The law of unintended consequences, often cited but rarely defined, is that actions of people -- and especially of government -- always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended.

Consider the following short list of legislation and packages of bills:

• Federal Reserve Act of 1913
• The New Deal
• The Great Society
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
• Dodd-Frank Act
• Department of Education Organization Act
• Reorganization Plan Number 3 (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Food and Drugs Act of 1906 (Food and Drug Administration)

It seems that most people take these pieces of legislation at face value and defend them based on what they were taught in school or what they see and hear on television. Popular opinion is quick to point out the sincere intentions of these pieces of legislation and the importance they play in our lives. Popular opinion is also as quick to shy away from talking about the reality of these pieces of legislation in what is commonly referred to as the unintended consequences.

Remember social studies class in high school, when you learn about how there are three branches of government that balance against each other, and one of those is the legislative branch which is supposed to represent the will of the people (originally the will of the people and the states, but you know what I mean).  If anything should show us just how perverted this system has become, it should be the difference in the support in Congress for the Stop Online Piracy Act vs. the actual support among the various congressional constituencies.

Let's start with the rationale for supporting SOPA.  Why do it?  DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, one of the most prominent supporters of the bill and its highest-ranking Democrat sponsor in the House, thinks that we need the bill in order to "protect Americans from companies that profit by stealing and repackaging other people's work."  Ahh yes.  We need to deprive Americans of an important freedom in order to protect them from a vaguely-stated threat.  Where have I heard that sort of talk before...?

Well, okay.  The congresswoman (and others like her) say that they support (or supported until they realized it was unpopular) this bill because it protects Americans.  Let's start with the (false) assumption that members of congress are generally good and honest people.  Certainly we shouldn't just automatically disbelieve anything they say, right?  Perhaps there is evidence that suggests another, more concrete reason that Wasserman and her compatriots support this bill.

Want to know the exact what, why, and how of the dangers SOPA (and similar legislation, PIPA) poses to the internet?  This video is for you.  It's 11 minutes long, yes, but it's a good 11 minutes to spend educating yourself to explain exactly why this proposed internet censorship is such a problem.  Remember, even if SOPA fails, there is sure to be another bill in a similar mold sooner or later.  It's better for us as liberty activists to be knowledgeable and prepared sooner.

The beginning of a new semester is the perfect time to be thinking about how to grow and expand your YAL chapter.  Maybe you turn out a big crowd of people to a information meeting or a semester kick-off rally, but will they come back?  Are they still there at the end of the semester?  This is the ultimate test of your effectiveness as a student organization, and here's what you need to remember.

The Idea: Community

Think about the most successfully organized groups you know.  These may be churches, veterans groups, or college fraternities, for example.  The common thread that sustains the existence of these groups is that they create an environment which not only enables the purpose of the group, but ultimately fosters social interaction.  In other words, people want a place they can make friends and hang out!  It's half the reason you went to college to begin with.    

Understanding "community" is vital to the success of your group. It encourages the creativity that occurs when people are comfortable around each other and sharpens ideas on philosophy and rhetorical skills.  People build bonds with each other, find other common interests, become friends, and eventually begin to interact outside of the group. I love logging into Facebook and seeing people who are members of my YAL group asking each other which professors to take for a certain class, who wants to meet up for pizza, or where the best trails to go hiking are located.  These people will continue to show up for YAL events, if only just to see their friends who they made there!  I'm sure they love liberty too.