In fact, when I first discovered libertarianism in the 1970s, if all that I had heard or read was libertarians calling for some reform program — school vouchers, Social Security "privatization," health-savings accounts, or whatever — I never would have become a libertarian.

I became a libertarian for two reasons: One, the libertarian philosophy is a morally correct philosophy. Two, I want to be free and libertarianism is the only philosophy of liberty.

Regardless of which one of them is elected president — Donald Trump of Joe Biden — nothing is going to change in any fundamental sense. The massive welfare state will continue, led by its two crown jewels, Social Security and Medicare. The massive warfare state will also continue, as reflected by the Pentagon, CIA, and NSA. Foreign interventionism will continue. The drug war will continue. The Federal Reserve will continue. The out-of-control federal spending will continue. The ever-growing debt will continue. The managed economy will continue. The debasement of the currency will continue.

That's because both Trump and Biden and the political parties they represent believe in this dysfunctional way of life. Their fight is simply over who is going to be able manage the welfare-warfare state and benefit from its power and largess.

It is, of course, possible to point out endlessly the faults and failures of welfare-warfare state programs. Both conservatives and liberals are great at this. Whichever group is out of power will write countless op-eds and give innumerable speeches on how the ruling party screwed up this program or that program.