It was 1993, I was in Washington presenting a paper on NAFTA. Olson's perspective was great... he said that roving bandits found it easier to stay in one place and provide protection for a percentage of output instead of roving around looking for places to plunder. Conversely, the people in villages found it preferable to pay a portion (taxes) of their stuff instead of having to start over again when the bandits came and wiped them out... Therefore an agreement evolved between the taxed and the power elite.
He was also a really nice guy (unlike Ted Lowi who I was on a panel with) I had lunch with Ralph Nader that day- he was also on my panel.
Yeah I was 23 then and not very politically involved at all. My first child was born in 1994, so that mellowed me out and focused me a lot. I actually have older children, but they are my step children that I raised and with my second marriage. That first child was the first child I experienced being a parent with. It is pretty life changing.
I was 48 and a sophomore in college. That conference was one of the high points of my academic career. Ralph Nader was a very cool guy (not just because he paid for lunch- a cheeseburger at the DC Hilton was $8.50). I also had drinks with Camille Paglia, we chatted for about an hour rating chicks that came into the bar. I've quoted that paper by Olson so many times, I've lost count. It was a study he did on a Chinese warlord.
I was in my 3rd year of college, but I was going to college in a pretty remote part of Colorado, so not too much exposure to things like that. :)
I was in Mt Pleasant MI at CMU... I had a good mentor (until I told him I didn't want any part of the CFR) Things kinda went south from there.