Promising to save us from ourselves

A recommended speed for an upcoming corner is practical and worthwhile; repossessing cars is an irrational act of desperation.

When a politician or police representative ups the ante on road behaviour, young people intuitively know that inferring you have a final solution is a bluff, leading some to just drive faster and faster.

They want us to concede an annoying but unavoidable reality: it's weak to believe more legislation and threats will make the world the place we want it to be.

The one thing Spicer got right was that people contradict themselves by complaining about the nanny state only to then vote in those who promise to crack down on problems by introducing more laws, employing extra police or increasing penalties for doing the wrong thing. The state has a duty of care to its people. But the most profound aspect of this is to acknowledge that our safety, while enhanced by rules and information, is ultimately a personal responsibility because the choices we make in life cannot be made on our behalf.

The desire to have it both ways is a failure of leadership. Politicians don’t want to admit to the limitations of the state because they're afraid of being voted out. So instead, they perpetuate the confusion by promising to save us from ourselves.