Robert Heinlein was one of the great science fiction authors probably best known for Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, but my favoraite was “Time Enough for Love”, a story of Lazarus Long. Long is born in 1910, lives to be over 4,000 years old, inhabits several planets, is married 35 times and goes back in time to date his mother.

A first edition of this book published in 1973 sells on Abebooks.com for $400, so he must have a pretty good following. His whimsical biblical wisdom permeates the book.

“When the need arises- and it does- you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don’t farm it out- that doesn’t make it nicer, it makes it worse.”

“Moderation is for monks.”

“Never appeal to a man’s ‘better nature.’ He may not have one. Invoking his self interest gives you more leverage.”

“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.”

“$100 placed at 7% interest compounded quarterly for 200 years will increase to more than $100,000,000- by which time it will be worth nothing.”

“Beware of altruism. It is based on self deception, the root of all evil.”

As you can see Heinlein was one of the great libertarian philosophers even before Ayn Rand ( and a lot more fun to read) . Though he died in the 1987, Reason Magazine commemorates his 100th birthday in the latest issue.
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