The Nanny State Trap

Have you read the ema href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/opinion/08warner.html?_r=1oref=login”New York Times /emop-ed piece /atoday regarding,”The Parent Trap” by the goddess of domestic dysfunction, Judith Warner? br /br /blockquoteWe women have, in many very real ways, at long last made good on Ms. Friedan’s dream that we would reach “our full human potential — by participating in the mainstream of society.” But, for mothers in particular, at what cost? With what degree of exhaustion? And with what soul-numbing sacrifices made along the way?br /br /The outside world has changed enormously for women in these past 40 years. But home life? Think about it. Who routinely unloads the dishwasher, puts away the laundry and picks up the socks in your house? Who earns the largest share of the money? Who calls the shots? /blockquotebr /br /Is it my imagination or is the emNYT/em’s crowd stuck forever in a bad 1950’s sitcom? And Ms. Warner’s solution? More government control, of course:br /br /blockquoteMs. Friedan said last year, “We are a backward nation when it comes to things like childcare and parental leave.” That’s just the beginning. We need universal preschool, more and better afterschool programs, and policies to promote part-time work options that don’t force parents to forgo benefits, fair pay and career prospects. /blockquotebr /br /If only the men of the world would keep working those 50-70 hour weeks without complaint, keep the dishes clean, do the laundry, and leave their wives to make most of the decisions like the smart ladies on today’s tv sitcoms, the world would be a wonderful place. Oh, and throw in free daycare and a part-time job with full benefits for women and Oiula, problem solved. What a selfish view of the world Ms. Warner has and the worse part? If she can’t control the men in her household, she will look to the government to step into that role.