Freedom Home Page of the Week Archive Fall 1996

The New Civilization Network is "a self-organizing international grass-roots association of people who are interested in creating a better world and who are working on building it in one way or another." That's what they say. I call it anarchy in action. NCN is building a network of people who are willing to think about the kind of society they'd like to live in, then go out and start implementing its features. The website facilitates this process beautifully.

There's not a lot of English content here yet, but any organization which translates and reprints the works of Milton Friedman et al in order to bring laissez-faire philosophy to the former eastern-bloc countries deserves recognition. The Liberal Institute is serving the Czech and Slovak republics in said fashion. Bravo!

FEE was the first modern pro-liberty organization. In 1946, its founder Leonard Read brought together great minds like Ludwig von Mises, Henry Hazlitt, and Rose Wilder Lane to fight the battle for free-market ideas. Through publications like its flagship The Freeman, FEE has exposed millions to sound economic thinking. And although they've been on the Internet in some manner or another for two years now, their new Web site presents a clean and organized way to learn about what they have to offer.

Harry Browne is a financial advisor, newsletter writer, and author of ten books. But this year he devoted himself to running for U.S. president on the Libertarian Party ticket. He's been one of the best spokesmen for liberty the Libertarian Party has presented in its 25-year history. While he may not be the winner, Browne has introduced thousands of new people to free market ideas. For that, Harry Browne and all his hard-working campaigners -- on-line and off -- deserves our thanks.

Overly sentimental? Perhaps. Some have long since abandoned the notion that freedom can be attained by political process. Others never seriously entertained the idea. A few hope desperately to save what was once great about America. For the last full week prior to the 1996 national elections, the home page of the Libertarian Party will be featured here. Why? As a reproach to the first group, an amusement for the second, and a ray of hope for the third.

Liberty Unbound is the Web site of Liberty magazine, the very best of libertarian journals. Frequent contributors include feminist author Wendy McElroy, markets expert J. Orlin Grabbe, school-state separation advocate Sheldon Richman, Vin Suprynowicz, David Friedman... well, I think you get the picture. The online edition offers a few articles from the current and previous issues, but you'll want to subscribe to get the whole enchilada.

Alternative Static doesn't seem to be a complete site yet, but the material posted so far is interesting and informative. The atmosphere is intriguing, the graphics nicely done, and the content is oriented toward the exposure of government abuses -- forfeiture laws, the keeping of arguably political prisoners, etc.

If consensus can be achieved on any matter, American society (libertarians and non-libertarians alike) has come closest to achieving one on the notion that the state should not discriminate against -- or extend preferential treatment to -- anyone on the basis of their race, color, creed, or gender. Yet the court systems routinely do exactly that in divorce, custody, and support cases. The Men's Defense Association offers help for males that have been discriminated against (or fear such discrimination). I will not stipulate agreement with each point of the organization's doctrine; but MDA is addressing an important issue.

If you've never been exposed to Vin Suprynowicz, you're in for a treat. Even if you have, you'll want to bookmark The Vindex -- an exhaustive and up-to-date collection of his columns. Informed, uncompromising libertarian journalism at its best!

This is Michigan's free-market think tank -- the latest pro-freedom organization to jump into the World-wide Web head first. This isn't a experiment, they're serious about their Internet presence. Mackinac offers stacks of public policy information that's searchable and sensibly indexed, plus two special Q&A features for students: "Ask the Debate Coach" and "Ask the Economist." Both promise speedy personal responses to questions submitted via e-mail.

The fourth, fifth and sixth amendments are fairly explicit in their definition of due process of law, and in prohibiting the confiscation of property without meeting those due process requirements. But Congress doesn't care: asset forfeiture has become a frequently-used tool in the law enforcement arsenal. If you are suspected of committing a crime, you can easily be stripped of all your property and required to prove that you're not a criminal in order to get it back. FEAR is leading the charge against the grave injustices perpetrated by our government in the name of "fighting crime." Their site is chock full of up-to-date information -- information you are sure to find depressing and alarming.

When Michael Kyba wrote to me about The Happy Hotdogger's Home Page, I was somewhat skeptical. He alluded to a " conflict between free enterprise and unionization." As a well-adjusted capitalist and a union worker, I don't believe such a conflict is necessary -- and this page proves me right. Follow the saga of the University of British Columbia's "Tubesteakers" as they are aced out of their jobs by government acting in the interests of a union -- and remember that when the state acts as the agent of either party in a labor or market dispute, everyone loses. The heartburn -- real and figurative -- generated by this situation -- may open some eyes on campus.

David Friedman (yes, he is the son of monetarist Milton Friedman), possibly better than anyone before or since, made the case for doing just about everything through the free market in The Machinery of Freedom. His home page is a treasure trove of essays and articles in the same vein, including a sample chapter and table of contents from his latest work, Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life (available from Laissez-Faire Books.)

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edited by Eric C. Johnson

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