The proposals of the Founding Fathers were much more radical, with respect to their time and millieu than some of the ideas — which will seem so outlandish to some — are to this time and place. The problem isn’t the novelty of the ideas, but the lack of a movement to implement them. Things aren’t bad enough to provide the ground for such proposals to grow.

Ironically, the rebellion against the politically correct Welfare State may begin in Europe because that is where the tensions are potentially the greatest for a variety of reasons all too familiar to repeat here. The main constraint which the Welfare State will soon hit is Demographics. The arithmetic is too stark to be ignored. Sooner rather than later, the mandarins will run out of geese from which to pry the Golden Egg.

Moreover, the forces of Globalization are weakening not only community, but the State itself. All that is lacking now is the technology to create market-state societies that are viable alternatives to the post-World War 2 Welfare State. Things will have to get a whole lot worse before ideas like “opting out” or “buying your freedom back” become mainstream. But the day will come and soon.

In a sense Obama represents not the future but the irretrievable past. He is not yet the One we have been waiting for.