Dominick Armentano writes:

Excellent argument, RW. As most of us know, Charles sponsored all sorts of Austrian/Libertarian seminars, conferences and events in the early years. I remember writing (actually ghost-writing) a petroleum op/ed for him in 1977 where I criticized government regulation and called for more competition and liberty. When he got the draft he called me on the phone and proceeded to tell me that the piece wasn't hard-hitting enough (!) and that it should be more radical in tone and recommendations. O.K. Charles, you are paying so if that's what you want... We all respected Charles's courage, including Murray, because he put considerable money and his reputation where his mouth and beliefs were. It's no exaggeration to say that he kept the liberty movement alive (in the 1979s and 1980s) and allowed liberty ideas to grow and become reasonably respectable in the academy and even in some parts of the media. Never really understood why that movement enthusiasm vanished ( was he threatened or punished politically and in business for his spending?) or why the funds were not channeled into some mega-media enterprise that would have had substantial influence on opinion makers. One of life's many mysteries...