> > i have noticed that the term "paternalistic state" has fallen out of > favour, left to academics, in favour of the "nanny state" in western > public discourse. in india, on the other hand, people still refer to > "mai baap sarkar" - mother father government. >
There's a David Boaz quote I like a lot: "Conservatives want to be your daddy, telling you what to do and what not to do. Liberals want to be your mommy, feeding you, tucking you in, and wiping your nose. Libertarians want to treat you as an adult." That's the American liberals he's referring to, of course, not classical liberals who're more or less the same as libertarians. is this a sign of the > decline of the family in the west, or is it an increase in wealth that > allows the substitution of parents by the nanny? > Great question. -- Amit Varma http://www.indiauncut.com
