Wed 28 Dec 2005
As a political philosophy, the belief that “it is the job of government to widen the chance for development of individual personalities” is not merely lame and insulting, but dangerous. The endless widening and development of our personalities will require and legitimize the endless widening and development of our government. The threat goes beyond taxes, spending, borrowing and regulating that increase without limit. It culminates in a therapeutic nanny state that corrupts both its wardens and its wards. Convinced that they are intervening, constantly and pervasively, to assist the growth of people who would otherwise stagnate, the enlighteners don’t need coercion to enfold the people in a soft totalitarianism. The objects of this therapy, meanwhile, may grow accustomed to it, and ultimately prefer being cared for to being free; or conclude that being free has no value apart from being cared for.
An interesting opinion piece on why the Democrats continue to fail.
December 28th, 2005 at 10:21 am
Opinion pieces that make blanket statements like “Democrats want to regulate everything until we become a nanny state” are silly oversimplifications that ignore the fact that both American political parties preoccupy themselves with writing boneheaded regulations these days. What does the Religious Right (a significant Republican constituency) want if it’s not a nanny state?
I don’t think either party projects an understanding of the global economy we’re living in, and what will be necessary to prepare Americans for it. Some areas needs to be deregulated, and others more heavily regulated. Many government programs need to be thrown out (ex: existing welfare system, unemployment pay), and some others need to be started (ex: welfare-to-work, wage insurance, something to motivate students to pursue engineering and science degrees).
Republican politicians are more interested in their culture wars, while Democrats twiddle their thumbs and wait for people to get sick of the culture wars so they can win by default. That’s the political reality, and it’s going to cost us all dearly in a couple of decades.