I am a US citizen and in a similar position: I admire his libertarian views and relate to his origins (like him, I'm a Eastern European secular-Jewish immigrant).
The reason is simple: United States may be libertarian on average, but the major centers of political power (coastal California, New York, and Texas) are far from libertarian. Indeed, one think tank rated New Zealand as more free than United States in both personal and economic realms: e.g., de-criminalized drugs and gun control laws that are less harsh than some US states.
It's unfortunate, but I don't think we can see anyone more libertarian-leaning than Thomas (who has some libertarian leanings, but is anti-abortion, and can be weak on fourth amendment) in the Supreme Court any time soon (not even accomplished "economics of law" scholars like Epstein or Posner).
I am a US citizen and in a similar position: I admire his libertarian views and relate to his origins (like him, I'm a Eastern European secular-Jewish immigrant).
The reason is simple: United States may be libertarian on average, but the major centers of political power (coastal California, New York, and Texas) are far from libertarian. Indeed, one think tank rated New Zealand as more free than United States in both personal and economic realms: e.g., de-criminalized drugs and gun control laws that are less harsh than some US states.
It's unfortunate, but I don't think we can see anyone more libertarian-leaning than Thomas (who has some libertarian leanings, but is anti-abortion, and can be weak on fourth amendment) in the Supreme Court any time soon (not even accomplished "economics of law" scholars like Epstein or Posner).