This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Monday, May 22nd, 2003. I'm Caleb Brown.

Last week, the Cato Institute awarded the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty to Jimmy Lye, an entrepreneur and newspaper

man in Hong Kong now imprisoned for his newspaper Apple Daly's publishing strong editorial

positions against Beijing's wholesale takeover of the island,

and of course Jimmy Lye's leadership in the resistance to that takeover.

At the dinner held last week, the Wall Street Journal's William McGurn,

friend and godfather to Jimmy

Lie, spoke about what Jimmy gave up to stand strong for freedom.

McGurn was introduced by Cato President and CEO Peter Getler.

Princeton Professor Emeritus Perry Link, who we have with us tonight, has said Hong Kong is probably the

purest example we have of the confrontation between

authoritarianism and democracy in today's world. He goes on to say that within that

pure example context, Jimmy Lye is arguably the purest,

sacrificing material comfort for an ideal, choosing prison over a plush life abroad.

No media outlet and perhaps no organization

has done more to publicize Hong Kong's confrontation between authoritarianism and

liberalism and to support Jimmy Lye and his cause than the Wall Street Journal. Most particularly the editorial page.

Since Beijing's Most particularly the editorial page.

Since Beijing's assault on Hong Kong's freedom began years ago,

the journal has made a point to emphasize the profound human cost of the crackdown and the symbolic importance of

what was once one of the freest places on earth. A big reason for this is

William McGurn.

...