Topic: Government's Responsibilities
Who's Anxiety is it, Anyway?
A rant about what Big Government thinks I should worry about.by Maria Folsom
(libertarian)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
You read a lot lately about what you should worry about. Mainstream news items give you the list, and Big Government is there to provide the list, just in case you don't have your priorities lined up right.
For example, there's the 'undue anxiety' caused by getting a mammogram. There's the 'stress' of not having an adequate retirement income. And then there's the bigger anxieties of climate change, war, product liability.
Maybe I don't have my priorities lined up right, but I don't worry about these things. I know, it's probably unpatriotic of me to forego these anxieties, but the truth is I have OTHER anxieties that Big Government doesn't deem worthy of listing.
I worry about NOT getting a mammogram, or any preventive cancer screening exam. The thought that I might have a curable cancer at this moment and am not aware of it causes me real anxiety.
I worry about subsidizing other people's retirements. I already took the proper steps to secure my own retirement, but now I worry that my resources might be drained by those who were not as prudent.
I don't worry about the climate. I worry about what Big Government might do to my lifestyle and my income to fix a problem that doesn't exist.
War? Sure I worry about bloodshed. But I worry that our Government is policing the planet when it should be defending our borders only. I'm not worried about the bogeymen in foreign lands. I'm worried about the bogeymen in my own Government who want to x-ray me at airports, trace every dollar I spend on campaign contributions, deny me the right to do business with whomever I please, and force me to pay for someone else's health care.
I even worry about Big Government telling me what to worry about! Is it even Government's responsibility to advise me on my anxieties?
When will my anxieties be acknowledged? Who gets to decide what I should "worry" about? Me? Big Government? My neighbor? The 'approved problems' are in the news, and it seems to be bad form to deny them in social conversation and polite company. Disenfranchised, invisible, lonely, left out of the Official List of Anxieties, I wonder why I don't have anxiety about the right things.
I wonder if anyone else has worry-anxiety.
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The views expressed
in this article are those of Maria Folsom only and
do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
Maria Folsom is solely responsible for the contents
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I believe it was Woodrow E. Wilson who said "progessivism is marrying your interest to the interests of the state". Included in the broad term, "your interests" can be your worries, your fears, and progressives seem to want them married to the fears and anxieties of the state as well. I feel your concern about Big Government telling us what we should be worried about, and can add a whole bunch more examples to your list. For instance, I don't worry about who a political leader has slept with in his or her own time, I worry about whether or not he/she respects the limits on Government power outlined in our constitution.
What also concerns me is that some people are so condidtioned by the State's official list of things to be worried about that they don't even comprehend my fears! A prime example is the "everyone who voted against Obama is racist" crowd (and don't tell me they don't exist, because I have seen this on many forums). These people really cannot comprehend that I voted against and now loathe president obama because of his action- his political position- NOT HIS RACE!
Stephen, we of of the same mind. You obviously get it, and have experienced my exasperation. I totally agree with you about the "racist" movement. It's ridiculous. Thanks for the comment.
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