Professor Richard Ebeling of The Citadel authors a really good piece on the progressive notion that we are all one big ‘family’ and that government plays a key role and parent.
If the notion of a family is extended to the members of society as a whole, it is important to ask, “Who are the parents?” In the political setting, this can only mean politicians holding political office and those who man and manage the government bureaucracies regulating and controlling the private and social affairs of the citizenry, and determining the distribution of income and wealth among the social “family” members via the tax system.
What impact does this have? The professor continues:
But when the government takes on the role of “parent” or ‘big brother” and takes responsibility for all such things, it weakens the personal and familial senses of duty and obligation most people in a free society would ethically and voluntarily feel “the right thing to do” to help, handle and work out with others in the narrower or wider circle of actual relatives.
This is a good piece that offers good answers to refuting those who want government to play an even bigger role in our lives.
