Who’s your Nanny? – A new campaign by Vilnius Students for Liberty

The Nanny state is a term of British origin that conveys a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice. The term “nanny state” likens government to the role that a nanny has in child rearing. (Wikipedia definition)

Protectionism and paternalism are two powerful weapons used by government to control individuals. The Nanny state uses these instruments to “nudge” its inhabitants into making “the right” decisions (based upon their own opinions on what is right). This creates a bubble in which the premise is that the state runs your life better than you do yourself. It creates this image of the nanny whose role it is to educate society –  not to assure the rule of law and let individuals run their own lives. The Nanny state thinks it should teach you what to consume, who to love, what to believe in.

We think that our nanny is wrong and we should let individuals decide for themselves.

Is taking away your ability to make decisions regarding your own life a good way to teach someone a lesson?

Parents bring their children to the kindergarten for them to learn how to deal with other children their age. This type of nurture and integration to society is a successful one – because children can learn from their own mistakes. Does this make the Nanny state as a lifelong kindergarten supervisor legitimate?

“The kindergarten society” is a term introduced by Vilnius Students For Liberty to explain this nanny behavior. We’ll be talking about why the state should not dictate how people should run their lives – but rather stay out of people’s lives. It’s a controversial question nonetheless whether it’s the government’s role to provide education for everyone. However it is clear that the government’s role is not to nurture people.

For more information follow our kindergarten society campaign via www.vilniusliberty.com.

Vaidotas Norkus is an ESFL National Coordinator and the chairman of Students For Liberty Passau. He is a student of Governance and Public Policy at the University of Passau. 

This piece solely expresses the opinion of the author and not necessarily the organization as a whole. European Students For Liberty is committed to facilitating a broad dialogue for liberty, representing a variety of opinions. If you’re a student interested in presenting your perspective on this blog, please contact [email protected] for more information.