.....
I believe in the State.
I believe in a strong State.
I believe in the State’s core purpose: to regulate and arbitrate.
I believe in the State’s power to do good; to bring justice, security and order; to defend and protect its citizens; and to make their lives better.
I believe in the State’s duty to care for the needy; to ensure that the rich help the poor, and that the weak are helped by the strong.
And I believe finally in the State’s nobility as an idea; the inspiring power of the national ideal; the tremendous possibilities unleashed by collective action; and the love and duty owed by citizens to the State.
But the incontinent expansion of the State’s reach degrades its grip. It undermines legitimacy, lowers confidence and breeds disregard. Twelve years of new Labour’s flabby-minded growth in the public sector, and the bloating of its claims on individuals’ lives, have begun to rot the whole idea of something the Left ought to believe in, and the Right do: society, and the public good.
I wish I'd written that
(Overseas folks who want to read it but can't get through on the link, let me know via comments and I'll paste the lot)
4 comments:
Excellent piece by Parris.
I saw this quoted somewhere else and I couldn't help thinking that it pretty much "defines" what I think. I am not a "Libertarian" in that I don't think that abolishing the state and regulations would be a good idea, but I do think the state has encroached too far into our lives.
Now you'll have to excuse me because the telescreen is telling me to eat one of my five a day.
Too much law, way too much unneceesary, bumbling, knee-jerk, naff, tinkering, bureaucratic....oh dear, my eyeballs have just exploded.
It's a very good article. I especially liked this statement of his from that article:
"When an authority fails too dismally in modern Britain, another authority is established to keep it up to scratch. When an authority succeeds too aggressively, another authority is established to keep it in check. When too many of these new supervisory authorities begin treading on each other’s toes, a new umbrella authority is set up to co-ordinate their activities."
Sadly, it is so true.
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