From Nullifying Tyranny: “there was a time when Americans did not demand that government provide us with economic bailouts, social safety nets, armies of social workers and bureaucrats to manage government programs, innumerable and incomprehensible rules, regulations, and court edicts.” That demand—that government fix everything—is very irritating. When Katrina hit, when the oil well burst, when the economy tanked—why in the world are we clamoring for the government to “do something”? Where in the constitution does it say the government’s role is to fix everything?
It’s what they call the Nanny State. I was listening to an old Dennis Prager podcast this morning and he talked about liberty versus security. We crave the security of a government that will take care of us, but when we get that security we lose our freedom. That’s the Nanny State. Why not live life free to make mistakes? Why not enjoy the chances you take when you push yourself out of the nest for the first time?
In Gettysburg, PA, this summer I found this quote: “prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.” That’s liberty versus security.
Don’t demand the government fix everything. Find a way to fix it yourself.
BUT what do we do when the spill or the hurricane or whatever is too big for the company or the city or whatever? Isn't the government responsible to help out?
ReplyDeleteI would argue it is the duty--and the responsibility--of the "family" and the "neighbors" to help out. Who are they? Nearby cities. The State govt itself. The Feds don't have a reason to get involved. Louisiana and its sister states could have solved the problem in the Gulf without FEMA showing up.
ReplyDelete