We have what we wished for. Now things change. The danger from Trump seems reduced, though he may now be more desperate than ever. The danger from the Democrats has increased. Opposing parties will control the White House and Congress, which is good.

The real battle is still one of ideas, the classical liberal or libertarian view against the centralized-power views of the left and the right. The pro-freedom position has lost ground to socialism and Trumpism. Changing people’s minds on a large scale is a hopeless proposition at present. The best we can do is to keep the case for freedom alive and make it available.

I’m not talking just about abstract philosophy and economics. Narratives are what motivate people, and we have the best narrative. The right has “Keep the nation free of foreign contamination.” The left has “You will be assimilated into the Collective.” We say that each individual is a unique value, the free human mind is a great force for well-being and prosperity, and we can get along with people who are different from us.

An especially satisfying way to advance liberty is to live by your principles. Avoid government handouts. Don’t make hypocritical exceptions. Be generous to friends and good causes if you can; that’s one way to keep taxes down.

I’ll work on getting more book reviews into this blog. The last one was in August, which is much too long ago. I’m getting through a book right now that looks like a good one to discuss, giving a much-needed perspective on history.