The Genius of Thomas Sowell cover image

Steven Pinker on Thomas Sowell

The Genius of Thomas Sowell

CHAPTER

The Welfare State Is Not a Battle Worth Fighting

I think that the welfare state in the sense of a government with an extensive social safety net is not a battle that's worth fighting. I think just looking at history, we have to admit that there's got to be some reason why countries as they get more affluent tend to devote more of their wealth to social spending. It could be that every single affluent democracy has gotten it wrong and should retreat to a minimalist libertarian state of government doing nothing but enforcing contracts and imposing law and order in national defense.

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