In last week's issue, Jonathan Newman wrote that I "never said how YAL was being dishonest" in my original dispute of the group's recruitment claims, and I can gladly specify.
Namely, I disputed their use of the term "nonpartisan" due to YAL's association with libertarianism.
In fact, in disagreement with Andrew McCaslin, who "found no such luck" when he visited YAL's website at www.yaliberty.org, I noticed an enormity of libertarian references. Simply view their blog archive and instances of explicit libertarian citations and promotion--particularly the advocacy of the libertarian free market--are self-evident.
Due to space concerns, I limit myself to the one example used below. To begin with, the YAL site boasts a list of social networks. Curiously included in the listis Ludwig von Mises. This link goes to a YAL community profile at the Ludvig von Mises Institute.
At the Mises front page, the "About" link explains, "The Ludwig von Mises Institute was founded in 1982 as the research and educational center of classical liberalism, libertarian political theory and the Austrian School of economics."
For a purportedly nonpartisan political group, it would seem strange for YAL to expand within a self-avowed proponent of "libertarian political theory."
Interestingly, Josh Jackson's Oct. 11, 2010, blog brings the partisanship locally.
The post covers the Ludvig von Mises Institute's Supporters Summit in Auburn, prompting Jackson to claim, "Young Americans for Liberty will serve as a definitive part of the reinforcement that prevented (the country's) collapse. And undoubtedly, this is owed in part to the scholarly foundation provided by the Mises Institute."
Nonpartisan implies that no interest predominates, and that's plainly not the case with YAL and libertarianism.
Matt Greenemeier
senior, anthropology
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