Manifesto for a New American Liberalism, or How to Be a Humane Libertarian

“The essence of real, humane liberalism, in short, is a small government, honest and effective in its modest realm. Otherwise, leave people alone to pursue their non-violent projects voluntarily, laissez faire, laissez passer. But do not ignore other people, or disdain them, or refuse to help them, issuing a country-club declaration of “I’ve got mine.” Humane liberalism is not atomistic and selfish, contrary to what the High Liberals believe about it—and as some misled libertarians in fact talk in their boyish ways as if they believed about it, too. It is on the contrary an economy and polity and society of equal dignity.”