Every so often Cato Institute co-founder Ed Crane reminisces about the early days of libertarianism, and in particular the make-up of the movement as gatherings began taking place. Though the lover of liberty in Crane has always and everywhere relentlessly defended the natural right of individuals to live as they want, he remarks in comical fashion that until those meetings of libertarians in the 1970s, he had no idea just how many “alternative” lifestyles there were.
It’s his proud (with good reason) way of reminding us newbies of just how far libertarianism has come. Though libertarianism surely gave meaning to “fringe” in the 1970s, it’s in modern times a very established, perhaps even elite movement populated by rather prominent people eager to promote the Founders’ vision of freedom. While president of Cato, Crane could claim board members that included FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith, LBO legend Ted Forstmann, News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch, cable and communications mogul John Malone, and industrialist David Koch; Koch at the time of his death one of the richest men in the world. Crane founded the Institute with Koch’s brother, Charles. Away from Cato’s board, there’s long been speculation that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos swings libertarian, to read Nike co-founder Phil Knight’s brilliant memoir Shoe Dog is to think he too might be libertarian, actor Vince Vaughn is out in the open about his ideology, and realistically many more big names.
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