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You're too stupid to run your own life
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Think you know best how to run your life? Nope.
Turns out, you're too dumb to control your own destiny. That's the message of the Nanny State, as revealed by its various laws, prohibitions, regulations, bans, ordinances, statutes, guidelines, policies, and so forth. We have smoking bans, drug laws, seatbelt laws, laws against gambling, laws regulating gun ownership, and on and on. We have these laws in place to protect you from your own freedom. After all, freedom is too dangerous to be entrusted to you.
I know what you're thinking: don't we need these laws to protect "society"? Well, what is society other than a bunch of people? Society is not a living, breathing person. Ayn Rand once made the point that when you say something is in "the public interest," what you're really saying is that the interests of some matter more than the interests of others.
So what "society" are we protecting by banning drugs? By requiring people to license guns before they've done anything wrong (sort of like prior restraint with newspapers)? By telling private businesses they can no longer allow smoking in their restaurants? You're obviously not protecting those who wish to be free to put drugs into the bodies they own. You're not protecting the wishes and interests of the land owners - you know, the people who own the business (i.e., not you). You're not protecting innocent citizens who wish to own a gun for protection and who have done nothing wrong. Whose interests are we protecting? What "society" is at stake?
These sorts of laws are borne out of contempt for the individual. They convey the clear message, held by every statist, that you don't own your life. We're told this is a nation predicated on equal rights. But if someone can tell you what to do with your life, contrary to what you wish to do with your life, then that means some men are "more equal" than others. We don't have Two Americas, the rich and the poor; we have Two Americas, the governed and those who govern.
Smoking bans are especially evil. Those who hate smoking claim there are many people out there who would love to go to a smoke-free establishment, but "can't." If there are so many anti-smokers like this, why is there not more of a market for smoke-free places? The anti-smokers are not content to let their worldview compete in the open market. No, no. They'd much rather get the government to come in, stick a gun in your face, and order you to go by their wishes (that's what all government law is, boiled down). Rather than peacefully negotiate with restaurant and bar owners to ask them to go smoke-free, they'd much rather come in by force and impose their morality. That alone should demonstrate statists' contempt for the rights of individuals.
Even though we’re too stupid to run our own lives, interestingly enough, we can trust you to vote for the right people who will be your overlords. Isn't it great? You're too much of an idiot to know what's best for you, but somehow, you are smart enough to be able to select someone else to do it for you.
So sit back, don't lift a finger, and let the precious Nanny State take care of you. Doesn't that feel better than trying to live your own life?
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