Navigating the Nanny State

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Nobody likes the Nanny State, writes David Leyonhjelm. But what about seatbelt laws? How much Nanny is too much Nanny?

Most people accept that some things are legitimately the responsibility of the government while others are private matters. Indeed, this distinction was well known to the ancient Greeks. Aristotle described the public realm of the polis, state, city or republic as the site where people consent to or contest the laws, contracts, covenants, or principles of community that govern personal and social conduct.

The private realm was defined by the hearth and home, remaining the place of family, comfort and individual identity. He viewed the family as the primary …