The Web is a place where anything goes, a tool that allows people to be, say, and do whatever strikes their fancy. Both school and playground, the Web can be used as a gateway to the rest of the world. But this virtual society isn't the kill-or-be-killed chaos some might expect from a lack of regulation and central control. If someone finds your Web site offensive, all it takes is a mouse click to shut it out. If you violate the mores of "netiquette," there are plenty of other users ready to reprimand you for spoiling the fun.
The Internet has been described as a good example of Nobel laureate economist F.A. Hayek's theory of spontaneous order — that when people are free to make their own decisions, they will interact in ways too complex to predict, modifying society and creating things that could not have been planned. Some might dispute this, pointing out that the Internet is a creation of the government -- missing the fact that the Internet had humble beginnings, only becoming the popular multimedia tool that it is today through the unplanned interaction of millions of people and organizations, each of them expanding the network's content and possibilities. The Web has radically changed the face of John Stuart Mill's notion of the "marketplace of ideas," making public discourse a more universal activity.
The Internet functions as a model of civil society, with individuals and organizations interacting voluntarily for mutual benefit. It should come as no surprise, then, that libertarians have staked out a considerable amount of territory in Cyberspace. Dozens of college libertarian clubs and student organizations ranging from the London School of Economics to UC Berkeley to the University of Virginia are using the Web to promote their cause, as have a number of professional libertarian organizations such as the Cato Institute, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Institute for Justice, and the Reason Foundation.
The Cato Institute, a public policy research institute based in Washington, D.C., has hosted an ever-expanding site for over two years. Those who surf through the site can find extensive space devoted to policy analysis papers, commentary on current events, and other publications. One recent addition is the on-line version of the Cato Handbook for Congress, a compendium of market-based solutions to problems government is unsuccessfully tackling. The Handbook is directed at congressional staff as a guide to public policy, but is also valuable reading for anyone who wants to know what Congress can and should do. And don't forget to check out the internship opportunities for college students while you're there.
The Cato Institute has developed such a comprehensive body of work related to Social Security privatization that it has devoted a new Web site to the topic. The site features a large variety of resources, including books, studies, articles, speeches, congressional testimony, and even a video presentation about how the current Social Security system is rapidly draining America's resources. More important, perhaps, it has a calculator option that allows you to insert personal information — age, salary, predicted retirement age, for example — and, in turn, it gives you an estimate of what you can expect to receive from the current system versus what you could get from a privatized system.
The Foundation for Economic Education has distinguished libertarian origins. Founded in 1946 by Leonard Read, FEE has counted numerous classical liberal scholars among its staff and advisors, including economists Ludwig von Mises, Henry Hazlitt, and Israel Kirzner. In addition, FEE publishes The Freeman, a monthly journal of free-market thought. FEE's Web site contains information about summer seminars and Freeman Society discussion clubs, many of which are held on college campuses.
The Institute for Humane Studies hosts a Web site with acres of information about their programs for college students, including fellowships, scholarships, contests, and summer seminars designed to promote libertarian principles. In 1996 IHS "awarded over $450,000 in scholarships to 83 students from universities around the world."
The Institute for Justice aims to take over the ACLU's status as the definitive civil rights law firm, focusing on the individual's right to life, liberty, and property instead of the ACLU's agenda of "welfare rights," affirmative action, and other entitlements. Founded in 1991, IJ is the nation's "only libertarian public interest law firm," and its home page contains information about court cases they've been involved in and the text of their newsletter and other publications.
Those who want to begin reading about libertarianism more intensively can start building their own library of freedom-oriented books. Liberty Fund specializes in reprinting classic works of philosophy, politics, and economics by classical liberal thinkers from antiquity to the present, all at a very reasonable price. Another good source is the wide-ranging catalog of Laissez-Faire Books, the world's largest selection of books about the liberty. Book categories range from economics, law, and political philosophy to literature, art, and humor. Laissez-Faire Books also sells an impressive selection of books dealing with current hot political topics, like individualist feminism and free-market environmentalism, and has a good selection of audio and videotapes.
There is also a site for David Boaz's new books, Libertarianism: A Primer and The Libertarian Reader. Visitors will find excerpts, reviews, and information on purchasing the books.
If you are currently politically homeless, visit the home page of Advocates for Self-Government. There you will be able to take the "World's Smallest Political Quiz." In a matter of minutes you will be able to determine where you fit on the political spectrum. You might just be surprised by the results.
There are other libertarian organizations on the Web too numerous to mention and a great place to find many of them is Free-Market.com. This site is a well-organized clearinghouse of links to other libertarian pages on the Web. One of the best features of this site is the "Library of Liberty," a large list of links to libertarian books and other texts that are available unabridged online, including documents by the Founding Fathers, fiction by Ayn Rand, J. Neil Schulman, and Victor Hugo, and works by Aristotle, Adam Smith, and Frederic Bastiat.
The Web is the most valuable tool students have in the quest for freedom, as well as a virtual example of how libertarians would like to see society operate. Using it effectively will help you learn how the world works and how you can bring freedom to a society near you.
Cato Institute
http://www.cato.org
Cato Project on Social Security Privatization
http://www.socialsecurity.org
Foundation for Economic Education
http://www.fee.org
Institute for Humane Studies
http://mason.gmu.edu/~ihs
Free-Market.com
http://www.free-market.com
Institute for Justice
http://www.instituteforjustice.org
Liberty Fund
http://www.libertyfund.org
Laissez-Faire Books
http://www.LFB.org
Liberty Magazine
http://www.libertysoft.com
Libertarianism: A Primer
http://www.libertarianism.org
Reason Foundation
http://www.reason.org
Advocates for Self-Government
http://www.self-gov.org