. . . And the ugly

. . . out with the Rule of Law.

"We must win the future!" During Barack Obama's State of the Union address, it was hard to keep track of how many times he used this uplifting but meaningless slogan. The president began by admitting that when it comes to guessing what kinds of jobs will be created in the future (or which industries will rise and which ones will fall), policymakers and their economic advisers do not posses any method more reliable than tossing a coin. But here comes the ugliest message in the speech, a product of a paternalistic view concerning the relationship between the Citizen and the State. It holds that most people are, if not drooling idiots, too often unable or unwilling to make the right choices without the wise and benevolent (carrot-and-stick) guidance of government leaders and their bureaucratic minions.

State of the Union 2011 was the most politically schizophrenic piece of rhetoric that I have ever heard-despite the fact that the president has no idea what the future holds, he proceeded to bombard us with a long list of government measures that would ensure the "winning" of that unknown prize.

Obama talked of subsidizing education, but he demonstrated a bias toward community colleges without providing any proof that such schools give better results per dollar than other institutions of higher education. In his capacity of the supreme father of the nation, he scolded American parents by telling them to turn off their TV sets. This was meant to incentivize the children to stop wasting time admiring athletes and start working on that baking soda and vinegar volcano. The president also let us know that his central plan for education would emphasize math and science without feeling the need to defend his choice (why not economics and history?)

Obama promised to use our money to interfere aggressively to skew the outcomes of market competition. He vowed to pick winners and losers without regard for what is politically expedient but based solely on what is best for the economy in the long run. He did not question his ability to see into the future as he declared his intention to fund research in bio-fuels (why not antimatter or upsidaisium?) It is of course hard to ignore the fact that in order to put his politically unbiased plan into action, he needs the votes of places like Iowa in 2012. Thus, it will come as no surprise if it turns out that the most economically promising clean energy source is corn.

The message in the State of the Union was loud and clear: "We are the government and we know best how to win the future. You can do big things but you should do them as we please." But if We the People tolerate such an attitude from our public servants, we are throwing the Rule of Law out and embracing arbitrary government power.

See Alex's previous columns in this series on President Obama's State of the Union address: "The good . . ." and "The bad . . ."