To believe that well-being is our highest moral value tells us little to nothing about what kind of political institutions we ought to have. To get to that conclusion we need to know what will happen given this or that set of political institutions. We need empirical commitments to bridge the gap between our values and the set of political institutions best able to realize or promote those values. . . .

While I share liberal value commitments, I have certain empirical beliefs that lead me to prefer the libertarian set of political institutions. But it’s not for any natural rights reasons, nor for any Randian reasons. It’s all about improving the well-being of people in general (regardless of their country of birth), and getting resources into the hands of those who desperately need them. Those ends are better served by the free and open market. Those ends are better served by a tiny, tiny government, limited in scope. That’s what I really believe.