The Privatization of Roads and Highways - Ludwig von Mises Institute

Aiding and Abetting Road Socialism 381
gets out, moreover, the better off we shall be in reducing “man’s
inhumanity to man.”
So much is pretty straightforward, at least in the libertarian
neck of the woods. Perhaps a more interesting question is, what
can be said, not about the actual managers of streets and thoroughfares,
but rather of private citizens who aid and abet them?
There are many such, unfortunately. At present, we will focus on
only one of them, the Reason Foundation, and its Reason Public
Policy Institute. This organization in one place advertises itself
,not as an avowedly libertarian one, but rather as one that
“explores and promotes the twin values of rationality and freedom
as the basic underpinnings of a good society.” 7 But if “freedom”
is used in any reasonable way, it certainly implies private
property, the rule of law, and laissez faire capitalism, phenomena
incompatible with government ownership, operation and control
of roads and highways. 8
However, in another place, Reason explicitly claims the libertarian
mantle:
Mission Statement: The mission of Reason Foundation is to
advance a free society by developing, applying, and promoting
libertarian principles, including free markets, individual liberty,
and the rule of law. We use journalism and public policy to
change the frameworks and actions of policymakers, journalists,
and opinion leaders. 9
It is my contention that Reason is not living up to its selfstyled
claim to be guided by libertarian strictures, nor to “promote
libertarian principles,” at least not in the arena of surface
7 www.rppi.org.
8There are, to be sure, private groups other than Reason also operate as
collaborators with the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration
(NHSTA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). However, none of
them characterize themselves as pro freedom, let alone libertarian.
9www.reason.org/mission.html.