marketplace, charity, clubs, churches, etc. I would suggest that libertarians redirect most of their energies away from the ideological battles of governmental politics and towards the other realms of politics through the creation of a social movement that will create private, voluntary alternatives to failed governmental or other bureaucratic institutions. The rise in home schooling and private schools in parallel with the deteriorating government school system is a perfect example. It's actually a quiet, individualized form of secession.

     I also think technology has a major influence on the course of political events. Alvin Toffler's 1979 book The Third Wave gives an excellent description of the technology and its impact on socio-economic dynamics and structures in the Agricultural, Industrial, and rising Information Ages. Certainly, the invention of the practical personal computer and all that has evolved from that, has changed the world for the better over the last 25 years more than any political reforms. And the fact that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak invented their Apple computer in a garage means that many of the coming world-changing technological developments are highly likely to come as surprises from unexpected places.

     I believe that many of the current rising technologies such as renewable energy, bio-tech and the likely ensuing impact of genetics in individualizing medicine and enhancing food production, and nanotechnology will all be decentralizing forces. Meanwhile, computers and telecommunications have a long ways to go. Globalization will continue apace.

     Certainly, a lot of libertarians were involved in the computer revolution. Now, opportunities in these new freedom-enhancing industries await libertarians, whether as scientists, engineers, managers, marketers, journalists, or investors.

     I am no Pollyanna. Politicians and would-be politicians like Osama bin Laden will continue to screw things up. There's a lot of religious craziness out there, too. There will be economic rough spots along the way. There will be bloody conflicts in some regions.

     But overall, the world (meaning the well-being of many of its human inhabitants) has gotten enormously better in the last 25 years, and I expect things to generally keep getting better in the next 25 years.

     If libertarians can successfully communicate the ideas of moral, voluntary, practical solutions and the importance of an environment of freedom in facilitating human progress, we will be able to look back with pride.

     Thanks again to all of you for your support of ISIL's growth and the advance of world liberty.