Libertarian Rant

Galen has this little rant on his blog today. The overall point is essentially that if you allow the government to grow in areas you think are useful (i.e. the welfare state), it gets much more difficult to stop it from intruding in areas you don't want it involved (i.e. regulating cable television). As he says:

Each bit of personal responsibility given up to the state is another link in the chain that will bind you.

Sadly, I think this is basically true. Which has caused me a great deal of thought over the past couple of years as I try to reconcile my environmentalist leanings with my ever-expanding libertarian philosophy. Which is why I think that if we really want to get serious about protecting things about the environment that we value, then we need to start taking personal responsibility for it, instead of relying on the government. Although I do believe that most environmental indicators are improving over time, as we become wealthier as a society.