Edward H Crane, Requiescat In Pace

Many things will be said about Ed Crane and his legacy, but at their core all will rest on the truth that he did more than any single person of our day to revive a moribund tradition of liberalism, toleration, legal respect for equal human dignity, free trade, and peace than anyone of his age. He left a highly lucrative business career to create the platforms and the reasonable and tolerant framing with which many were able to launch campaigns to legalize victimless crimes, to stop military adventurism, to free exchange from coercion, to eliminate predatory rent-seeking, and more. Some were tremendously successful; others may yet bear fruit if the current tsunami of illiberalism is successfully resisted.

I am glad I had a chance to visit in his last days. The world will be lucky to see his like again. A great light has gone out. My heart goes out to his family, but also to a world that is becoming darker and more dangerous.

Tom G Palmer