more personal responsibility - less government

[mahogany]

As much as I like the idea of government sponsored safety net - I often think the price of having the government as a caregiver is too high. It's not even the fact that we pay for it through our taxes. The money of it through higher taxes isn't even the part that bugs me. I guess it's some residue of my leftist tendencies from my youth, but I do feel responsibility for the wellbeing of others. Over the past few years, I've the increasing belief that the government should not be the caregiver of the people. We give up too much in personal freedoms, and it leads to disasters like this heartbreaking situation:

http://sites.google.com/site/homeschoolinginsweden/sweden---the-next-germany-/the-state-abduction-of-dominic-johannsson

http://friendsofdomenic.blogspot.com/p/because-they-loved.html


I don't even think this is a slippery slope. I think what's happening with this case in Sweden is the natural and inevitable result when people give up the personal liberties in exchange for an extensive social safety net.

ETA: This is excellent - LONG, but excellent: http://youtu.be/rEED4yFltCE

Comments

[mahogany.livejournal.com]

For me, it's not about the taxes. Canada is a pretty heavily taxed country, but for the most part, I don't really mind. There are inefficiencies that could be eliminated, but all-in-all, from a money perspective, it's not that surprising.

Yes, I did cherry pick a case because it's so shocking and horrendous - it's an extreme example of what can happen in a society that has given up so much in exchange for such and extensive social net. We're not talking a bit of a social net to help people get by in their time of need. We're talking one of the most comprehensive most far reaching social nets in the world. And what they've given up in exchange for this is enormous. Their data collection on the citizens, for example, is much more invasive. The right to personal privacy, and to live slightly outside the box has been curtailed. It even impacts the parenting. Not only is it not affordable for most Swedes to raise a family on one income - it's virtually unheard of. The daycare is provided, and the citizens are expected to use it, and work. There are sectors in Canada that are pushing for government sponsored daycare. It scares the living daylights out of me. Yes, there is an urgent need for quality, affordable childcare. Yes, I would support that even if it meant slightly higher taxes for me. HOWEVER, universal government sponsored daycare has the potential be a scary thing - especially if it takes wrong turn somewhere and results in less liberty.

Sure, there are horrific cases of neglect and abuse on a parental side, but giving up our liberty hasn't solved the problem. It hasn't gone away. It happens here. It happens in Sweden. It happens to homeschooled kids, and it happens to kids in the school system. It is now illegal to homeschool in Sweden (although it was still legal when Dominic Johanssen was taken). From my perspective, this is a huge move backward and it is infringing on parent's right to raise their child as best as s/he/they see fit.