Nanny Told Me Get Out of Here

Shawn Macomber interviews David Harsanyi about his book Nanny State–a big chunk of which is previewed in reason's newest issue.

On one hand, you describe "nannyism" as "anathema to the spirit of the American people." Yet you also acknowledge, "The fact that politicians, bureaucrats, and activists long to be our parents is not new. What is inexplicable, though, is the swiftness with which Americans have allowed these worrywarts to take on the job." If, as a collective, we're so willing to hand over personal autonomy to social engineers, can nannyism really still be classified as "anathema" to our spirit?

In fairness, the average person tends to be far less idealistic than a political observer or true believer. Most Americans, for example, are annoyed by passive smoke. The more philosophical issue of property rights or economic incentives and overall paternalism is the furthest thing from their mind. They want to enjoy dinner without reeking of smoke when they get home. For some, it's a surrender of convenience. Sadly, many of us have bought into the idea that we have the "right" not be irritated or inconvenienced—even on someone else's property. This is a collective shift in our mindset that explains a small part of the Nanny State. What scares me the most about nannyists, though, is their disdain for free will—which I still hope is "anathema" to our spirit. Nannies are constantly trying to persuade America that a corporation can hypnotize consumers into engaging in activities that hurt them. The nanny doesn't believe you or I have the willpower to withstand the lure of, say, Taco Bell. And they certainly they don't believe any consumer actually chooses Taco Bell. Some reviews of Nanny State have taken me to task for failing to delve into the intense and nefarious power of marketing dollars. They still don't get it. I'm a man with a king-sized addictive personality. If I can resist a Big Mac, anyone can.

The problem is each citizen has a pet issue. It may be a smoking ban. Or the need to coerce the obese to stop stuffing their faces. And when you add all of those up we have the nanny state. While all these piddling intrusions can be separately viewed as non-threatening, once you bundle them together we have a movement with the potential to inflict tremendous damage on our basic freedoms.

Whole thing here.

Headline explained here.